Analysis of shellfish by thermoluminescence and X-ray diffraction methods: Knowledge of gamma-ray treatment and mineral characterization

To investigate the detection of irradiated shellfish, seven kinds of shellfish samples were gamma irradiated at 3 and 6 kGy. The first-glow curves for all the control and irradiated shellfish samples were recorded between temperatures of 50 and 400 °C at a heating rate of 5 °C/s. All the samples, the first glow curves (TL1) of which have been recorded, were re-irradiated at 1 kGy for the normalization of results. Their second glow curves (TL2) were obtained at the same conditions in order to achieve the thermoluminescence (TL) ratios (TL1/TL2). The TL method proactively identified the whole shellfish samples by using the calcite, aragonite and quartz minerals that are present in the shells. The X-ray diffraction spectroscopy has been used as an analytical tool for the characterization of minerals that are present in the shells as inorganic materials along with biomaterial.