A study on the interaction parameters of charged and uncharged radiation types with some indoor plants.

This study investigates how gamma rays, neutrons, and electrons interact with five commonly found indoor plants: Spathiphyllum wallisii (SW), Ficus elastica (FE), Dieffenbachia camilla (DC), Schefflera arboricola (SA), and Ficus benjamina (FB). Utilizing experimental measurements (with HPGe detector), Monte Carlo simulations (GEANT4 and FLUKA), and theoretical calculations (ESTAR and WinXCOM), some radiation interaction parameters for gamma rays, fast neutrons, thermal neutrons, and electrons were determined. Secondary particle generation was also analyzed to provide a comprehensive assessment. The determined linear attenuation coefficients with the help of the WinXCOM are 0.1376, 0.1662, 0.1385, 0.1651 and 0.1698 cm-1 for SW, FE, DC, SA and FB, respectively. The calculated total macroscopic cross sections for indoor plants in the same sample order are 2.0290, 2.0350, 2.0285, 2.0363 and 2.0362 cm-1. Among the investigated plants, FB exhibited the highest gamma ray interaction, while SA and FB showed superior interaction against fast neutrons compared to SW and DC. The findings reveal significant variations in interaction effectiveness and secondary radiation production across these plants, offering valuable insights for radiation safety and environmental health evaluations.

Detailed Analysis of Gamma-Shielding Characteristics of Ternary Composites Using Experimental, Theoretical and Monte Carlo Simulation Methods.

Ionizing radiation is vital in various fields but poses health risks, necessitating effective shielding. This study investigated the photon-shielding properties of polyester-based ternary composites with barite (BaSO4) and tungsten (W) using experimental methods, theoretical calculations, and Monte Carlo simulations for energies between 81 keV and 1332.5 keV. WINXCOM was utilized for the theoretical predictions, and the MCNP6 and PHITS 3.22 algorithms were employed for the simulations. According to the results, the simulation, theoretical, and experimental data all closely aligned. At 81 keV, the composite containing the highest amount of tungsten (PBaW50) had the highest mass attenuation coefficient (3.7498 cm2/g) and linear attenuation coefficient (12.9676 cm-1). Furthermore, for a sample that was 1 cm thick, PBaW50 offered 99.88% protection at 81 keV and had the lowest HVL and TVL values. PBaW50 exhibited attenuation capabilities, making it appropriate for use in industrial, medical, and aerospace settings. In summary, the findings of this study underscore the potential of polyester-based composites doped with barite and tungsten as effective materials for gamma radiation shielding. The PBaW50 sample, in particular, stands out for its attenuation performance, making it a viable option for a wide range of applications where durable and efficient radiation shielding is essential.

A study for gamma-ray attenuation performances of barite filled polymer composites.

In this study, radiation protection efficiency (RPE) for the coded as UP-Ba0, UP-Ba25, UP-Ba50, UP-Ba75 and UP-Ba100 at different sample thicknesses, total mass attenuation coefficient (µ/ρ), linear attenuation coefficients (µ), half value layers (HVL), tenth value layers (TVL), mean free paths (MFP), effective atomic numbers (Zeff) and effective electron densities (NE) were determined at various gamma energies between 59.5 and 1408.0 keV. With the help of the geometric progression (G-P) fitting method, the energy absorption build-up factor (EABF) and exposure build-up factor (EBF) values were calculated in the energy range from 0.015 MeV to 15 MeV for the produced composites. HPGe detector and eight radioactive sources (241Am, 152Eu, 137Cs, 133Ba, 60Co, 57Co, 54Mn and 22Na) were utilized in the experiment. Experimental results were compared with theoretical calculations and it has been observed that there is a good agreement between theoretical and experimental results. It was observed that RPE, µ/ρ, µ, Zeff and NE parameters increased with increasing barite amount and decreased with increasing energy, while the opposite situation was observed in HVL, TVL and MFP parameters. EABF and EBF values increase with increasing penetration depth. As a result, UP-Ba100 is a good radiation absorber according to the other studied barite filled polymer composites.

Determination of some fluorescence parameters of L sub-shells for Th and U at 59.54 keV photon energy.

The L X-ray fluorescence cross-sections at 59.54 keV, L sub-shell fluorescence and Auger yields, L sub-shell level widths, life times and some selected radiative transfer probabilities of L to M, N and O sub-shells were determined using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence for Th and U. The experiments were performed with a Si(Li) detector and an Am-241 radioactive annular source in excitation geometry. The results are in good agreement with other comparable values within experimental uncertainties.

Determination of K shell absorption jump factors and jump ratios of 3d transition metals by measuring K shell fluorescence parameters.

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique (EDXRF) has been employed for measuring K-shell absorption jump factors and jump ratios for Ti, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu elements. The jump factors and jump ratios for these elements were determined by measuring K shell fluorescence parameters such as the Kα X-ray production cross-sections, K shell fluorescence yields, Kß-to-Kα X-rays intensity ratios, total atomic absorption cross sections and mass attenuation coefficients. The measurements were performed using a Cd-109 radioactive point source and an Si(Li) detector in direct excitation and transmission experimental geometry. The measured values for jump factors and jump ratios were compared with theoretically calculated and the ones available in the literature.