Thermoluminescence response to identification of Mexican Ancho and Chipotle chilli irradiated with 137Cs gamma photons

Abstract In this work, the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of mineral content in Mexican Ancho and Chipotle chilli were studied for their application in the detection of irradiated chilli. The Ancho and Chipotle chilli minerals show a complex TL glow curve with two overlapping peaks around 82 and 178 °C. Acceptable repeatability of TL measurements is obtained after ten irradiation-readout cycles. The dose-response of Ancho and Chipotle minerals is linear from 5 to 75 Gy, supralinear between 100 and 1000 Gy, and sublinear from 1500 to 5000 Gy. Using the TL1/TL2 ratio, the chilli minerals are detected as irradiated at doses ≥200 Gy. At low doses (