Pulsed Photostimulated Luminescence of Irradiated Black and White Peppers and Effects of Long-Term Storage

Changes in accumulated pulsed photostimulated luminescene (PPSL) signals were observed after storage, which affected the ability to detect irradiation in black and white peppers. The PPSL curves were accumulated linearly during the 120 s measurement times, and PPSL signals increased according to irradiation doses. Threshold levels of black and white peppers were below 557±220 and 503±92 photon counts in 60 s, and below 679±351 and 812±648 photon counts in 120 s, respectively. The PPSL signals of black and white peppers linearly increased with irradiation dose up to 5 kGy, but very little from 5～10 kGy. The accumulated PPSL signals of irradiated black and white peppers had higher decay rates when stored in normal room conditions than in a darkroom. Detection of irradiation was possible for up to 12 months after irradiation, if the samples were stored in a darkroom.