Characterization of luminescent dosimeters for sterile insect technique

Resumen

The Sterile Insect Technique, or SIT, is an environment-friendly insect pest control method and uses gamma rays or X-rays to sterilize insects, remaining sexually competitive but cannot produce offspring. The dose control during the SIT procedures is essential for the quality of the irradiated product or material.  Insects that receive too low a dose are not sufficiently sterile and those that receive too high a dose may be uncompetitive. There are few dosimetric systems used for the dose control during the irradiation procedure. The aim of this paper is to characterize the Optically Stimulated (OSL) response of Li₂B₄O₇:Cu,Ag, synthesized by the Nuclear Energy Department of the Federal University of Pernambuco and the MTS-N dosimeters to be used for SIT dosimetry and applied in Moscamed Brazil’s pest and vector control programs. The results were evaluated using the student’s t-test. Applying the hypothesis that the results obtained with the three types of dosimeters are similar, the test showed that with 99% confidentiality the hypothesis is accepted, that is, the results of the three types of dosimeters are similar. It is possible to conclude that the OSL Li₂B₄O₇:Cu,Ag, and the TL MTS-N can be used for dose control during the SIT irradiation procedures.