Thermoluminescence dosimetric properties of natural zeolite powder under 6 MV photon and 6 MeV electron irradiation.

Natural materials have attracted increasing attention as alternative thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters due to their low cost, natural abundance, and favourable dosimetric properties. Present study, an investigation has been made of the key dosimetric properties of commercially available natural zeolite powder, specifically the TL glow curve, dose response, linearity index, sensitivity, energy dependence, and fading for two different radiation types and energies, such as a 6 MV photon beam and a 6 MeV electron beam. The samples were irradiated with doses ranging from 2 to 10 Gy under full-scatter conditions. Glow curve analysis revealed a prominent TL peak within the temperature range of 247-288 °C for both photon and electron beam irradiation. The natural zeolite exhibited satisfactory linearity of the dose-response curve, low dependency on the energy in the clinically used energy range and reasonable retention of signal during the fading study for six months. High TL sensitivity at low doses for both types of irradiation implies high possibilities for the use of the material in the field of radiotherapy dosimetry. Further analysis of kinetic parameters was performed by the peak shape method, resulting in general order kinetic characteristics with fairly stable trapping centres inside the natural zeolite. In comparison with 6 MV photon-beam irradiation, the samples irradiated by electron beams showed superior dosimetric properties, especially TL sensitivity, suggesting potential suitability as a low-cost passive dosimeter for medical radiation treatment applications.