Integrated and Portable Probe Based on Functional Plastic Scintillator for Detection of Radioactive Cesium

The highly reliable and direct detection of radioactive cesium has gained potential interest due to in-situ detection and monitoring in environments. In this study, we elucidated an integrated and portable probe based on functional plastic scintillator for detection of radioactive cesium. A functional plastic scintillator with improved detection efficiency was fabricated including CdTe (cadmium telluride) material. Monolith-typed functional plastic scintillator having a diameter of 50 mm and a thickness of 30 mm was manufactured by adding 2,5-diphenyloxazole (PPO, 0.4 wt%), 1,4 di[2-(5phenyloxazolyl)]benzene (POPOP, 0.01 wt%), and CdTe (0.2 wt%) materials in a styrene-based matrix. To evaluate the applicability of the plastic scintillator manufactured to in-situ radiological measurement, an integrated plastic detection system was created, and the measurement experiment was performed using the Cs-137 radiation source. Additionally, detection efficiency was compared with a commercial plastic scintillator. As results, the efficiency and light yield of a functional plastic scintillator including CdTe were higher than a commercial plastic scintillator. Furthermore, the remarkable performance of the functional plastic scintillator was confirmed through comparative analysis with Monte Carlo simulation.

Automated summary

An integrated and portable probe based on a functional plastic scintillator was developed for highly efficient detection of radioactive cesium. The detection efficiency and light yield of the functional plastic scintillator including CdTe were found to be higher than a commercial plastic scintillator, confirming its remarkable performance. This study highlights the potential for in-situ detection and monitoring of radioactive cesium using the developed plastic scintillator technology.