Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Study of Defects in γ-Irradiated Marine Mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and Scallop (Pecten jacobaeus) Shells

Abstract

EPR studies have been performed on some gamma-irradiated marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and scallops (Pecten jacobaeus) from the families of Mytilidae and Pectinidae, respectively. Before γ-irradiation, the EPR lines of Mytilus galloprovincialis indicated the existence of Mn2+ ions, which were not observed in the powders of scallop shells, γ-irradiation induced defects in powders of Mytilus galloprovincialis shells, were attributed to orthorhombic CO<inf>3</inf>-, axial CO<inf>3</inf>3-, orthorhombic CO<inf>2</inf>-, freely rotating CO<inf>2</inf>-, freely rotating SO<inf>2</inf> -, axial SO<inf>3</inf>-, isotropic PO<inf>4</inf> 2- and organic free radicals. γ-irradiation induced defects in powders of Pecten jacobaeus shells were attributed to orthorhombic CO <inf>3</inf>-, axial CO<inf>3</inf>3-, orthorhombic CO<inf>2</inf>-, freely rotating CO<inf>2</inf>-, freely rotating SO<inf>2</inf>-, and axial SO<inf>3</inf>- free radicals. The EPR parameters of the free radicals were compared with literature data on similar defects.