Analysis of Gamma-Ray Absorption using a Thallium-Activated Sodium Iodide NaI(Tl) Detector

This study investigated the attenuation of gamma rays using aqueous solutions of food salt and sugar, employing a 137 Cs radioactive cesium source and a NaI(Tl) scintillation detector with Maestro software for spectral analysis.The experimental results demonstrated that increasing the concentration of salt or sugar in pure water resulted in a noticeable reduction in the total area (both gross and net) under the 662 keV gamma peak.This reduction is attributed to enhanced photon absorption and scattering due to the increased electron density of the solution as solute concentration rises.The findings indicate that such solutions despite their simplicity and low atomic numbers-can effectively attenuate gamma radiation to a measurable degree.These results support the potential use of salt or sugar-based mixtures as cost-effective and accessible radiation shielding alternatives, particularly in educational, emergency, or low-dose applications where conventional materials are impractical or unavailable.