Influence of Gamma Irradiation on the IR Spectra and Acute Toxicity of Polyvinyl Alcohol

Irradiation with γ-rays fundamentally changes the IR spectrum of polyvinyl alcohol, resulting in a decrease in the intensity of absorption bands due to OH and CH groups and the appearance of new bands due to the vibrations of unsaturated bonds. An increase in the γ-radiation dose from 100 to 3500 kGy barely leads to the appearance of new absorption bands; in this case, a complex series of absorption bands arises and the intensity of bands existing in a frequency range characteristic of the stretching vibrations of unsaturated bond groups increases. In turn, these tendencies are reflected in color changes after γ-irradiation, and they also indicate the radiation-induced carbonization of the polymer chain. The study of acute toxicity and the class of acute toxicity of the initial polyvinyl alcohol and its analogue γ-irradiated to 2000 kGy allows them to be categorized with class 4 low-toxicity drug compounds.