Ultraviolet C radiation on polypropylene: A potential way to reduce plastic pollution

•Investigating UVC radiation to extend lifetime of healthcare items containing PP.•FTIR and Raman spectroscopy suggest negligible PP degradation post-UVC treatment.•Commercial dosimeters support UVC-induced TL response under PP materials.•Consistent UVC detection method after one-hour PP materials exposure.•Underscoring the role of UVC to prolong PP lifetime for plastic pollution reduction. This study investigates the application of ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation to extend the lifetime of healthcare items containing polypropylene (PP), particularly personal protective equipment (PPE). The main objectives involve assessing possible PP damage from UVC exposure and detecting UVC treatment within PP samples. FTIR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy reveal slight degradation in UVC-irradiated PP samples, demonstrating resilience post-treatment. Investigations using commercial thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLD-100, TLD-200, TLD-400 and GR-200) positioned under varying thicknesses of PP (0.20 and 0.80 mm) identify TLD-100 as a promising UVC detector. Conversely, TLD-200 and TLD-400 do not prove to be effective detectors, exhibiting similar behavior to the dosimeters without a plastic sample. And GR-200 does not possess the capability to differentiate between ionizing and non-ionizing components of UVC radiation. This research emphasizes the role of UVC to prolong the lifetime of healthcare items containing PP, thus aiding in efforts to reduce plastic pollution.