Trace Element Mapping of Biological Tissues Using PIXE and XRF

Abstract

For the measurement of the distributions of trace elements concentrations in biological samples the PIXE technique as well as the fluorescence of synchrotron radiation can be applied. At the Eindhoven University of Technology and the Free University of Amsterdam a PIXE microbeam facility has been used for analysis in a scanning mode of biological tissues. At the Synchrotron Radiation Source in Daresbury UK an XRF station for several mm beamsizes, equipped with a graphite mosaic crystal as a monochromator has been built. An x-ray microbeam facility with a silicon concave mirror as a focussing device is in Daresbury under construction now. Due to the specific machine features synchrotron radiation is favourite for the analysis of lighter elements with atom number 9<Z<25, while PIXE is more useful for the K&#x003B1; radiation of heavier elements.