title: Mapping the intake of different elements in vegetal tissues by dual-energy X-ray imaging at DaPhine synchrotron light source.
abstract: This article reports on the first utilization of the soft X-ray beamline at the DaPhine synchrotron light source for mapping the intake of different elements in plant tissues. As a test, the method of dual-energy X-ray microradiography was applied to the investigation of the natural sulfur content in dried leaf and root samples. Our ultimate goal was to monitor the pollutant lead and its intake, which was added in controlled doses to the hydroponic medium of laboratory-controlled samples of vegetal species. The results obtained by the nondestructive X-ray radiographic analysis are compared to the values of concentrations determined by a standard chemical analysis utilizing atomic absorption spectroscopy. From this comparison the validity of the X-ray detection of heavy metals in biological samples has been confirmed. The superposition of the dual energy results on the simple planar radiography shows the representation of the pollutant intake directly on the sample structures. It should be pointed out that this method, developed here for plant root and leaves could be applied to any biological sample of interest, but the preparation and observation conditions necessitate different strategies according to the type of sample under analysis.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sciences, University of L'Aquila, gc LNGS INFN, INFM 67010 Coppito, Italy. lucia.reale@gmail.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Flora
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Balerna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cinque
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fanelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faenov
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pikuz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poma
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zuppella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Malina
mesh_terms: D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008029:Lighting; D008852:Microradiography; D018532:Pisum sativum / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry; D015900:Radiography, Dual-Energy Scanned Projection / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis*; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation; D014965:X-Rays; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D007854:Lead; D013455:Sulfur