Application of conventional and microbeam synchrotron radiation x-ray fluorescence and absorption for the characterization of human nails.
The synchrotron radiation based spectroscopies X-ray fluorescence and X-ray absorption fine structure are used to detect illness-related changes in the elemental distribution and bonding environment of metals in human nails. The effective atomic number of a collection of nails is determined using two methods, the X-ray transmittance and the scattering method, and is found equal to 7.5 +/- 0.5. X-ray fluorescence maps of the elemental distributions, recorded with a lateral resolution of 5 microm, reveal that S, Ca and Zn are distributed homogeneously while Fe tends to cluster. In the Fe-rich clusters, which have a diameter in the range 15-30 microm, the Fe concentration is 10 times higher than in the matrix. The Zn K edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectra reveal that Zn, in the nails from healthy donors and patients suffering from lung diseases, is four-fold coordinated with N and S and the Zn-N and Zn-S distances are equal to 2.03 A and 2.25 A, respectively. Finally the signature of various bonds in the C-, O- and N- K near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectra is discussed.
School of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
M
M
Katsikini
A
A
Mavromati
F
F
Pinakidou
E C
EC
Paloura
D
D
Gioulekas
D
D
Loannides
A
A
Erko
I
I
Zizak
D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D009262:Nails / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D014009:Onychomycosis / Q000378:metabolism; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D017356:Synchrotrons; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
D008670:Metals; D015032:Zinc