Elemental Distribution in Bone Impacted by Bacterial Diseases

Previous work, by this and other authors, noted several elements in bones and teeth are distributed non-uniformly. It was theorized that elemental distributions may be accentuated in the case of bacterial infections. Regions of bone surrounding Dental Abscess and Tuberculosis lesions were identified from, Varden (AdHa-1) and LeVesconte, Ontario; San Pedro, Belize and Kellis II Cemetery, Egypt. The abscess cavities were excised intact and cross-sectioned through the identified lesion. Elemental distributions in the bones were obtained using Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence mapping. Maps of Zinc, Copper, Iron and Bromine were collected from the samples. The elements included in this study displayed no correlation between distribution patterns and the presence of a dental abscess. This conclusion is limited to the elements studied. Other elements or possible effects on bone structure, crystallinity or elemental chemistry will need to be addressed in future work. However, it was found that Zinc concentration correlates with active bone formation areas

Pb Distribution in Bones from the Franklin Expedition: Synchrotron X-Ray Fluorescence and Laser Ablation/Mass Spectroscopy

Synchrotron micro-X-ray Fluorescence has been used to map the metal distribution in selected bone fragments representative of remains associated with the Franklin expedition. In addition, laser ablation mass spectroscopy using a 25 μm diameter circular spot was employed to compare the Pb isotope distributions in small regions within the bone fragments. The X-ray Fluorescence mapping shows Pb to be widely distributed in the bone while the Pb isotope ratios obtained by laser ablation within small areas representative of bone with different Pb exchange rates do not show statistically significant differences. These results are inconsistent with the hypothesis that faulty solder seals in tinned meat were the principle source of Pb in the remains of the expedition personnel

Synchrotron X-ray Fluorescence and Trace Metals in the Cementum Rings of Human Teeth

Synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence has been used to study differences in the trace element concentration between the dentine and cementum rings of human teeth. The results show that metals such as zinc are concentrated in the cementum rings. This suggests that if the rings are deposited annually a temporal record of metal exposure may be extracted from this material

Comparison of the Distributions of Bromine, Lead, and Zinc in Tooth and Bone from an Ancient Peruvian Burial Site by X-ray Fluorescence

Synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence was used to study the distribution of selected trace elements (Zn, Pb, and Br) in tooth and bone samples obtained from an individual from a pre-Columbian archaeological site (Cabur) located on the north coast of Peru. The results show that Zn, Pb, and Br are present in both the teeth and bone samples and that the Zn and Pb seem to be confined to similar regions (cementum and periostium), while Br shows a novel distribution with enrichment close to the Haversian canals and (or) in regions that appear to be Ca deficient

Metal Distributions in the Cementum Rings of Human Teeth: Possible Depositional Chronologies and Diagenesis

Synchrotron radiation analysis has been used to study the trace metal distribution in the cementum rings of selected human teeth. The resulting patterns can be used to identify regions within the root cementum, where the metals are unambiguously endogenous. Since the cementum is thought to display annual growth rings the ability to distinguish endogenous from diagenetic deposition in the trace metal content of the cementum rings, may provide a chronology of an individual\u27s metal exposure

Synchrotron radiation analysis in the study of pollution in the ring-billed gull (larus delawarensis): a novel application of the technique

Synchrotron radiation analysis is a powerful tool for identifying pollutants. Here, we explore the distribution of elements in the flight feathers of ring-billed gulls, Larus delawarensis, to identify potential pollutants and their distribution throughout the feather. Our analysis using Synchrotron Radiation Analysis and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy has identified a variety of metals that are integral parts of the feather structure including: calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe). The darker portions of the flight feather were enriched with Zn and Fe, which supports the suggestion that feather melanins are efficient ligands of some metals found in the environment, sequestering potentially harmful particles away from the body. However, trace lead (Pb) acquired from the regional pollution was detected only in females, and it was distributed across both the melanized and non-melanized portions of the feather suggesting that only some metals are efficiently sequestered by melanins. Overall this study highlights a potential method for identifying pollutants using bird feathers, which has broader implications on environmental sensing as well as avian and human health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

High Variability of the Metal Content of Tree Growth Rings as Measured by Synchrotron Micro X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Synchrotron radiation analysis was used to investigate the metal content of tree rings collected from paper birch, Betula papyrifera Marsh, on transects downwind from two metal smelters (nickel and copper). Individual trees reflected changes in ring metal content with time, which may be presumed to represent changes in local metal bioavailability. However, between-tree variations were large and no statistically significant differences in metal content as a function of time were found within or between sites. Although concentrations of both total and exchangeable copper and nickel in the soil increased with proximity to the respective smelter, this pattern was reflected only in the nickel content of rings near the nickel smelter; copper content did not vary with distance from either smelter. The sites did differ with respect to lead, manganese and zinc content of the rings, which may be related to pH. In conclusion, the variability between trees at each site suggests that dendroanalysis is a poor method for evaluating metal exposure at a large (site) scale. Tree ring metal content may be used to evaluate the metal uptake by individual trees but metal mobility in the stem makes it difficult to establish a reliable chronology