Hannover 2010 – scientific programme

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SYMS: Symposium New methods of mass spectroscopy and their application in the environmental science

SYMS 2: Session II

SYMS 2.4: Invited Talk

Thursday, March 11, 2010, 15:30–16:00, A 001

Progress of inorganic mass spectrometry in environmental and life sciences — •J. Sabine Becker — Forschungszentrum Jülich

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has become established as a very efficient and sensitive trace and surface analytical technique in geology, material research, environmental and life sciences. We used LA-ICP-MS to produce images for investigating the spatial element distribution as well as the layered structures and inhomogeneities in thin tissue sections (e.g., human and rat brain tissues) to study neurodegenerative diseases or for biomonitoring of toxic metals in animal and plant samples in environmental research with a spatial resolution at micrometre scale. Furthermore, the possibility of the nanometre scale analysis of elements in tissues using a laser microdissection system or the application of the near-field effect in LA-ICP-MS will be discussed. These novel analytical techniques in LA-ICP-MS open up a new challenging path for future applications in the imaging of elements in life sciences and environmental research.