Multiememental mapping and arsenic determination in organs of rats by TXRF and µSRXRF

G. BONGIOVANNI; C.A. PÉREZ; P.N. RUBATTO BIRRI; R.D. PÉREZ; M. RUBIO

Campinas (Brasil)

Workshop; XVI Reunião Annual de Usuários. Laboratório Nacional de Luz Síncrotron; 2006

Brazilian Association for Synchrotron Light Technology-ABTlus

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely present in the environment. People may be exposed to arsenic in many ways. However, drinking water accounts for the majority of human arsenic exposure worldwide. Chronic exposure to lower levels of arsenic can also cause adverse health effects, including vascular disease, peripheral neuropathy, exacerbation of the complications of diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, liver and kidney toxicity, anemia and leukopenia. In order to determinate if these effects are direct or indirectly related to an accumulation of arsenic, rats were exposed to arsnic by drinking water and the metal content was determined in brain, pacreas, kidney and liver by X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation. Those organs from rats drinking arsenical water during 0, 30 or 60 daies were homogenized and centrifugated at 100,000 x g. The multyelemental analysis was carried out by TXRF in pellet as well as the supernatant. On the other hand, multyelemental mapping of 2mm organ slides was carried out by µSR-XRF. We observed that arsenic was accumulated in kidney and liver but not in brain or pancreas. Furthermore, we foud that arsenic was not homogeneously distributed among the tissue. Additionaly, other elements as Fe, Na, K and Si (mainly) showed an altered proportion and distribution. The results suggest that toxic effects of chronic exposure to arsénic are not always related to accumulation of these elements in the target organs.