A comparison of the techniques of secondary ion mass spectrometry and resonance ionization mass spectrometry for the analysis of potentially toxic element accumulation in neural tissue.

A comparison is made of the techniques of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) for the detection of the neuro-toxic element aluminium in cortical tissue. Experiments were performed using a reflectron-type time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) in conjunction with an Ar+ source for target sputtering and a pulsed tuneable dye laser system for resonance ionization. It is shown how isobaric interference of species such as CNH and C2H3 in the case of aluminium greatly affect the quantitative accuracy and the detection limit of aluminium in biological samples when analysed using SIMS. In contrast the use of RIMS virtually eliminates this problem, so allowing easier quantification and much lower detection limits to be achieved. Detection limits of approximately 3 ppm for aluminium in brain tissue homogenates were achieved using RIMS, with a spatial resolution of less than 100 microns.