Mapping of the metal intake in plants by large-field X-ray microradiography and preliminary feasibility studies in microtomography

This paper reports on dual energy micro-radiography and tomography techniques applied both to thin plant leaves treated with copper or lead solutions and on Cu-treated small roots and stem sections, performed at the SYRMEP X-ray beamline of ELETTRA synchrotron facility in Trieste (Italy). The features of the source allowed us to apply different imaging techniques with an extremely vast field of view, up to 160 x 6 mm(2) and 28 x 6 mm(2) for micro-radiography and tomography experiments, respectively. The feasibility of getting positive indications on metal accumulation in leaves, sections of roots and stems, stem and root whole cylindrical pieces has been checked.