Elemental microanalysis in ecophysiology using ion microbeam

Abstract A few recent applications of elemental microanalysis based on proton beam in ecophysiology and ecotoxicology are shown. They are related to biofiltering capabilities of mycorrhiza (symbiosis between fungi and plant roots) and to plant–insect herbivore interactions. The reported results were obtained at iThemba LABS, South Africa. PIXE and BS techniques were simultaneously used. True elemental maps were generated using a VMS version and PC version of GeoPIXE (GeoPIXE I and II). Further analysis was performed using PIXE and BS spectra extracted from list-mode data and corresponding to specific organs of an insect or a plant.