Accumulation of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu in tapeworm tissue imaged by
LA-ICP-MS method
Michaela Tvrdoňová 1
/ Tomáš Vaculovič 1,2
/ Viktor Kanický 1,2
, Zuzana Čadková3
, Jiřina
Száková4
, Pavel Tlustoš4
, Vítězslav Otruba1
1
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CZ-61137,
Brno, Czech Republic
2
CEITEC, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, CZ-62500, Brno, Czech Republic
3
Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources,
Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha, Czech Republic
4
Department of Agroenvironmental Chemistry and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agrobiology,
Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Praha,
Czech Republic
e-mail: 358018@mail.muni.cz
Abstract:
Bioaccumulation of toxic compounds and elements in living organisms is a major ecological
risk. Due to anthropogenic overproduction of these compounds, their concentration in air,
water and soil is increasing. Some metals are easily transferred from soil to plants and after
that to animals. This study focuses on the accumulation of lead (as a typical toxic heavy
metal) in tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta, caused by the soil-plant-rat-tapeworm lead
transport chain. The method of laser ablation with ICP-MS can determine the amount of the
toxic elements (e.g. Pb, Cd) and biologically active elements such as are Cu and Zn in the
tapeworm cross-section samples. Moreover, the technique provides the concentration maps
(images) with very good spatial resolution (typically 10 - 100 µm). The results for different
body segments of the tapeworm (head, neck, center and the end of the body) are presented
and discussed.
Acknowledgement:
This project was supported by Czech Science Foundation GA13-18154S, by the project “CEITEC Central
European Institute of Technology” (CZ.1.05/1.1.00/02.0068) from European Regional
Development Fund and Student Project Grant at MU (specific research, rector's programme) Category
A (MUNI/A/1461/2014).