Derivation of elemental concentrations maps in a thin lamb bone sample from a two-dimensional synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence scanning experiment

This study introduces a rapid computational method for converting two-dimensional (2D) X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data into elemental concentration maps (ECMs), enhancing the ability to compare and interpret synchrotron-based tissue analyses. A 0.38 mm-thick cortical bone slice from a lamb tibia was scanned using the VESPERS beamline at the Canadian Light Source synchrotron. Sequential microbeam irradiations were performed in 10 µm steps across two 0.24 mm² regions at four incident photon energies: 12.0, 15.0, 18.6, and 20.0 keV. The resulting spectra revealed K-shell XRF peaks for seven elements: phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and strontium (Sr). Using a computer code based on the fundamental parameter method (FPM), the 2D XRF data were converted into quantitative ECMs that displayed largely uniform elemental distributions with localized peaks near the sample's edge. The derived average elemental concentrations were consistent across all photon energies and aligned well with previously reported values. This work demonstrates the feasibility of a fast FPM-based computational approach for quantitative 2D XRF analysis. The method offers a versatile and efficient tool for producing detailed ECMs of biological tissues, enabling broader applications in quantitative XRF research.