Soft X‐ray contact microscopy, using synchrotron radiation, of thin‐sectioned, lead‐contaminated chloragogenous tissue of the earthworm Dendrobaena rubida

Soft X‐ray (2.05–4.4nm) contact microscopy, using synchrotron radiation, of ultrasections of lead‐polluted chloragogenous tissue of the earthworm Dendrobaena rubida has been achieved. The positive resist, after etching to leave areas corresponding to high absorbance in the tissue, is viewed by SEM and the imaging compared with the same section viewed, after irradiation, by TEM. No radiation damage as evident and the lead deposits associated with the chloragosomes and within the debris vesicles imaged clearly. The characteristics of the broad beam have thus produced a lead ‘map’. Resolution is in the order of 70 nm. The results are compared with the markedly different imaging of control tissue containing insignificant lead levels.