J.P. Day, J. Barker, S.J. King, R.V. Miller, J. Templar, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

J.S. Lilley, P.V. Drumm, G.W.A. Newton, Nuclear Structure Facility, SERC Daresbury Lab Warrington UK

L.K. Fifield, J.O.H. Stone, G.L. Allan, Australian National University, Canberra Australia

J.A. Edwardson, P.B. Moore, I.N. Ferrier, Newcastle General Hospital, UK

N.D. Priest, D.Newton, R.J. Talbot, Biomedical Research Dept, AEA Tech Harwell, UK

J.H. Brock, L. Sanchez, University of Glasgow, Scotland

C.B. Dobson, R.F. Itzhaki, UMIST, Manchester, UK

A. Radunovic, M.W.B. Bradbury, Kings College, London UK

Nuclear Instruments and Methods 92 (1994) 463-468

Developments in sample preparation and presentation for accelerator mass spectrometry now permit the determination of 26Al/27Al ratios in biological materials with an accuracy of ca. 2%. We describe the use of 26Al as a tracer for aluminum in a number of biological experiments which demonstrate the power of this technique to determine Al content and distribution within complex chemical and biological systems, and to investigate the kinetics and mechanisms of Al-transport pathways. Applications to human, animal and cellular systems are described.