Comparative Study of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF) and Atomic Absorption (AAS) Spectrometry Techniques for Soil Environmental Study
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Date
2023-12
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Lead City University
Abstract
Routinely in Nigeria, elemental quantification of environmental samples such as soil samples is often done using standard techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Despite the extensive application of AAS due to its relatively low cost and accuracy, the main standard operation procedure (SOP) involves the use of non-environmentally friendly chemicals like HNO3 and high energy. Consequently, the SOP exposes the users and the environment to the detrimental effects of such chemicals. Additionally, AAS is a cumbersome, destructive technique that requires the use of lamps which are often not available at the time of analysis. Hence this study assessed the potential of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (p-XRF) as an alternative technique to AAS by statistically comparing elemental results obtained from both techniques. In total, 66 grab soil samples were randomly collected from a minimum of two geo-referenced points at a depth of 0-15 cm each from solid waste dumpsites, auto-mechanic workshops and farmlands in
the Ibadan metropolis in June 2021. The analytical techniques were validated via recovery tests ( 96.5 %). The results of the T-test analysis showed that AAS and p-XRF interchangeably quantified Cu (p = 0.06) and Zn (p = 0.14) in the dumpsite, Cu (p = 0.96), Zn (p = 0.98), Cd (p = 0.16), Pb (p = 0.30), Ni (p = 0.10), Mg (p = 0.16), Mn (p = 0.23) and Fe (p = 0.08) in auto- mechanic and Ca (p = 0.16), Cu (p = 0.25), Cd (p = 0.24) and Pb (p = 0.06) in farmland soil samples. Although statistical data from this study showed that there were some similarities in the two techniques, suggesting that some elements can be quantified with either p-XRF or AAS, the overall result indicates that p-XRF can be used in screening for all these studied elements in
these environmental samples.
Keywords: Correlation study, Environmental samples, Elemental analysis techniques, Non- destructive elemental quantification, Regression analysis, Statistical analysis. Word Count: 300
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Keywords
Correlation study, Environmental samples, Elemental analysis techniques, Non- destructive elemental quantification, Regression analysis, Statistical analysis
Citation
Kate Turabian