Comparing field portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) to laboratory analysis of heavy metals in soil
- NITON Corp., Bedford, MA (United States)
Field portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) continues to gain acceptance as a complement to traditional laboratory testing of metal contaminated soil. The quality of data produced by field XRT, varies with site conditions, soil composition, and sample preparation. Quality assurance protocols for the field method usually require that a number of field samples be split and sent to a laboratory for confirmatory analysis. This confirmatory analysis can provide valuable information of the effectiveness of the field methodology. We present field and confirmatory data from a variety of contaminated sites that show the effectiveness of field XRF under different site conditions, with different methods of sample preparation. In general, we find that field sample preparation (drying, grinding, sieving, homogenization) significantly improves data quality, compared to unprepared, in-situ measurement. The level of data quality provided by rapid, low-cost in-situ or abbreviated preparation methods can be predicted in the field by the comparison of representative field samples to fully prepared split samples, and can be proven by laboratory confirmation. We find that the method with which one performs sample splitting for confirmatory analysis can greatly affect the correlation of the field results to the laboratory results. Unexpectedly poor correlation often arises from the introduction of error in the confirmatory sample splitting and sample handling procedures, and which may be misinterpreted as a deficiency of the field method. We discuss ways to avoid the introduction of such error. We also discuss how to use confirmatory analysis to determine the quality of field-obtained XRF data, and we discuss procedures for comparing the field XRF method to the laboratory method.
- OSTI ID:
- 613764
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970113-; TRN: 98:001739-0014
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Field analytical methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals conference, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 29-31 Jan 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Field analytical methods for hazardous wastes and toxic chemicals; PB: 909 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Use of XRF to characterize pre-Hanford orchards in the 100-OL-1 operable unit - 15717
Optimization of fundamental parameter methods for analysis of hazardous materials with field portable XRF analyzers