Determination of trace elements in mine soil samples using a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer: A comparative study with ICP-OES
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Abstract
Lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) levels in soils surrounding Lakhouat mine (Northwest Tunisia) were measured. The total concentration of these elements in the soil samples was determined using portable X ray fluorescence (XRF) in situ and compared to the traditional digestion method using inductively coupled-plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Statistical analyses were performed to determine significant differences between the instrumental techniques, which included simple regression correlations and t-tests of mean values for comparison. The statistical analysis demonstrated that no statistically significant differences were observed for the Pb determinations. However, for the Zn and Cd concentrations, t tests showed significant differences between the instrumental techniques. Application of the XRF method provides the possibility of rapid multi element soil analyses.
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