Determination of macro‐ and microelements concentrations by wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry in the objects of the technogenic ecosystem

Abstract

The wavelength‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry was applied to determine Na, Mg, Al, P, S, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba, and Pb concentrations in the needles of dwarfish spruce Picea canadensis conica and the blue prickly spruce Picea pungens glauca, as well in technogenic soil of Irkutsk city, in which these spruce species grow. All measurements were performed in vacuum using WDXRF spectrometer S8 TIGER produced by Bruker AXS, Germany. The calculated values of instrumental limit of detection (ILD) ranged from 0.5 for Ni to 67 mg/kg for Al for soil certified reference materials (CRMs) such as OOKO151 (light chestnut soil) and from 0.2 for Cu and Ni to 18–24 mg/kg for Na for the plant CRMs such as LB‐1 (birch leaf) and EC‐1 (Canadian waterweed). The repeatability is satisfactory. The values of relative standard deviations (RSDs) do not exceed 15% for soils and available plant material. With calculated T‐statistics, it was found that the WDXRF data do not contain systematic errors. The values of relative discrepancy for WDXRF, total reflection X‐ray fluorescence (TXRF) spectrometry, and atomic emission spectrometry with arc discharge (d.c. arc‐AES) results do not exceed 30% for studied elements.