Development and Application of Continuous Atmospheric Heavy Metals Monitoring System Based on X-Ray Fluorescence

Abstract

This paper presents a continuous atmospheric heavy metals monitoring system (AMMS-100) for heavy metals analysis based on X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. The AMMS-100 is used to collect the sample automatically with filters and then measure the concentrations of heavy metals by XRF. The accuracy of AMMS-100 for heavy metals analysis has been verified by the standard method. The relative errors, such as Pb and Fe, are lower than 10%. Moreover, the AMMS-100 can be used for long-term continuous monitoring the atmospheric heavy metals under different weather condition. The AMMS-100 described herein presents a continuous system for accurate analysis of atmospheric heavy metals with long-term stability.

Hourly Variations and Potential Sources of Airborne Trace Elements in PM10 in Four Representative Regions of Southeastern China

“…2 shows the results for the determinations of Pb and Fe by the AMMS and the standard method. It was found that the correlation between the AMMS and the standard method was better than 0.98 (Ye et al, 2012b). The determinations of airborne trace elements were performed every 2 hours (100min for sampling, 20min for analyzing and filter tape moving) during March 2013 using the AMMSs at all the four sites, and there were 355, 356, 347 and 342 valid data sets in site A, B, C and D, respectively.…”

“…The precisions (relative standard deviation values of replicate standard measurements) for all the element concentrations were less than 2%. To study the accuracy of the AMMS with trace elements, we measured the trace element concentrations in PM 10 simultaneously using the AMMS and a standard method in our earlier study (Ye et al, 2012b), in which a standard PM 10 sampler (Laoying 2030, Qingdao Laoshan Applied Technology Research Institute, Qingdao, China) was used to collect PM 10 , and the filter sample was analyzed by ICP-MS in the lab. The flow rate of the PM 10 sampler was set at 100 L/min with sample collection time 100 min.…”