Effects of Water Absorption on Mercury Contamination in Fiberbank Sediments using X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

Abstract

A large amount of contaminated cellulose and wood fibers were emitted directly onto the seabed by the pulp and paper industry before the year of 1970. This fiber-rich sediment contains concentrations of hazardous substances that cause environmental problems. Mercury (Hg) in the fiber sediment is a worldwide threat because it can bioaccumulate in the aquatic ecosystem and eventually affect human health. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis is an elemental analysis method for earth materials, which is rapid and requires minimal sample preparation. However, for in-situ XRF analyses, constraints in the measurement conditions will strongly affect the measurement sensitivity and accuracy, such as the scattered background and the water content surrounding the sample. In this work, we showed that applying an X-ray beam filter foil, optimized by using the material absorption edge, can improve the sensitivity of the XRF spectrometer system for Hg determination. Furthermore, the influence of water content in XRF measurement for Hg contamination analysis was investigated. The attenuation coefficient in water was determined by simulation of water layer with varying thickness using a Monte Carlo simulation code. The measured intensity for Hg was decreased exponentially as the water thickness increase, as expected. We propose a method to correct the attenuation in water with XRF analysis and we expect that these findings can contribute to an accurate in-situ Hg detection experiment.

Advancements in mercury detection using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and ion-imprinted polymers (IIPs): a review

“…21–23 Additional methods include cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy (CV-AAS), 24 inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), 25–27 anodic stripping voltammetry, 28,29 and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XFS). 30,31 Many of the aforementioned analytical methods allow for the analysis of numerous samples including multiple elements simultaneously. However, it is worth noting that most of these methods involve a multi-step process, including sample collection, laboratory pretreatment, and subsequent mercury level analysis.…”

Geometrical influence on Hg determination in wet sediment using K‐shell fluorescence analysis

“…As the moisture level increases, the apparent concentration is decreased. This effect is severe for analytes with low‐Z elements due to the strong absorption for low‐energy photons 18–20 . For Hg, the characteristic photon energies of , , , , , and , are at 9.99, 11.82, 68.90, 70.82, 80.25, and 82.52 keV, respectively.…”

“…This effect is severe for analytes with low-Z elements due to the strong absorption for low-energy photons. [18][19][20] For Hg, the characteristic photon energies of Lα 1 , Lβ 1 , Kα 2 , Kα 1 , Kβ 1 , and Kβ 2 , are at 9.99, 11.82, 68.90, 70.82, 80.25, and 82.52 keV, respectively. For underwater measurements, source energy capable of activating K-shell energies of Hg is necessary.…”