Elemental assessment of vegetation via portable X-ray fluorescence: Sample preparation and methodological considerations

Zhou, Shubin; Weindorf, David C.; Cheng, Qiuming; Yang, Biying; Yuan, Zheng; Chakraborty, Somsubhra

doi:10.1016/j.sab.2020.105999

Cited by 22 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 88 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fortunately, the contents of Zn and Mn in dried okra samples from the two geographic locations could be explained definitively [ 45 , 78 ] with very strong correlations between PXRF and ICP-MS results. This is in agreement with several other works regarding quantitative and definitive evaluation of minerals in food and environmental samples using PXRF [ 50 , 132 ]. For example, Rouillon and Taylor [ 133 ] and Sosa et al [ 42 ] achieved definitive level data for the same range of minerals studied in the present study.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in a refugee context in East Africa: Kitchen gardening helps with mineral provision

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Kitchen gardening is considered a way to reconnect with agriculture and complement the cereal-based relief food offered to refugees in East Africa. This work aimed at profiling mineral content of okra in four refugee camps and settlements located in Ethiopia and Uganda and its contribution to adequate intake (AIs) or recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for young children and pregnant and lactating women (PLW). The study also evaluated the applicability of portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) as compared with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for mineral profiling of okra powder samples. The contents of minerals (mg kg−1) from the ICP-MS readings were in the following ranges: K (14,385–33,294), Ca (2610–14,090), P (3178–13,248), Mg (3896–7986), Cu (3.81–19.3), Fe (75.7–1243), Zn (33–141) and Mn (23.1–261). Regardless of geographic origin, at low-end consumption probability (17 g day−1 for young children and 68 g day−1 for PLW), okra could contribute ˂ 15% (2.7–12.9%) AI for macro-minerals (K and Ca). In addition, the contributions to RDA values for Fe and Zn, elements of known public health interest, ranged from 4.5 to 34.7% for young children. Interestingly, regression lines revealed strong agreement between ICP-MS and PXRF readings for Mn and Zn, with R2 values > 0.91. This information is useful in support of nutrition-sensitive kitchen gardening programs through scaling culturally important crops in refugee settings.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in a refugee context in East Africa: Kitchen gardening helps with mineral provision

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This type of approach, for example, has been used in recent studies involving pXRF assessment of vegetation samples. 47,48 A pXRF-based analysis of dried leech samples first used grinding to obtain a powder with small grains, followed by a pressing of the powder into a pellet of ~2 cm diameter. 28 While these types of approaches would be optimal when in possession of relatively large sample quantities, it is recognized that they will not always be practical when working with small quantities of human tissue, 49 as would be the case when analyzing a nail clipping or small collection of clippings.…”

Section: Sample Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The drying and subsequent grinding of clippings to a powdered form would improve sample homogeneity and yield better results for accuracy and reproducibility of measurement. This type of approach, for example, has been used in recent studies involving pXRF assessment of vegetation samples 47,48 . A pXRF‐based analysis of dried leech samples first used grinding to obtain a powder with small grains, followed by a pressing of the powder into a pellet of ~2 cm diameter 28 .…”

Section: Emerging Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The measurement of trace elements in human nails and nail clippings using portable X‐ray fluorescence: A review

Fleming

2021

X-Ray Spectrometry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The copyright line for this article was changed on 24 June 2021 after original online publication.A variety of biomarkers are available for the assessment of human exposure to, and absorption of, trace elements. The measurement of trace elements in nail or nail clippings offers some benefits relative to other body sites. Typically, concentrations of elements are assessed in clippings, using high precision methods such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or instrumental neutron activation analysis. Over the last decade, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) has emerged as a novel method with potential advantages for the measurement of trace elements in nail and nail clippings. This review paper examines early developments and recent work in the use of pXRF to measure elements such as As, Se, Mn, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Hg in nails and nail clippings. While initial pXRF studies were limited to the use of nail phantoms and nail clipping phantoms, more recent work has applied the pXRF method with real nail clippings and nails. Results have been promising, but a number of issues have emerged requiring additional attention. These relate to the analysis of X-ray spectra, selection of X-ray beam for excitation, method validation and normalization, and practical aspects of study design. With consideration of these issues, pXRF offers significant potential to provide a straightforward, economical, and rapid measurement approach to help improve our understanding of trace element exposure and related health outcomes.

show abstract

“…The exact biomass required for sampling will need to be determined by the laboratory or laboratories involved in the analyses. Although it is possible to use PXRF for agricultural products, the method does require dried and powdered samples and may not provide an appropriate level of precision [ 79 , 80 ].…”

Section: Data Collection and Sampling Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Framework for Collecting Site-Specific Sampling and Survey Data to Support Analyses of Health Impacts from Land-Based Pollution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Stackelberg¹,

Williams²,

Sánchez-Triana

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The rise of small-scale and localized economic activities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has led to increased exposures to contaminants associated with these processes and the potential for resulting adverse health effects in exposed communities. Risk assessment is the process of building models to predict the probability of adverse outcomes based on concentration-response functions and exposure scenarios for individual contaminants, while epidemiology uses statistical methods to explore associations between potential exposures and observed health outcomes. Neither approach by itself is practical or sufficient for evaluating the magnitude of exposures and health impacts associated with land-based pollution in LMICs. Here we propose a more pragmatic framework for designing representative studies, including uniform sampling guidelines and household surveys, that draws from both methodologies to better support community health impact analyses associated with land-based pollution sources in LMICs. Our primary goal is to explicitly link environmental contamination from land-based pollution associated with specific localized economic activities to community exposures and health outcomes at the household level. The proposed framework was applied to the following three types of industries that are now widespread in many LMICs: artisanal scale gold mining (ASGM), used lead-acid battery recycling (ULAB), and small tanning facilities. For each activity, we develop a generalized conceptual site model (CSM) that describes qualitative linkages from chemical releases or discharges, environmental fate and transport mechanisms, exposure pathways and routes, populations at risk, and health outcomes. This upfront information, which is often overlooked, is essential for delineating the contaminant zone of influence in a community and identifying relevant households for study. We also recommend cost-effective methods for use in LMICs related to environmental sampling, biological monitoring, survey questionnaires, and health outcome measurements at contaminated and unexposed reference sites. Future study designs based on this framework will facilitate consistent, comparable, and standardized community exposure, risk, and health impact assessments for land-based pollution in LMICs. The results of these studies can also support economic burden analyses and risk management decision-making around site cleanup, risk mitigation, and public health education.

show abstract

Elemental assessment of vegetation via portable X-ray fluorescence: Sample preparation and methodological considerations

Cited by 22 publications

References 88 publications

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in a refugee context in East Africa: Kitchen gardening helps with mineral provision

Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in a refugee context in East Africa: Kitchen gardening helps with mineral provision

The measurement of trace elements in human nails and nail clippings using portable X‐ray fluorescence: A review

A Systematic Framework for Collecting Site-Specific Sampling and Survey Data to Support Analyses of Health Impacts from Land-Based Pollution in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About