Soil – Soil Methodology with Handheld XRF

Lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and other toxic metals contaminate sites of former industrial and agricultural activity around the world. Whether the unintended consequences of industrial processes or because of willful disregard for environmental regulations, these pollutants cannot be ignored.

The first step in treating these hazards is in accurately assessing the scope and extent of contamination. Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers provide lab-grade performance in the field, permitting surgical delineation of contamination boundaries, while in full compliance with US EPA Method 6200.

Testing Methods Include:

In-Situ Screening

In-situ screening with the handheld Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzer provides rapid, qualitative, and semi-quantitative results to quickly profile contaminant levels and determine remediation boundaries with surgical precision, while reducing the number of samples sent to an off-site laboratory.

Robust software eliminates the need for site-specific calibration standards, and flexible capabilities permit users to fine-tune calibrations, as required, to meet data quality objectives (DQOs).

All measurements are nondestructive. Following standard protocol, only 5 percent of all samples are sent to an accredited laboratory for confirmatory analysis. By screening samples prior to collection, environmental professionals will eliminate the testing of high-concentration samples during confirmatory testing.

Ex-Situ Analysis

Thermo Scientific Niton XRF analyzers can be used to test bagged or prepared samples. Measuring bagged samples roughly homogenizes the samples, generally making them more representative of the locations where they were collected. For true lab-grade analytical data, full sample preparation (dried, ground, sifted, and cupped) is necessary, frequently resulting in correlations with lab data with r2 >= 0.98.

Either way, the instrument’s portable test stand readily accommodates various sample types, while permitting viewing and control either directly from the instrument, or from a connected PC or PDA with the included NITON Data Transfer (NDT©) software. This robust software eliminates the need for site-specific calibration standards, while flexible capabilities permit users to fine-tune calibrations as required to meet data quality objectives (DQOs).

All measurements are nondestructive. Following standard protocol, only 5 percent of all samples are sent to an accredited laboratory for confirmatory analysis. By screening samples prior to collection, environmental professionals will eliminate the testing of high-concentration samples during confirmatory testing.