Determination of Arsenic and Lead in Earth and Sand Using EDXRF [JIS K 0470]

Introduction

The daily collection and examination of earth and sand from factory sites is necessary to quickly detect pollution due to toxic metals including arsenic and lead, and to take immediate measures to prevent the leakage of these poisonous metals. To prevent such incidents, Japanese Industrial Standard JIS K0470, which specifies the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry method for the quantitation of all arsenic and lead in earth and sand, was enacted and announced in March, 2008. As a result, it became possible to quickly and easily conduct quantitative analysis using an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, and to independently conduct soil pollution testing at factories and other sites. Here we conducted analysis of soil based on JIS K 0470 using the EDX-720. Since an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer is capable of multi-element simultaneous analysis, we conducted simple qualitative analysis of arsenic, selenium, cadmium, mercury and lead, which we selected from among the toxic substances specified as type II toxic substances in the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Law. The results of both the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the soil sample are also introduced as an application example.

March 17, 2015 GMT