title: Using portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and GIS to assess environmental risk and identify sources of trace metals in soils of peri-urban areas in the Yangtze Delta region, China.
abstract: Portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry may be very suitable for a fast and effective environmental assessment and source identification of trace metals in soils. In this study, topsoils (0-10 cm) at 139 sites were in situ scanned for total trace metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) and arsenic concentrations by PXRF in a typical town in Yangtze Delta region of Jiangsu province, China. To validate the utility of PXRF, 53 samples were collected from the scanning sites for the determination of selected trace metals using conventional methods. Based on trace metal concentrations detected by in situ PXRF, the contamination extent and sources of trace metals were studied via geo-accumulation index, multivariate analysis and geostatistics. The trace metal concentrations determined by PXRF were similar to those obtained via conventional chemical analysis. The median concentration of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soils were 10.8, 56.4, 41.5, 43.5, 33.5, and 77.7 mg kg(-1), respectively. The distribution patterns of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were mostly affected by anthropogenic sources, while As was mainly derived from lithogenic sources. Overall, PXRF has been successfully applied to contamination assessment and source identification of trace metals in soils.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China. djwang@issas.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.forename: Dejian
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lipeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D001151:Arsenic