RT Journal Article
T1 Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) application to the determination of major and trace elements in large soil datasets for geochemical background assessment
A1 Martínez Del Pozo, Iker
A1 Gómez Pachón, Mónica Celina
A1 Ferri Moreno, Inmaculada
A1 García Lorenzo, María de la Luz
A1 Lorenzo Álvarez, Saturnino
A1 Barquero Peralbo, Jose Ignacio
A1 Arroyo Rey, Xabier
A1 Higueras Higueras, Pablo
A1 Esbrí Víctor, José María
AB Regional soil geochemical surveys are essential for land-use planning and human health. However, projects involving large sample sets characterised using traditional laboratory techniques are costly, time-consuming and require a large number of reagents. Therefore, the use of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) with an optimised measurement time and methodology, along with minimal sample preparation, allows for fast and effective measurements. In this study, using Soil-Fundamental Parameters (S-FP) method, a measurement time of 45 s and low sample preparation yielded acceptable results for K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Pb, which were monitored with benchtop XRF equipment. The application of this methodology in Cuenca province, Spain, and the comparison with different European and national programmes provides consistency in the results, despite using different analytical techniques. It was observed that a systematic and regular sampling strategy avoids geochemical gaps, increasing the representativeness of the soil parent material in the samples. Distinct geochemical patterns have been identified, with a major group comprising Ti, Mn and Fe, and trace elements such as Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Zr and Pb, while K, Ca and Sr display individual distribution trends. Therefore, this study provides a rapid and economical way to characterise soil geochemistry in large areas and to establish background and reference levels over extensive regions.
PB Elsevier
SN 0375-6742
YR 2026
FD 2026-03
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130653
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/130653
LA eng
NO Martínez-del-Pozo, I., Gómez-Pachón, M. C., Ferri-Moreno, I., García-Lorenzo, M. L., Lorenzo, S., Barquero-Peralbo, J. I., Arroyo, X., Higueras, P., & Esbrí, J. M. (2026). Portable X-ray fluorescence (Pxrf) application to the determination of major and trace elements in large soil datasets for geochemical background assessment. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 282, 107961. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gexplo.2025.107961
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
DS Docta Complutense
RD 21 ene 2026