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Library Optimization in EDXRF Spectral Deconvolution for Multi-element Analysis of Ambient Aerosols
Citation:
KELLOGG, R. AND R. WILLIS. Library Optimization in EDXRF Spectral Deconvolution for Multi-element Analysis of Ambient Aerosols. X-ray Spectrometry. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 38(4):283-286, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL) Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. HEASD′s research program supports Goal 1 (Clean Air) and Goal 4 (Healthy People) of EPA′s strategic plan. More specifically, our division conducts research to characterize the movement of pollutants from the source to contact with humans. Our multidisciplinary research program produces Methods, Measurements, and Models to identify relationships between and characterize processes that link source emissions, environmental concentrations, human exposures, and target-tissue dose. The impact of these tools is improved regulatory programs and policies for EPA.
Description:
In multi-element analysis of atmospheric aerosols, attempts are made to fit overlapping elemental spectral lines for many elements that may be undetectable in samples due to low concentrations. Fitting with many library reference spectra has the unwanted effect of raising the analytical uncertainty of over lapping elements. By carefully choosing the order of elemental processing, library reference spectra can be omitted for non-analyte lines of undetected elements without loss of information, thus lowering the number of library spectra needed for the fit and thereby reducing the uncertainty. The magnitude of the reduction so achieved is shown for blanks and a sample for 64 elements.
