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Total reflection X ray fluorescence in environmental and geochemical studies: unveiling solute provenance in streams during a rain episode
Author(s) -
Rodríguez Castro M. C.,
Vilches C.,
Torremorell A.,
Vázquez C.,
Giorgi A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
x‐ray spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.447
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1097-4539
pISSN - 0049-8246
DOI - 10.1002/xrs.2694
Subject(s) - x ray fluorescence , provenance , contamination , environmental science , environmental chemistry , surface runoff , population , groundwater , reflection (computer programming) , surface water , streams , pollutant , fluorescence , hydrology (agriculture) , chemistry , geology , geochemistry , environmental engineering , ecology , physics , optics , sociology , computer science , biology , programming language , computer network , demography , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry
Rural population uses water for irrigation, animal watering and for their own consumption, therefore water contamination is a major concern and a priority for its inhabitants. Unveiling the presence and source of contaminants can help to understand the dynamic of pollutants and therefore define management politics to address the issue. One way to elucidate the origin of contaminants in surface water is by studying rain episodes, relating water discharge with changes in solute concentration. Total Reflection x‐ray Fluorescence (TXRF) was used as the main analytical technique. The study was based on the analysis of samples originating from a Pampean stream (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Solutes (As, P, Ca, Fe, K, Zn, Br) were monitored before, during and after a storm event. During the monitoring it was observed that As was diluted at the beginning of the episode and concentration increased slowly after the rain ceased. The pattern of As is consistent with Ca, K and Fe behavior, revealing a groundwater source. Instead, P concentration increased in the early hours, it was diluted later and finally increased. This behavior indicates that the source of this analyte is superficial and sub superficial water, implying a runoff origin. The simultaneous determination of these analytes by TXRF allowed comparing solute behavior under the same episode, allowing reveal their provenance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.