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Environmental Sciences
Soil Sciences
Soil Physics
In Situ Measurements Of Heavy Metal Distributions In Soil Columns During Miscible Displacement Experiments Using Portable X-ray Fluorescence.

Home
Research Domains
Environmental Sciences
Soil Sciences
Soil Physics
In Situ Measurements Of Heavy Metal Distributions In Soil Columns During Miscible Displacement Experiments Using Portable X-ray Fluorescence.

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Published on: September 11, 2016

In situ measurements of heavy metal distributions in soil columns during miscible displacement experiments using portable X-ray fluorescence.

Joshua T Padilla¹, Tamer A Elbana², Wenguang Sun³

¹USDA-ARS Coastal Plains Soil, Water and Plant Research Center, Florence, South Carolina, USA.

Journal of Environmental Quality

|November 29, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a new method using a Kapton film column and portable X-ray fluorescence to measure heavy metal distributions in soil over time. This technique improves heavy metal transport modeling accuracy.

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Soil Science
Analytical Chemistry

Background:

Traditional soil transport studies often ignore time-dependent heavy metal distributions.
Obtaining these distributions is challenging with conventional methods.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a novel methodology for measuring time-dependent heavy metal distributions in soil columns.
To assess the accuracy of this method for zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) transport.

Main Methods:

Utilized a Kapton film (KF) column and a portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) device.
Developed matrix-matched calibrations for accurate pXRF quantification of Zn and Ni.
Performed mass balance calculations to assess measurement accuracy.

Main Results:

The KF column and pXRF method successfully acquired time-dependent heavy metal distributions.
Matrix-matched calibration reduced mass balance errors in most datasets.
A kinetic model showed good predictive accuracy for peak metal concentrations, though matrix-dependent.

Conclusions:

The KF column and pXRF approach provides a viable method for studying heavy metal dynamics in soils.
This technique is potentially applicable to other heavy metals, especially those with higher atomic numbers.
Enhanced data on heavy metal distributions will improve reactive transport model validation.