EDXRF elemental assay of airborne particulates: A case study of an iron and steel smelting industry, Lagos, Nigeria (original) (raw)
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Heavy metals in industrially emitted particulate matter in Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Environmental Research, 2017
Iron and steel smelting facilities generate large quantities of airborne particulate matter (PM) through their various activities and production processes. The resulting PM that contains a variety of heavy metals has potentially detrimental impacts on human health and the environment. This study was conducted to assess the potential health effects of the pollution from the heavy metals in the airborne PM sampled in the vicinity of secondary smelting operations in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used to determine the elemental concentration of Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Mn, As, Fe, Cu, and Ni in the size-segregated PM samples. Pollution Indices (PI) consisting of Contamination Factor (CF), Degree of Contamination (DC) and Pollution Index Load (PLI) and Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) were employed to assess the pollution risk associated with the heavy metals in the PM. CF, DC and PLI values were 3 < CF < 6, > 32 and > 1, respectively for the three sites, indicating deterioration of the ambient air quality in the vicinity of the smelter. The heavy metals in the airborne PM pose a severe health risk to people living in vicinity of the facility and to its workers. The diminished air quality with the associated health risks directly depends on the industrial emissions from steel production and control measures are recommended to mitigate the likely risks.
Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management, 2015
assessment of the air quality in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK was performed by determining the trace element content in airborne particulates (PM 10). Samples were collected over a 12 month period (March 2011 to April 2012) using two high volume air sampler provided with a PM 10 size selective inlet. The concentrations of 6 elements (Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined. The mean concentrations of these elements varied widely across the elements with Zn showing the highest concentration (41.3 ± 42.8 ng/m 3 ; ranging from 9.9-209.0 ng/m 3) and Cr the least concentration (1.7 ± 0.9 ng/m 3 ; ranging from 0.4-3.2 ng/m 3). The total elemental content obtained in this work was compared with regulatory limit values for 4 of the elements determined and it was discovered that none exceeded the limit values. © JASEM
X-Ray Spectrometry, 2013
The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the temporal profiles of the concentration of chemical elements in the suspended particulate matter present inside a small bronze and an iron foundry industry. To collect the samples, we used a streaker sampler that separates particles with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 10 μm (PM 10) in two fractions: fine (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 μm; PM 2.5) and coarse (between 2.5 μm and less than 10 μm; PM 10-2.5). The collection of samples was taken every 20 min during a total time of 8 and 5 h of molding and casting of bronze and iron, respectively. The samples collected in the form of strips on a filter (fine fraction) and an impactor (coarse fraction) were analyzed by the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. In the excitation, an X-ray tube with Mo target and Zr filter was used, operated at 30 mA/30 kV. For detecting the characteristic of X-rays, a semiconductor Si(Li) detector was used, coupled to a multi-channel spectrometer, with a 300 s excitation/detection time. The results of the temporal profiles of chemical element concentrations in coarse and fine fractions were discussed and compared with the maximum levels set by the Brazilian and international environmental agencies.
Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 2018
This study monitored total atmospheric deposit (TAD) around a smelting plant in Ile-Ife, Nigeria to assess the contributions of the industry to Nigeria's air-shed pollution. Samples were collected for 12 consecutive months using an Australian model gauge, harvested after 30 d of exposure, filtered and dried to constant weights using oven. Monthly deposition rates were determined and elemental characterizations of the TAD samples were done using proton-induced X-ray emission technique. Results revealed that the monthly deposition rates ranged from 0.69 to 4.62 gm ¡3 and was more pronounced in Harmattan. Twenty-three elements were detected; their total elemental concentrations ranged from 1.23 to 13.63 mg m ¡3 with Fe having the highest concentrations, while Na has the least. Pearson correlation indicated that some elements have common sources and/ or similar chemical properties; enrichment factor showed that Fe, Zn, Pb, Mn were extremely enriched in the study area, modified degree of contamination (3.75) and pollution load intensity (1.21) showed that the neighborhoods could be exposed to high air pollution related impacts. Positive matrix factorization model revealed three distinct sources: Smelting emission (63%), biomass burning (17%), and suspended input material emissions (21%). The study concluded that the smelting activities posed a great hazard to receptors around the smelting industry.
Emission characterization of particulate matter in the ironmaking process
Environmental Technology, 2019
The study is to provide a detailed physical and chemical characterization of particles collected in the ironmaking process, including a bunker system, a cast house and a pulverized coal feeding system. Using gravimetric, scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) analyses, the size distribution, morphology, elemental composition and emission factor of particles were investigated. The contribution rates of cast house for emission factors of total suspended particulates (TSP), PM10 and PM2.5 are the largest, 57.0%, 75.5% and 83.3%, respectively. SEM-EDS analysis indicated that cast house particle shapes are mainly formed by polymerization from spherical particles and ultrafine particles, whose main component is Fe. But, the particles of the bunker system or the pulverized coal feeding system are mainly the large ones of irregular block or powder particles and the main component is carbon. The highest content of the element in particles of the bunker system and cast house is Fe, followed by C, Si, Ca and Al. The main elements of particles in the pulverized coal feeding system are C, Si, Al and Ca, and their contents are 63.6%, 7.83%, 3.07% and 1.47%, respectively.
Journal of Chemical Health and Safety, 2010
Particulates containing hazardous metals and metal fumes are common in the metal smelting industry. Exposure of workers to these smelter particulates has been documented to lead to adverse health effects. In this study, select metals contained in respirable, PM10, and total dust samples where correlated to readings of a Grimm 1.109 aerosol measuring instrument in an effort to see if with the use of correction factors the metals can be accurately determined when compared to metal concentrations reported by the laboratory analysis of respirable, PM10, and total dust samples. In all, there were 16 sampling events, with three respirable, three PM10, and three total dust samples collected during each sampling event. The four metals of particular interest analyzed by the laboratory were cadmium, arsenic, lead, and copper. To more accurately and precisely determine metal concentrations when using the Grimm 1.109 with correction factors, further sampling is needed with the collection of process variables such as ore feedstock metal concentrations, process operation parameters, and weather conditions that can be included into linear regression models. Statistical model results suggest that this methodology of using metal specific correction factors to adjust Grimm 1.109 measured particulate matter concentrations to determine the selected metal concentrations in a smelter environment are within statistically accepted criteria and can be used to determine the metal concentrations in the smelter industry.
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 2020
Fine particulate matter and eight heavy metals (Ni, Co, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Mn, and Zn) concentrations were determined in air samples collected from three industrial sites in northern Nigeria using a Handheld Portable Particle Counter for PM 2.5 and PM 10 with model number CW-HAT 200 and a High Volume Respirable Dust Sampler (APM 460 NL) in conjunction with an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Serial No. AA0904M046) Flame Test. The results of the fine particulates ranged from 11.0-46.0 µg•m −3 for PM 2.5 and 22.0-88 µg•m −3 for PM 10 across all the industrial sites investigated. Most of these results exceeded the WHO permissible levels of 25.0 µg•m −3 and 50.0 µg•m −3 for PM 2.5 and PM 10 and thus pose threats to people living and working close to these sites. The concentration of the heavy metals studied were found to be within WHO/EU set standards except for the concentrations of Ni, Pb, and Cd that exceeded the set standard by WHO/EU with toxicity potential >1 in the Terytex industry, Kano and Grand Cereals, Jos. Strong positive correlations were found between the fine particulates concentrations and heavy metals in all the studied sites suggesting that common anthropogenic sources contributed to the fine particulates and heavy metals recorded from the industrial areas. We suggested the installation of electrostatic precipitators to combat fine particulates emission from the stack and also recommended a proper legislative framework by the government to regulate and control industrial fugitive emissions to protect human health.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, 2010
Elemental analysis of welding fume samples can be done using several laboratory-based techniques. However, portable measurement techniques could offer several advantages. In this study, we sought to determine whether the portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) is suitable for analysis of five metals (manganese, iron, zinc, copper, and chromium) on 37-mm polytetrafluoroethylene filters. Using this filter fitted on a cyclone in line with a personal pump, gravimetric samples were collected from a group of boilermakers exposed to welding fumes. We assessed the assumption of uniform deposition of these metals on the filters, and the relationships between measurement results of each metal obtained from traditional laboratory-based XRF and the portable XRF. For all five metals of interest, repeated measurements with the portable XRF at the same filter area showed good consistency (reliability ratios are equal or close to 1.0 for almost all metals). The portable XRF readings taken from three different areas of each filter were not significantly different (p-values = 0.77 to 0.98). This suggested that the metal rich PM 2.5 deposits uniformly on the samples collected using this gravimetric method. For comparison of the two XRFs, the results from the portable XRF were well correlated and highly predictive of those from the laboratory XRF. The Spearman correlation coefficients were from 0.325 for chromium, to 0.995 for manganese and 0.998 for iron. The mean differences as a percent of the mean laboratory XRF readings were also small (<5%) for manganese, iron, and copper. The differences were greater for zinc and chromium, which were present at very low amounts in our samples and below the limits of detection of the portable XRF for many of the samples. These five metals were moderately to strongly correlated with the total fine particle fraction on filters (Spearman ρ = 0.41 for zinc to 0.97 for iron). Such strong correlations and comparable results suggested that the portable XRF could be used as an effective and reliable tool for exposure assessment in many studies.
Journal of Aerosol Science, 2018
This work reports on qualitative and semi-quantitative elemental analysis of particulate matter (PM) collected on PTFE membrane filters, for a source apportionment study conducted in Brescia (Italy). Sampling was undertaken in a residential area where an increase in Mn emissions has been highlighted by previous studies. Filters are measured by means of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) based techniques such as micro-XRF and grazing incidence XRF using synchrotron radiation, Mo or W excitation sources, after applying an automatized sample preparation method. A heterogeneous distribution in PM shape, size and composition was observed, with features typical of anthropogenic sources. XRF measurements performed at various incidence angle, on large areas and different experimental setup were reproducible. The results demonstrate a successful comparison of the various XRF instrumentation, and the decrease in Mn content with the distance away from the identified emission source. This work highlights the potentialities of the presented approach to provide a full quantitative analysis, and ascertain its suitability for providing a direct, fast, simple and sensitive elemental analysis of filters in source apportionment studies and screening purposes.