Handheld x-ray fluorescence: practical application as a screening tool to detect the presence of environmentally-sensitive substances in electronic equipment

Shrivastava, P.; O'Connell, Scott; Whitley, Andrew

doi:10.1109/isee.2005.1437013

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…A further observation is that HXRF constantly overestimates the concentration of RoHS elements, probably due to its inherent limitations, as reported in [11]. HXRF results should be therefore reviewed carefully, particularly near RoHS threshold levels.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This is why they are not used for comparison in Table 5 when AAS data was available. HXRF has however been used for analysis even if it overestimates the concentrations of elements as it has already been characterized as a suitable, reliable screening tool to estimate the concentration of a variety of elements in electr(on)ic components [11,24] to reduce testing time and cost compared with other spectroscopic techniques. It allows "go/not go" decisions to be made efficiently and could reduce the number of samples that need to be submitted for confirmatory analysis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[5,[8][9][10]. Information on the characterization of the actual chemical composition and contents of specific pollutants in sWEEE is scant and limited to a small number of studies [8,[10][11][12][13][14], which mainly rely on samples taken from the output streams of WEEE recycling units. It is also reported that sWEEE contributes highly to the pollutant load of residual MSW concerning elements such as Cd, Pb and Br as alleged in [15], whereas its introduction into waste incinerators results in high concentrations of heavy metals in the slag, the flue gas or the filter cake [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Small WEEE: Determining recyclables and hazardous substances in plastics

Dimitrakakis

Janz

Bilitewski

et al. 2009

Journal of Hazardous Materials

160

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Small WEEE: Determining recyclables and hazardous substances in plastics

Dimitrakakis

Janz

Bilitewski

et al. 2009

Journal of Hazardous Materials

160

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“…In any case, the lack of standards with matrices as similar as possible to those of the samples can lead to less accurate results. Therefore, it might be advisable to confirm the results obtained by using more reliable laboratory analysis methods, and consider XRF as a very useful screening test for determining elemental concentration [25,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods

et al. 2016

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Bromine and chlorine are almost ubiquitous in waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the knowledge of their content in the plastic fraction is an essential step for proper end of life management. The aim of this study is to compare the following analytical methods: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (ED-XRF), ion chromatography (IC), ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), and elemental analysis for the quantitative determination of chlorine and bromine in four real samples taken from different WEEE treatment plants, identifying the best analytical technique for waste management workers. Home-made plastic standard materials with known concentrations of chlorine or bromine have been used for calibration of ED-XRF and to test the techniques before the sample analysis. Results showed that IC and ISEs, based upon dissolution of the products of the sample combustion, have not always achieved a quantitative absorption of the analytes in the basic solutions and that bromine could be underestimated since several oxidation states occur after combustion. Elemental analysis designed for chlorine determination is subjected to strong interference from bromine and required frequent regeneration and recalibration of the measurement cell. The most reliable method seemed to be the non-destructive ED-XRF. Calibration with home-made standards, having a similar plastic matrix of the samples, enabled us to carry out quantitative determinations, which have been revealed to be satisfactorily accurate and precise. In all the analyzed samples a total concentration of chlorine and/or bromine between 0.6 and 4 w/w% was detected, compromising the feasibility of a mechanical recycling and suggesting the exploration of an alternative route for managing these plastic wastes.

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“…Therefore, sufficiently accurate and well-documented field methods with speedy analytical results can offer significant advantages over laboratory methods for quick decision making necessary in these urgent situations. Field analysis requires less involvement of sample handling and transporting as well as chain-of-custody documentation compared to that of laboratory analysis, and, therefore, is often less expensive per sample allowing for a denser, more complete sampling (Shefsky, 1997;Shrivastava et al, 2005;Radu and Diamond, 2009).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How Reliable is X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement for Different Metals in Soil Contamination?

Tsai

Yang

et al. 2012

Environmental Forensics

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Although portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology is widely accepted for environmental use in field screening test regarding the analytical approach, it needs to be evaluated with sufficient data and meet its performance characteristics to be employable for decision making purposes. Usually, for an XRF sample, the most interesting query is: How reliable is the XRF technique in detecting different targeted metals in soil? This study presents pairwise comparisons between the XRF and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) results for individual elements of Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, and As. The portable XRF analyzer was used to estimate the concentration levels of eight heavy metal elements, and then pairwise comparisons were made between the XRF and ICP-AES results. Results presented in this paper suggest that the use of XRF testing is highly reliable as a screening technique for the first sample group of metal element (Pb, Zn, Ni, and Cu) concentrations well in excess of the pollution threshold limits (PTLs). The order of reliability of the XRF measurements is Pb > Zn > Ni > Cu, and their relative proximity (RP) ranges from 85%-35%. In contrast, the results of another group of metal elements that include Hg, Cd, Cr, and As show poor correlation. Their RP ranges from 25%-2.3%.Keywords: x-ray fluorescence (XRF), heavy metal, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES), soil pollution, relative proximityDuring the year of 1970, industry was booming and great quantities of industrial wastes were dumped along the Erren River in Taiwan. Electronic waste recyclers and metal smelters accounted for approximately 80% of all illegal dumping activity along the Erren River. Since 2001, restoration of the Erren River has been ongoing and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Taiwan has spent NT$ 50-60 million (Taiwan dollars) to clean up sites along the river even though funding for the clean-up effort has been difficult to secure. In 2007, a huge amount of hazardous contaminants of electronic wastes, which included stripped electronic circuit boards, plastic-coated metals, and unknown composites were found embedded in the subsurface soil on both sides of the riverbanks during a riverbank construction project along a 3-kilometer stretch down-

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Handheld x-ray fluorescence: practical application as a screening tool to detect the presence of environmentally-sensitive substances in electronic equipment

Cited by 10 publications

References 0 publications

Small WEEE: Determining recyclables and hazardous substances in plastics

Small WEEE: Determining recyclables and hazardous substances in plastics

Characterization of Some Real Mixed Plastics from WEEE: A Focus on Chlorine and Bromine Determination by Different Analytical Methods

How Reliable is X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement for Different Metals in Soil Contamination?

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