Chapter 8: Chemical Analysis of Natural Waters Using Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

The application of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) for the analysis of natural waters offers an interesting opportunity for fast, non-destructive characterization of solutes in lakes, streams, groundwater, and more. In contrast to other environmental materials such as rocks, soils, and sediments, to date very little published work has explored the methodological developments to optimize the sample preparation, instrumentation configurations, and calibration methods for water sample analyses. This chapter reviews advances in the application of pXRF to quantify water chemistry and offers suggested considerations for how to apply these methods. Also presented is a novel application of calibrating X-ray fluorescence spectra to quantify fluid density. Significant opportunities still exist to expand on previous to advance methodology of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for water samples.