PP41C-1380:
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) calibration and its application as a tool to study the Oxygen Minimum Zone variability during the Holocene.
Abstract:
X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) is a non destructive analytical technique widely used to estimate the elemental composition of sedimentary records. This analytical technique measure a number of elements in a sample with a resolution similar or better than conventional destructive methods, is quick and requires minimal analytical effort.We tested the precision and reliability of a handheld XRF instrument (DELTA Premium-XRF analyzer) and developed a methodological calibration of the equipment considered to be a potential tool for paleo-environmental investigations, i.e., in the reconstruction of past oxygen concentrations by analyzing redox sensitive trace metals like Mo, which is sequestered from the water column and transferred to the underlying sediments under anoxic and sulfidic conditions (euxinic).