ABSTRACT

The XRF core scanner, which facilitates non-destructive, high-speed, and high spatial resolution measurements, has recently been extensively used to measure element variability in sediments. Although identifying the precision of the measurement and concentration of the elements in the sample is essential to elucidating the variations recorded in the sediments, the element peak area count ratios are most commonly used to report the results of XRF core scanners in many previous studies, and element concentration is not discussed. This is mainly because quantitative calibration of element concentration necessitates numerous additional analyses of discrete samples. Because XRF core scanner measurements are often conducted before discrete sample analysis, if approximate element concentrations in the sediment can be estimated from XRF core scanner data just after measurement, sampling intervals should be determined for further analysis.