Rapid Elemental Quantification in the Semi-Arid Soils of the Southern High Plains Using PXRF: Spatial Distribution and Evaluation of Potential Sources.

Soil arsenic (As) contamination is becoming a rising issue in the Southern High Plains (SHP), partly because of the dependence on As-contaminated ground water for irrigation purposes. However, very little studies have been conducted to investigate the chemistry of As in soils. In this study, soil samples were collected from different sites in Texas high plains at approximately 0-15 and 15-30cm. Soil samples are collected from the following sites: irrigated fields; rainfed agricultural field; and Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) field. Total elemental quantification was conducted using the portable X-Ray fluorescence (PXRF). Spatial distribution maps were produced using ArcGIS to show the distribution of the studied elements within the selected study sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate the potential sources of As within the different land uses.