EDXRF determination of Pb in aerosol samples from Mexico Valley

Atmospheric pollution in very populated towns is mainly generated from fuel combustion and industrial activity, though in some regions, soil erosion, residues incineration and forest fires contribute appreciably. In the case of Mexico Valley, there exists a permanent additional factor--volcanic ash whose chemical and physical characteristics represent a serious sample-preparation problem. This paper proposes an analytical procedure based on the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence method (EDXRF), being quick, reliable and non-destructive, to determine Pb concentration in aerosol samples. A good correlation factor with the atomic absorption (AA) method is obtained.