Evaluating the Use of Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy for Identifying Airborne Particles in Industrial Areas

Airborne particles constitute complex mixtures of liquids and solids that originate from both natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities, significantly impacting environmental systems and human health. In addition to assessing the concentration of these pollutants in the atmosphere and their subsequent effects on ecosystems and public health, it is essential to develop rapid and reliable methodologies for detecting their presence. This study aims to establish and evaluate a novel rapid method for confirming, identifying and quantifying airborne particles present in soil samples utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). SEM-EDX is an important analytical technique that provides critical morphological and compositional information regarding material surfaces.

Testing was conducted on acidic soil (pH = 5) with a moisture content of 42.05% from an area subjected to airborne pollution. The SEM images do not reveal any particles that could be definitively linked to industrial contamination. The average chemical composition of the analyzed soil was as follows: Oxygen (O) at 53.27%, Silicon (Si) at 31.07%, Aluminum (Al) at 6.94%, Iron (Fe) at 3.21%, Calcium (Ca) at 2.61%, Potassium (K) at 1.44%, Sulfur (S) at 0.62%, Magnesium (Mg) at 0.50%, and Sodium (Na) at 0.32%. Carbon (C) was excluded from elemental analysis due to the deposition of samples on carbon substrates. These results are in good accordance with those obtained from soil analysis conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

The findings showed that while industrial areas with a high risk of airborne pollutants have a greater likelihood of contaminated soil, in this specific case, the soil composition did not indicate the presence of potentially hazardous particles, implying a lower risk of pollution in the area studied. The study also confirms that SEM-EDX results are sufficiently sensitive to detect the presence of airborne particles when they are present and can be subjected to further testing.