2026-10-09T10:41:05Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/32632668 2026-10-01T17:09:30Z portal_1172 item_type_8 month_year_10_2026

The application of EDXRF for screening soil quality in agricultural soils and dairy processing sludge amended soils Maame Ekua Tawiah Croffie (24165135) PUREID: 316697528 Soil nutrient availability soil sampling soils x-ray spectroscopy trace elements Particle size Phosphorus fertiliser use efficiency EDXRF soil analysis parent material rubidium Sustainable agriculture will need innovative or 'green methods' to increase food production to feed a growing global population. Frequent monitoring of agricultural soils with cost-effective analytical techniques is necessary to minimise the risk of accumulation of toxic trace elements harmful to animal and human health. Also, the use of organic waste resources such as dairy processing sludge for food production instead of chemical phosphorus fertilisers can reduce the inputs of toxic trace elements in soils. The main aims of the study were to explore the use of Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry as a green alternative for analysing trace elements and macronutrients; to investigate EDXRF for prediction of soil particle size distribution and to investigate the effect of two different DPS on P availability in grassland soils in the Republic of Ireland. Firstly, different sample preparation and calibrations were assessed on the EDXRF to improve the instrument's analytical results. After which, the ability of the EDXRF to predict sand, clay and silt content rapidly in Irish soils was tested. Lastly, an incubation experiment was made to evaluate the feasibility of anaerobic digested and lime-stabilised dairy processing sludge to replace triple superphosphate in grassland production. The results showed that when a wax binder is added to the soils before analysis and the EDXRF is calibrated efficiently; you can improve the accuracy for measuring multi elements in contaminated soils. In addition, the instrument could predict clay and sand content in 40% of soils derived from limestone and siliceous stones. Finally, the lime-stabilised sludge increased P availability across all soil textures better than the anaerobic digested sludge and triple superphosphate. In conclusion, the findings in this project demonstrate that dairy processing sludge can replace P fertiliser in grassland; thus, farmers can save costs for fertiliser purchases. Finally, the EDXRF is a multipurpose screening technique for identifying soil particle size distribution and contaminated soils.<br> 2026-10-01T17:09:30Z Text Thesis 10.17034/32632668.v1 https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/The_application_of_EDXRF_for_screening_soil_quality_in_agricultural_soils_and_dairy_processing_sludge_amended_soils/32632668 All Rights Reserved