Bromine and iodine in Japanese soils determined with polarizing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry

AbstractThe bromine (Br) and iodine (I) status of Japanese soils was investigated by analyzing around 900 soil samples and related materials with polarizing energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF). The samples consisted of the following five groups: (1) 468 soil samples collected from 70 sites in the mainland of Japan (mainland soils); (2) 139 agricultural soils collected nationwide; (3) 93 samples taken from the southwestern island (island soils); (4) 52 coastal marine sediments; and (5) 137 tsunami deposits by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. The geometric mean of Br was highest in marine sediments (30.6 mg kg−1), followed by that in island soils (24.8 mg kg−1), although the difference between these two groups was not significant. The values for the other three groups were significantly lower at p  tsunami deposits (8.52 mg kg−1) > agricultural soils (7.86 mg kg−1). For I, the ...