Patterns of metal pollution in soils: A comparison of the values obtained by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and x‐ray fluorescence

In the town of Armadale in central Scotland, where high rates of mortality and high birth sex ratios (males/females) have been observed, the main industry is steel production. Previous studies have shown a geographical relationship between the foundry, air pollution by metals as measured by low-technology biomonitors, and the epidemiological abnormalities. In this study, the patterns of pollution in Armadale were investigated by taking soil cores from 29 sites within the town. The concentrations of metals in all samples were measured by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and 19 of the samples were analysed using x-ray fluorescence. The results extended the knowledge about the pattern of pollution in Armadale, and also allowed the direct comparison of these two methods of analysis in a study of soil pollution.