Towards low-cost lead screening with transmission XRF

TL;DR

This paper introduces a low-cost, transmission XRF method using ionizing smoke detector sources for lead detection in soil, potentially enabling widespread and affordable lead screening.

Contribution

It proposes a novel transmission XRF geometry and utilizes $^{241}$Am sources from smoke detectors to reduce costs and improve accessibility for lead screening.

Findings

Monte Carlo simulations show detection of 100 ppm Pb in soil within 30 minutes.

Using $^{241}$Am sources can replace traditional X-ray tubes, lowering device costs.

The method demonstrates practical lead screening capabilities with standard detectors.

Abstract

Human exposure to lead (Pb) is a global health concern, yet existing technologies for detecting lead in our environment remain prohibitively expensive for widespread deployment. Here we present a new concept towards lead screening using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) in an unconventional geometry we coin transmission XRF in which the sample is placed between the source and detector. For cost reduction, we then show that $^{241}$Am found in ionizing smoke detectors is spectrally suitable for Pb L-shell XRF generation and can thus replace X-ray tubes used in conventional XRF devices. Exploring soil screening as the first application, we demonstrate with Monte Carlo simulations that a configuration with 7$\times$ $^{241}$Am sources and a standard silicon drift detector can enable screening-relevant detection limits (100 ppm Pb) in soil within practical measurement times (<30 min). We believe this concept opens a route toward low-cost and scalable XRF instrumentation for democratizing lead screening across a wide range of samples.