Characterization of major and trace elements in soil samples from the state of Gujarat

This study optimizes an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence-based method for rapid, nondestructive elemental analysis of soil samples, which was validated using certified reference material (IAEA-433). A total of 16 elements were quantified in soil samples collected from across the sate of Gujarat. Aluminum was the most abundant element with concentration of 72,498 mg/kg and uranium the least with average concentration of 1.4 mg/kg. The elements were categorized into three groups, namely major, minor, and trace. Total elemental concentration in the soil for 16 elements was 123 g/kg of soil. Major elements contributed 98.4%, minor contributed 1.4%, whereas trace elements contributed 0.15% toward total elemental concentration among the studied 16 elements in the sate soil. From the obtained results, various pollution indices such as contamination factor, pollution load index, and index of geoaccumulation were calculated. These indices indicated low-to-moderate contamination from elements such as bromine, arsenic, vanadium, and chromium, suggesting minimal anthropogenic impact. These findings provide a detailed elemental profile of Gujarat’s soil, supporting environmental monitoring and sustainable land management.