Use Of X-ray Fluorescence Research Articles

Synthesis and characterization of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3‐NPs) and analysis of their antimicrobial efficacy against selected pathogenic microbes

AbstractThis present paper assesses the chemical synthesis of aluminum oxide nanoparticles (Al2O3‐NPs) using a modified sol–gel process. Aluminum nitrate and citric acid were heated to 180 °C until a gel was produced. After that, the dehydrated amorphous gel was sintered at 800 °C for 2 h. The formation of nano‐sized α‐Al2O3 particles was investigated using several characterized methodologies, encompassing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering, and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). Then, the antibacterial and antifungal activity of synthesized nanoscale Al2O3 particles against pathogens like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Trichophyton rubrum has been investigated. The successful synthesis of alumina nanoparticles has been validated by several analytical techniques. Nanoparticles of Al2O3‐NPs with a rhombohedral structure and an average crystallite size of 26 nm were revealed by XRD research. Their zeta potential was −8.65 mV, and their size distribution measured 68.6 nm in diameter. The elemental composition of sample was identified with the use of XRF, which indicates that the Al2O3‐NPs powder is quite pure. Furthermore, the antimicrobial experiment showed that the Al2O3‐NPs exhibited the greatest antibacterial efficacy, S. aureus, E. Coli, and T. rubrum exhibited significant inhibition zones with diameters of 13, and 15 mm, and a high inhibition percentage of 70% when exposed to 100 mg/mL of Al2O3 nanoparticles.

Investigating gunshot wounds in charred bone with XRF spectroscopy: a technical note

The analysis of traces of injuries can be difficult in cases of charred human remains since the alteration and fragmentation are high. The aim of this study is to explore the use of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) technique as a screening tool for detecting and analyzing gunshot residues (GSR) on cremated and highly fragmented materials, as it is a technique that allows for fast qualitative investigations without altering the sample or requiring sample preparation. The study was carried out on two steps: firstly, on completed skeletonized bones to verify if GSR survive to burning; secondly, we considered a more realistic situation, in which soft tissues were present before the shooting. To this aim, nine adult bovine ribs, four retaining soft tissue, five completely skeletonized, were subjected to a shooting test using two types of 9 mm projectiles (jacketed and unjacketed bullets). The ribs were then burnt until complete calcination in an electric furnace. The entry wound of each rib was analyzed using XRF, revealing traces of GSR. The XRF analysis showed that all samples, except for one, contain Pb and/or Sb near the lesion. Furthermore, the samples hit by unjacketed bullets had a more significant presence of Pb in macroscopic yellow areas, which persisted when moving away from the gunshot. These findings could pave the way for the use of XRF technology, mostly when a fast and immediate scan must be done on osteologic materials by a conservative method.

Improving bitter pit prediction by the use of X-ray fluorescence (XRF): A new approach by multivariate classification.

Bitter pit (BP) is one of the most relevant post-harvest disorders for apple industry worldwide, which is often related to calcium (Ca) deficiency at the calyx end of the fruit. Its occurrence takes place along with an imbalance with other minerals, such as potassium (K). Although the K/Ca ratio is considered a valuable indicator of BP, a high variability in the levels of these elements occurs within the fruit, between fruits of the same plant, and between plants and orchards. Prediction systems based on the content of elements in fruit have a high variability because they are determined in samples composed of various fruits. With X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry, it is possible to characterize non-destructively the signal intensity for several mineral elements at a given position in individual fruit and thus, the complete signal of the mineral composition can be used to perform a predictive model to determine the incidence of bitter pit. Therefore, it was hypothesized that using a multivariate modeling approach, other elements beyond the K and Ca could be found that could improve the current clutter prediction capability. Two studies were carried out: on the first one an experiment was conducted to determine the K/Ca and the whole spectrum using XRF of a balanced sample of affected and non-affected 'Granny Smith' apples. On the second study apples of three cultivars ('Granny Smith', 'Brookfield' and 'Fuji'), were harvested from two commercial orchards to evaluate the use of XRF to predict BP. With data from the first study a multivariate classification system was trained (balanced database of healthy and BP fruit, consisting in 176 from each group) and then the model was applied on the second study to fruit from two orchards with a history of BP. Results show that when dimensionality reduction was performed on the XRF spectra (1.5 - 8 KeV) of 'Granny Smith' apples, comparing fruit with and without BP, along with K and Ca, four other elements (i.e., Cl, Si, P, and S) were found to be deterministic. However, the PCA revealed that the classification between samples (BP vs. non-BP fruit) was not possible by univariate analysis (individual elements or the K/Ca ratio).Therefore, a multivariate classification approach was applied, and the classification measures (sensitivity, specificity, and balanced precision) of the PLS-DA models for all cultivars evaluated ('Granny Smith', 'Fuji' and 'Brookfield') on the full training samples and with both validation procedures (Venetian and Monte Carlo), ranged from 0.76 to 0.92. The results of this work indicate that using this technology at the individual fruit level is essential to understand the factors that determine this disorder and can improve BP prediction of intact fruit.

Confocal XRF imaging for determination of arsenic distribution in a sample of historic plaster

This paper describes the use of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning, XRF microanalysis, and confocal XRF for identification of toxic elements, especially arsenic, in a sample taken from a historic wall of the rectory building in Potštát (Přerov district, Czech Republic). We focused our attention mainly on the confocal XRF imaging, which can visualize non-destructively a cross-section of a selected part of the sample. Since the images of X-ray intensities are disturbed by the X-ray absorption in a sample, a method reducing this effect was proposed and applied for the determination of the arsenic depth distribution. This method comprises an experimental determination of attenuation coefficients for the excitation beam and the arsenic characteristic X-rays as well. These coefficients are derived from the exponential decrease of scattered radiation intensities in energy regions corresponding to the excitation X-ray energies and energies of scattered X-rays close to the arsenic Kα line, respectively. This correction improved the image showing the depth distribution of arsenic in the sample.

Rubidium measured by XRF as a predictor of soil particle size in limestone and siliceous parent materials

PurposeInformation about particle size distribution (PSD) and soil texture is essential for understanding soil drainage, porosity, nutrient availability, and trafficability. The sieve-pipette/gravimetric method traditionally used for particle size analysis is labour-intensive and resource-intensive. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry may provide a rapid alternative. The study’s aim was to examine the use of XRF for rapid determination of PSD in Irish soils.MethodsSoils (n = 355) from existing archives in Ireland were analysed with a benchtop energy-dispersive XRF (EDXRF). Correlation and regression analyses were determined to compare Rb, Fe, Al, and Si concentrations to % clay, % silt, and % sand. Also, linear regression models were developed to compare % clay, % sand, and % silt measured by the gravimetric method to values predicted by EDXRF.ResultsThe relationship between element concentration and PSD was dependent on parent material. Rb, Al, and Fe showed a significant (p < 0.05) correlation (r > 0.50) with % clay and % sand in soils derived from limestone and siliceous stone parent materials. Rb was the best predictor for % clay (R2 = 0.49, RMSE = 10.20) in soils derived from limestone and siliceous stone-derived soils.ConclusionGeochemistry and clay mineralogy of the soils’ parent material strongly influenced the EDXRF’s ability to predict particle size. The EDXRF could predict % clay in soils from parent materials which weather easily, but the opposite was true for soils with parent material recalcitrant to weathering. In conclusion, this study has shown that the EDXRF can screen % clay in soils derived from limestone and siliceous stone parent materials.

The Utilisation of Solid Fuels Derived from Waste Pistachio Shells in Direct Carbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

The comprehensive results regarding the physicochemical properties of carbonaceous materials that are obtained from pistachio shells support their usage as solid fuels to supply direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells (DC-SOFCs). The influence of preparation conditions on variations in the chemical composition, morphology of the biochar powders, and degree of graphitization of carbonaceous materials were investigated. Based on structural investigations (X-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy), it was observed that disordered carbon particles developed during the application of thermal treatments. The use of X-ray fluorescence enabled a comparative analysis of the chemical composition of the inorganic matter in biocarbon-based samples. Additionally, the gasification of carbonaceous-based samples vs. time at a temperature of 850 °C was investigated in a H2O or CO2 gas atmosphere. The analysis demonstrated the conversion rate of biochar obtained from pistachio shells to H2, CH4 and CO during steam gasification. The electrochemical investigations of the DC-SOFCs that were supplied with biochars obtained from pistachio shells were characterized by satisfactory values for the current and power densities at a temperature range of 700–850 °C. However, a higher power output of the DC-SOFCs was observed when CO2 was introduced to the anode chamber. Therefore, the impact of the Boudouard reaction on the performance of DC-SOFCs was confirmed. The chars that were prepared from pistachio shells were adequate for solid fuels for utilization in DC–SOFCs.

Application of X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry in plant science: Solutions, threats, and opportunities

X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry is a nondestructive, rapid, simultaneous multi‐elemental imaging methodology for plant materials. Its applications are broad and cover most of the elements with varying concentration below the parts per million (ppm). XRF is a well‐established atomic spectrometric technique that is also being used as a field portable instrumentation. In recent decades, XRF has been considered a very versatile tool for plant nutrition diagnosis due to its fast and multi‐elemental analytical imaging response directly from a solid sample. In this review, we have mainly focused on the recent developments and advancements in XRF spectrometry to analyze plant materials. We have also included the fundamental aspects and instrumentation for XRF spectrometry for its use in plants imaging. We have also covered the use of XRF for vegetal tissues and plant leaves. Mainly, we have briefly focused on some features of sampling procedures and calibration strategies regarding the use of XRF for plant tissues. Microchemical imaging applications by XRF, μ‐XRF, μ‐SRXRF, and TXRF have been covered for a wide variety of plant tissues such as leaves, roots, stems, and seeds.

Novel use of XRF in the adsorption processes for the direct analysis of cadmium and silver in absorbent Na-alginate beads

The Na-alginate bead is commonly used in biotechnology fields such as adsorption due to ion exchange between Ca and Na with elements. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX) has proven to be a comparative method in the detections of these adsorbed elements, but the un-flat forming area of beads that can introduce impossible of the detection of element adsorbed. In contrast, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) documents analysis of elements, direct examination, which may analysis the adsorbents of elements. Here, this Study evaluated the possibility by using XRF for the direct analysis for examples of Cd and Ag in a bench stand. This Study compared this to commonly used SEM-EDX and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) approaches for Cd and Ag analyses. Overall, novel use of XRF provided precise analyses of the concentrations of Cd and Ag adsorbed within Na-alginate bead and revealed analyses not determined the concentrations in standard SEM-EDX or previously established in other studies of Na-alginate beads. In addition, this Study shows that XRF may be employed in different fields in biotechnology to analysis the concentrations regarding the elemental adsorption of Na-alginate beads and demonstrate the potential for XRF to monitor the procedures underpinning biotechnology sectors.

Calibration-free real-time organic film thickness monitoring technique by reflected X-Ray fluorescence and compton scattering measurement

Most thickness measurement techniques using X-ray radiation are unsuitable in field processes involving fast-moving organic films. Herein, we propose a Compton scattering X-ray radiation method, which probes the light elements in organic materials, and a new simple, non-destructive, and non-contact calibration-free real-time film thickness measurement technique by setting up a bench-top X-ray thickness measurement system simulating a field process dealing with thin flexible organic films. The use of X-ray fluorescence and Compton scattering X-ray radiation reflectance signals from films in close contact with a roller produced accurate thickness measurements. In a high-thickness range, the contribution of X-ray fluorescence is negligible, whereas that of Compton scattering is negligible in a low-thickness range. X-ray fluorescence and Compton scattering show good correlations with the organic film thickness (R2 = 0.997 and 0.999 for X-ray fluorescence and Compton scattering, respectively, in the thickness range 0–0.5 mm). Although the sensitivity of X-ray fluorescence is approximately 4.6 times higher than that of Compton scattering, Compton scattering signals are useful for thick films (e.g., thicker than ca. 1–5 mm under our present experiment conditions). Thus, successful calibration-free thickness monitoring is possible for fast-moving films, as demonstrated in our experiments.

Scaling of oxygen-methane reacting coaxial jets using x-ray fluorescence to measure mixture fraction

Stoichiometric mixing length Ls of reacting coaxial jet flames is a critical scaling parameter for liquid rocket engine combustors. Previous studies have shown that Ls for shear coaxial flames can be scaled like their nonreacting counterparts using a nondimensional momentum flux ratio J. In addition, stoichiometric mixing lengths of reacting and nonreacting coaxial jets collapse upon a single line by altering J using an effective outer flow gas density. This effective density is calculated from a modified version of the equivalence principle, originally developed by Tacina and Dahm [1, 2] and accounts for the effects of heat release on mixing. However, previous studies also required a second nonphysical scaling constant Sc for the reacting jets, which is not predicted by the equivalence principle [3]. It was originally hypothesized that Sc is attributed to the limitation of hydroxyl (OH) planar laser-induced fluorescence, which only infers Ls. Direct quantitative measurement of conserved scalar fields using conventional optical diagnostics is difficult due to the lack of a tracer that easily fluoresces, survives high temperature oxygen flames, and is not dominated by quenching effects. To measure a conserved scalar field, this work implements x-ray fluorescence of Kr and Ar tracers to obtain quantitative mixture fraction fields. From these mixture fraction fields, stoichiometric mixing lengths for two CH4/O2 flames are calculated and scaled against nonreacting coaxial mixing lengths using the equivalence principle. By directly measuring the stoichiometric mixing length, it is established that the additional constant is a byproduct of the OH measurement technique and the equivalence principle fully captures the scaling. Comparison with high-fidelity simulation of the flame further supports this conclusion. In addition to further strengthening this scaling method, this work represents the first use of x-ray fluorescence to make quantitative conserved scalar measurements in turbulent flames.

Geochemical, Index, and Strength Appraisals of Granite-derived Residual Soils

This research work examined the geochemical, index, and strength properties of lateritic residual soils from granitic parent rock in Akure, southwestern Nigeria. The aim is to underscore the potential use of such soils as engineering fills materials. The geochemical method involved the use of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF). The major oxides determined from this analysis were used for the geochemical quantifications of the soils. Analysis of soil index properties involved consistency limits, grain size distribution and specific gravity tests, while the strength analysis involved compaction and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. Results obtained from the index analysis classified the soil profile into behavioral groups VII and VI. These indicates that the soils are of high to intermediate plasticity and compressibility. The UCS values vary from 272.6 to 377.2 kPa while the shear strength values range from 138.8 to 188.6kPa, indicating good bearing capacity. The geochemical results revealed iron-oxide variations as the major influential constituent within the soil profile. Furthermore, the more lateriterizad zones correspond with the more competent horizons. The residual soils from the study area are found to be suitable materials in engineering construction works as Sanitary landfills and Subgrade materials.

Testing the Accuracy of the Calculation of Gold Leaf Thickness by MC Simulations and MA-XRF Scanning

The use of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning systems has become a common practice in many application sectors. In multistratified and heterogeneous samples, the simple analysis of an XRF spectrum as a response of the entire sample is not reliable, so different spectral analysis techniques have been proposed to detect the presence of surface stratification. One commonly studied case is that of gilding, i.e., the presence of a superimposing gold-leaf layer. The observation of changes in the net peak ratios of a single element or of several elements in an XRF spectrum is a well-developed practice, but is still not used in the case of XRF scanning (macro-X-Ray fluorescence scanning, MA-XRF), a technique that can be described as the extrapolation of XRF spot analysis to a second dimension, scanning a sample surface instead. This practice can yield information on the overlaying layer thickness, if some properties of the sample are known—or estimated—beforehand, e.g., the overlapping layer’s chemical composition and the matrix effect contribution from the bulk material (thick ratio). This work proposes the use of an algorithm to calculate the thickness distribution of a superimposing gold layer accurately and automatically through the differential attenuation method by using MA-XRF datasets in a total noninvasive manner. This approach has the clear advantage over the traditional spot sampling of allowing the generation of a surface heightmap to better visualize and interpret the data, as well as a considerably larger sample space. Monte Carlo simulations were used to verify the influence of the medium used to adhere the gold leaves to the substrate and to generate known spectra to assess the algorithm’s accuracy.

Current Research: A Pilot Study in the Use of pXRF Analysis of Caddo Ceramics

Wilson "Dub" Crook III's paper presented to the East Texas Archeological Conference concerning the use of X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) in sourcing turquoise artifacts sparked an interest in utilizing pXRF to resolve an old Caddo ceramic research question. While XRF has been used in archaeology for more than 60 years, and there have been applications in ceramic studies, a recent review of the 9th Edition of The Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Ethnohistory, and History of the Caddo Indian Peoples of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, a comprehensive bibliography, did not yield a single reference to a pXRF study in Caddo ceramics. This article will summarize: (1) the research question arising from work at the Morse Mound Site (41SY27), (2) an overview of how pXRF works, and (3) the data analysis from this pilot study.

A Comprehensive Study of Three Different Portable XRF Scanners to Assess the Soil Geochemistry of An Extensive Sample Dataset

The assessment of soil elemental concentrations nowadays mainly occurs through conventional laboratory analyses. However, proximal soil sensing (PSS) techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry are proving to reduce analysis time and costs, and thus offer a worthy alternative to laboratory analyses. Moreover, XRF scanners are non-destructive and can be directly employed in the field. Although the use of XRF for soil elemental analysis is becoming widely accepted, most previous studies were limited to one scanner, a few samples, a few elements, or a non-diverse sample database. Here, an extensive and diverse soil database was used to compare the performance of three different XRF scanners with results obtained through conventional laboratory analyses. Scanners were used in benchtop mode with built-in soil calibrations to measure the concentrations of 15 elements. Although in many samples Cu, S, P, and Mg concentrations were up to 6, 12, 13, and 5 times overestimated by XRF, and empirical recalibration is recommended, all scanners produced acceptable results, even for lighter elements. Unexpectedly, XRF performance did not seem to depend on soil characteristics such as CaCO3 content. While performances will be worse when expanding to the field, our results show that XRF can easily be applied by non-experts to measure soil elemental concentrations reliably in widely different environments.

Best Practices for the Use of Portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzers to Screen for Toxic Elements in FDA-Regulated Products

Globalization of trade has made it easy for consumers to purchase products from all over the world. A small fraction of these products contain toxic elements that may pose a health risk to consumers, and there is a clear need for small, portable, and fast methods to rapidly screen these products. Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzers are the ideal tool for this application, as they involve minimal sample preparation and analysis times of a minute or less. XRF is also well suited for elemental analysis of products that are resistant to traditional hydrochloric/nitric acid digestions such as cosmetics and dietary supplements, and can prevent contamination of expensive Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments used for ultra-trace level analyses. Moreover, XRF can be used to monitor most of the elements in the periodic table, with detection limits as low as 1-10 ppm for some elements. This article describes an U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) field study to screen for consumer products containing toxic elements at an International Mail Facility (IMF). After brief training and hands-on activities using real-world samples, two three-person teams using two portable XRF systems analyzed 183 different products over a seven-hour time period, and found 10 that contained significant levels of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and/or selenium (Se), potentially in violation of FDA’s requirements. The goal of this article is to provide guidelines and recommendations for safe, reliable, and efficient use of XRF to screen for toxic elements in FDA-regulated products.

Is XRF core scanning a viable method for coral palaeoclimate temperature reconstructions?

The use of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Core Scanning for continuous high-resolution analysis of Sr/Ca in corals is investigated here as a new method for analyzing coral material. Corals are valuable archives for generating high resolution palaeoclimate records of sea surface temperatures of the tropical oceans, but traditional methods of analyzing coral geochemistry involve extensive subsampling and wet chemistry techniques to obtain high precision elemental records. More recent developments of micro-beam techniques have limitations in the length of core that can be scanned at any one time. XRF core scanning provides a fast, non-destructive method of analyzing long sections of coral cores whilst maintaining a high sampling resolution. Here we apply this method to two modern corals, from the Sunda Strait, Indonesia and One Tree Island, Great Barrier Reef Australia. We find that results show that XRF core scanning of corals produce Sr/Ca records that capture the annual cycle, particularly from reef sites with a large sea surface temperature range. Coupled density measurements of the coral skeleton also aid in increasing the utility of XRF measurements obtained from coral material, although difficulties remain in reliably reconstructing interannual temperature variability using XRF Sr/Ca determinations. We recommend that XRF can provide a valuable method of quick and non-destructive screening of coral material, prior to more targeted analysis using traditional destructive geochemical analysis.

Feasibility of the use of a handheld XRF analyzer to measure skin iron to monitor iron levels in critical organs

There exists a need for accurate, non-invasive point-of-care tests to detect body iron burden. This study investigated the use of x-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurements of skin iron as a marker for organ iron content in rats. This study also evaluated a novel application of a commercial XRF device, commonly used in mining and construction, as a rapid, portable, and non-invasive measurement tool. Rats (n = 32) were loaded with iron dextran and the iron signal of each animal’s skin, liver, and kidney was measured using a conventional XRF system. A quadratic correlation was observed between liver and skin iron signal (R2 = 0.92) and a linear correlation was observed between kidney and skin iron signal (R2 = 0.65). As such, it is concluded that skin iron content can act as a marker for both liver and kidney iron content. The same skin samples were measured using the portable XRF device and compared to the liver and kidney samples measured in the conventional XRF system. Again, a quadratic correlation was observed between liver and skin iron signal (R2 = 0.91) and a linear correlation was observed between kidney and skin iron signal (R2 = 0.83). Thus, the portable XRF device can provide rapid non-invasive, skin XRF measurements. Dosimetry was performed using the portable XRF device to assess the radiological hazard associated with its use. The average skin equivalent dose from this device is 30 ± 10 mSv/min, when the device is collimated and operated at 40 kV. In conclusion, skin iron XRF measurements can act as a surrogate marker for liver iron content, and can be measured using a commercial XRF device for a portable, fast, and non-invasive measurement.

Effect of manganese stress on the mineral content of the leaves of wheat seedlings by use of X-ray fluorescence excited by synchrotron radiation

The present study describes the potential of the synchrotron radiation based X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy technique for the rapid, sensitive, user friendly and simultaneous monitoring of the changes in the elemental profile of the wheat seedlings stressed by excess manganese (Mn). For this, X-ray fluorescence spectra of the leaves of the control and Mn treated wheat seedlings have been recorded by synchrotron radiation X-ray of energy 15 keV. The analyses of the recorded spectra show the presence of elements chlorine, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, nickel, and zinc. A calibration-free approach, PyMca has been used for the quantitative estimation of the detected elements in the leaves of the control and Mn treated wheat seedlings. The excess supply of Mn to wheat seedlings results in the accumulation of manganese in the leaves of the seedlings. The accumulation of manganese in wheat seedlings negatively affects the uptake and translocation of calcium, potassium, and iron while it has stimulating effect on the uptake of copper and zinc.

X-ray Microanalysis of Precious Metal Thin Films: Thickness and Composition Determination

Measuring the thickness and the composition of precious metal thin films is a challenging task. Currently, the available techniques for thickness measurements are either destructive or need heavy assumptions on the nature of the sample, relying on information that are not always available with sufficient accuracy. In this paper we propose a new methodology based on X-ray microanalysis that can complement, with better lateral resolution, the use of X-ray Fluorescence, the most widely employed technique for measuring the thickness of electrodeposited coatings. The proposed method employs a combination of energy dispersive microanalysis spectra acquisition and Monte Carlo simulation. The effectiveness of the technique has been demonstrated by the measure of the thickness and the composition of a thin 24 kt gold electroplated film that contained small amount of nickel. Results have been validated by comparing data with those obtained by X-ray fluorescence and the scanning electron microscopy of metallographic cross-sections.

Mobile Spectroscopy in Archaeometry: Some Case Study

We provide an overview of recent results obtained by the innovative application of mobile spectroscopy for in situ investigation in archaeometry. Its growing relevance is linked to the great advantages of avoiding the transport and eventual damage of precious artifacts and of allowing the analysis of those specimens that are, for example, built into infrastructures or in some way permanently affixed. In this context, some case studies of combined instrumental approaches, involving X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Raman spectroscopy, integrated by infrared thermography (IRT), are, in particular, discussed: the archaeological site of Scifì (Forza d’Agrò, province of Messina, Italy) and the Abbey of SS. Pietro e Paolo d’Agrò (Casalvecchio Siculo, province of Messina, Italy). In the first case, the elemental composition, as obtained by XRF, of two types of mortars belonging to two different chronological phases, dated back between the 3rd and the 5th century AD, allowed us to hypothesize a same origin area of their raw materials and a different production technique. Again, the combined use of XRF and Raman spectroscopies, supported by IRT technique, on pottery fragments of Greek-Hellenistic age and late imperial period, furnished important information concerning the receipts for the pigmenting agents of the finishing layer, allowing in some cases their unambiguous identification. In the second case, XRF data collected on bricks and stones from the external facade of the abbey allowed us to make some hypothesis concerning the provenance of their constituents materials, supposed to be in the area of valley of the river Agrò.