This study demonstrates how spectral interferences affect elemental characterization in artworks, highlighting the importance of accurate measurements.
This study investigates the origin and impact of spectral interferences associated with the Bruker Tracer III portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer, used by the authors for elemental characterization of cultural heritage objects. Systematic analyses were conducted on reference materials and on the sculpture Head of Apollo from the Eva Klabin House Museum, Rio de Janeiro, facilitating the detection of instrumental peaks and improving the accuracy of qualitative analyses by minimizing instrument-derived interferences. Measurements were carried out under controlled conditions, both with and without the spectrometer’s radiation protection shield, using fixed operational parameters (40 kV, 35 μA and 60 s). The resulting spectra revealed peaks attributable to the instrument’s structural components. With the shield in place, elements such as Ca, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb were detected. In the absence of the shield, the peaks corresponding to Ca, Zn, and Pb were suppressed, although interferences from the remaining elements persisted.
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Borges et al. (2025) studied this question.
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