Use of Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) for Elemental Characterization and Multi-Variate Data Analysis of Household Dust Across Indiana

A study of over 100 Indiana homes was conducted involving the elemental characterization of vacuum dust using nuclear analytical techniques. The measurements were performed using ex vacuo Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) techniques, specifically Particle Induced Gamma and X-ray Emission (PIGE and PIXE) at the University of Notre Dame. A 3-minute irradiation with 50 nA of 3.9 MeV protons, allowed 20 elements to be measured, including some of particular interest such as lead or fluorine. Lead is a toxic metal with human health implications, fluorine can indicate the presence of Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which also have human health implications. Along with well-known IBA techniques of PIGE and PIXE, this method uses straight-forward sample preparation of resealable plastic bags as sample holders, and online community volunteer collection and mail-in samples via the social media site Reddit. The incorporation of volunteer-collected dust samples from all over the state of Indiana without any on-site visits facilitates IBA studies what were not feasible previously. Results will be discussed on the multi-variate analysis, methods of online presence to reach participants, and conclusions drawn about household dust across the state of Indiana. Use of this nuclear analytical method to screen for PFAS is being commercialized, and together with these results future research opportunities will be identified.