Environ Monit Assess (2012) 184:217–227 DOI 10.1007/s10661-011-1961-6 Use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for environmental quality assessment of peri-urban agriculture David C. Weindorf · Yuanda Zhu · Somsubhra Chakraborty · Noura Bakr · Biao Huang Received: 22 September 2010 / Accepted: 11 February 2011 / Published online: 9 March 2011 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011 Abstract Urban expansion into traditional agri- cultural lands has augmented the potential for heavy metal contamination of soils. This study examined the utility of field portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry for evaluating the environmental quality of sugarcane fields near two industrial complexes in Louisiana, USA. Re- sults indicated that PXRF provided quality results of heavy metal levels comparable to traditional laboratory analysis. When coupled with global positioning system technology, the use of PXRF allows for on-site interpolation of heavy metal lev- els in a matter of minutes. Field portable XRF was shown to be an effective tool for rapid assessment of heavy metals in soils of peri-urban agricultural areas. Keywords X-ray fluorescence spectrometry · Heavy metals · Agriculture D. C. Weindorf (B ) · Y. Zhu · S. Chakraborty · N. Bakr School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences, LSU AgCenter, 307 MB Sturgis Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803 USA e-mail: dweindorf@agcenter.lsu.edu B. Huang Institute of Soil Science—Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 821, Nanjing, 210008 People’s Republic China Introduction In recent years, increases in global population have led to urban expansion into previously rural areas. Also, an emphasis on urban sustainability has encouraged peri-urban farming via commu- nity gardens and green roofs. While these con- cepts are ecologically sound, questions remain about the safety of growing food crops in close proximity to urban environments fraught with pol- lution. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (1999) estimated that 800 million urban residents worldwide either earn income from urban farming practices, or use the food grown in urban environments to feed themselves. However, farming in such areas also has potential risks. The FAO (1999) identified many potential risks in urban farming including: excessive use of pesti- cides, nitrogen, and raw organic matter contain- ing heavy metals. Furthermore, the most viable source of water for peri-urban farming is often re- cycled wastewater which can potentially be laden with heavy metals from nearby industry. Air pol- lution and particulate matter offer another source of potential pollutant input to urban or peri-urban farming. Zhao et al. (2007) studied the spatial distribution of heavy metals in agricultural soils of peri-urban areas of Wuxi, China, and found elevated levels of As, Hg, Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, and Pb. They associated these elevated levels with nearby