Hand Held FTIR Unearths The Composition & Origin Of Soils

A2 Technologies’ Exoscan, the portable FTIR system with diffuse reflectance sampling capability, is finding rapid acceptance by scientists involved in all aspects of soil analysis. Researchers in forensic soil analysis, land management and environmental geochemistry are rapidly adopting this new technology. With FTIR spectroscopy, specific inorganic and organic components in soil can be identified and quantified, providing unique insight into the composition and origin of soils.

Exoscan is a hand-held spectrometer that has the performance of traditional laboratory spectrometers, but can be used in the field for direct sample measurement, as well as in the lab for methods development and data analysis. The optically matched diffuse reflectance sampling interface is particularly well suited for measuring samples that tend to scatter light, such as soil. The availability of realtime, field based FTIR spectroscopy means that samples do not need to be sent back to a lab for analysis. Thus, the scientist can identify and focus attention on field sites of particular interest, while reducing the number of less useful samples that need to be measured. Soil scientists throughout the world are employing the Exoscan with diffuse reflectance sampling interface and describe it as a significant new capability for understanding soil chemistry.