Trace element analysis of Scots pine and Norway spruce needles by energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

In recent years a new type of injury has been found on spruce trees in the southern part of Sweden, It starts with a flow of resin from the stem of the tree and within a relatively short time span the area close to the origin of the resinous flow dies, A few years after the first appearance of the injury the whole tree normally dies, The reasons for this phenomenon are not accurately known, The EDXRF method for analysing needle samples without chemical pretreatment of the samples was used in order to investigate the usefulness of the method for studying possible trace element anomalies in the bleeding trees. The concentrations reported are compared with results given by other analytical methods, Results from some preliminary measurements made on bleeding spruces are also presented.