Technical note: Validation of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence for determination of indigestible markers in ruminant fecal and rumen fluid samples.

Markers are elements supplied to an animal to help determine the digestibility of various feedstuffs. Studying digestibility allows us to improve how nutrients are used by animals and reduce production costs and environmental impact. The method proposed here uses an X-ray fluorescence machine to analyze the markers with no hazardous chemicals, low labor input, and cost. Even though this equipment utilizes radiation, the construction of the equipment eliminates the exposure of operators to radiation. Training and monitoring will differ between institutions. Traditional methods use hazardous chemicals and have higher cost and labor use. We determined that this is a valid method for analyzing titanium in fecal samples and chromium in rumen fluid.