Consider incineration of the used PVC filter, having the collected dust, following some convenient protocol. Standard ASTM D5630-13, entitled "Standard test method for ash content in plastics", could be useful. A few powder standards could be obtained by mixing ash from unused filter(s) ─ also analysed for a blank essay ─ with known quantities of added mineral. After analysis, a calibration line is obtained, used to quantify the actual samples. This being a quite general procedure, it can be expected to perform generally better with either X-ray spectrometry or X-ray diffractometry, compared to FTIR. With FTIR absorption spectroscopy the results are typically less accurate, in practice, because last technique usually does not favour precise quantitative analysis, particularly considering that powdered samples are to be analysed. Usually, FTIR is just used for qualitative or semi-quantitative approach. On the other hand, since a lower limit of detection can be often achieved with FTIR, compared to quantitative X-ray analysis, it seems interesting to study the possible use of FTIR for the quantification of minerals present in the collected dust at very small levels, even considering that a significant error can presumably affect the results.

Through XRD results some scholars and pubilication used it for mineral identification and as a semi-quatitative measurre using either the hight of mineral peaks of the the area underneath the peak.