[en] 1. Determination of Metal Residues in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients According to Current Legislation by Using XRF Spectrometry. Safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals are two fundamental issues of importance in drug therapy. Therefore, the determination of potential impurities in different stages of the manufacturing processes, and especially in the final product, is necessary to prevent potential risk to human health. Metals can be introduced in the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) through different sources (raw materials, reagents, catalysts, reactors, etc) and, consequently, they are potential impurities in the drug substances and are routinely monitored. 2. Application of XRF Spectrometry in Phytoremediation Activities Around Mining Areas. In the last decade, the use of plants for the stabilization (phytostabilization) and clean-up (phytoremediation) of metal contaminated environments has gained popularity among government agencies worldwide, as alternate or complementary cost-effective non-invasive technology to the engineering based remediation methods. In view of the considerable number of analyses necessary in phytoremediation and plant biology studies, it is important that the analytical procedures used for elemental determination in plant tissues should be fast and cheap, with simple sample preparation, and of adequate accuracy and precision. Last years, we have developed several analytical methodologies, using diverse configurations of XRF spectrometers (EDXRF, WDXRF, HE-P-EDXRF), to determine elemental composition of vegetation grown in mining areas. Recently, in collaboration with a research group from the Department of Chemical Engineering, Agriculture and Food Technology of the University of Girona (Spain), we have studied the possibilities and limitations of a low-cost benchtop energy dispersive X ray fluorescence (EDXRF) instrument to be employed as analytical technique for studying the potential use of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) for the phytoremediation of an abandoned Pb/Zn mining area located at the North East of Spain. 3. Compositional Characterization of Ancient Coins by Means of XRF Instrumentation. During the last years, amongst other activities, the Laboratory of X ray Analytical Applications (LARX) has been involved in the analytical applications of XRF spectrometry in the field of Cultural Heritage objects. In the last two years, within the framework of a joined project between LARX and the Catalonian Numismatic Department (GNC) at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Catalonia (MNAC, Barcelona) were undertaken