Contaminant concentration in environmental samples using LIBS and CF-LIBS

• Published in: Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Vol. 98; no. 1; pp. 231 - 241
• Main Authors: Pandhija, S., Rai, N. K., Rai, A. K., Thakur, S. N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2010; Springer
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biological and medical applications; Cadmium; Calibration; Engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Laser spectroscopy; Lasers; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Pollutants; Quantum Optics; Soil (material); Toxic; Toxicology; Zinc; 32.30.-r; 07.88.+y; 42.62.Fi; 92.20.Wx; 91.62.Rt; Algorithms; Laser spectroscopy; Measuring methods; Calibration; Pollutants; Quantitative chemical analysis; Heavy metal
• ISSN: 0946-2171; 1432-0649
• DOI: 10.1007/s00340-009-3763-x

The present paper deals with the detection and quantification of toxic heavy metals like Cd, Co, Pb, Zn, Cr, etc. in environmental samples by using the technique of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and calibration-free LIBS (CF-LIBS). A MATLAB TM program has been developed based on the CF-LIBS algorithm given by earlier workers and concentrations of pollutants present in industrial area soil have been determined. LIBS spectra of a number of certified reference soil samples with varying concentrations of toxic elements (Cd, Zn) have been recorded to obtain calibration curves. The concentrations of Cd and Zn in soil samples from the Jajmau area, Kanpur (India) have been determined by using these calibration curves and also by the CF-LIBS approach. Our results clearly demonstrate that the combination of LIBS and CF-LIBS is very useful for the study of pollutants in the environment. Some of the results have also been found to be in good agreement with those of ICP-OES.