Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for elemental analysis in water

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy was applied to determine several elements in water for a possible application of water quality assessment. A pulsed Nd:YAG laser was focused on the water stream flowing down from a slender nozzle to generate plasma. The emission from the plasma was collected and measured by using a gated photodiode-array detector. Calibration curves were prepared that spanned the ionic concentration from 1 ppm, the low limit of detection, which is the common regulation level for the unhazardous species in water. The effects to the analysis were investigated with some experimental parameters. (Author)