Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as an analytical tool for the detection of metal ions in aqueous solutions

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is applied to analyze aqueous solutions of Li⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Ba²⁺, Pb²⁺, Cd²⁺, Hg²⁺ and Er³⁺ and suspensions of ErBa₂Cu₃O_x particles (d=0.2 m). An excimer (308 nm) pumped dye laser with laser pulse at 500 nm and pulse energy at 22±2 mJ is used to produce plasma in aqueous solution. Plasma emission lines of the elements are detected by a photodiode array detector. Detection limits of the metal ions are 500 mg/l for Cd²⁺, 12.5 mg/l for Pb²⁺, 6.8 mg/l for Ba²⁺, 0.13 mg/l for Ca²⁺, 13 g/l for Li⁺ and 7.5 g/l for Na⁺. No mercury and erbium emission can be detected, even at Hg²⁺ and Er³⁺ concentrations of up to the g/l range. On the other side, for Er in suspensions of ErBa₂Cu₃O_x particles a more than 10³ times higher sensitivity is found than for dissolved Er³⁺. This result gives a possibility to analyze colloid-borne metal ions with an increased sensitivity.