Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of copper in algae

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been applied for quantitative analysis of Cu in algae plants, an issue of paramount importance for environmental monitoring. For the analysis with LIBS, algae were compacted into solid pellets with powdered calcium hydroxide addition as binder and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser was employed to produce the plasmas in air at atmospheric pressure. In this approach, atomic lines from traces of Cu were detected, as well as other major and minor elements. The plasma was characterized and a calibration curve was constructed with reference samples prepared with calcium hydroxide. The results obtained demonstrated the usefulness of the method for Cu monitoring in algae plants. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.