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Soil, land care and environmental research
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Comparison of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and ICP analysis results for measuring Pb and Zn in soil

Hyeon Yang https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0357-9139 A B , Young-Tae Jo https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6069-8557 A , Jihyo Chong https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6121-0138 C , Yonggwan Won https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2914-8837 D and Jeong-Hun Park https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0661-0059 A *
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Department of Environment and Energy Engineering, Chonnam National University, 77 Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.

B Green Institute of Technology, Gwangju 61088, Republic of Korea.

C Air Quality Management Group, Yeongsan River Basin Environmental Office, Gwangju 61945, Republic of Korea.

D Department of Computer Information and Communication Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Republic of Korea.

* Correspondence to: parkjeo1@jnu.ac.kr

Handling Editor: Melanie Kah

Soil Research 62, SR23248 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR23248
Submitted: 22 January 2024  Accepted: 14 March 2024  Published: 9 April 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing

Abstract

Context

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid, multielement analytical technique. It is particularly suitable for the qualitative and quantitative analyses of heavy metals in solid samples.

Aims

To validate the technique, the LIBS data were compared with the data obtained via conventional inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectroscopy for the same soil samples.

Methods

In this study, standard and unknown soil samples from contaminated areas were prepared and fixed to an adhesive tape for LIBS analysis. The soils were also digested with acids for ICP analysis. The emission intensity of one selected line for each of the two analytes, i.e. lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn), was normalised to the background signal and plotted as a function of the concentration values previously determined via ICP analysis.

Key results

The data demonstrated good linearity for the calibration lines drawn, and the correlation between the ICP and LIBS data was confirmed by the satisfactory agreement between the corresponding values.

Conclusions

The concentration coefficient of determination (R2) between LIBS and ICP-aqua regia digestion analysis or ICP-total digestion analysis were >0.86 and >0.89 for Pb and Zn, respectively. The total analysis time for the LIBS method was 310 min, which was 54.40% shorter than that for the ICP method (680 min).

Implications

Consequently, LIBS can be used to measure Pb and Zn in soils without any chemical preparation.

Keywords: heavy metals, ICP, lead, LIBS, quantitative analysis, solid samples, soil, zinc.

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