Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Screening of brick-kiln area soil for determination of heavy metal Pb using LIBS

  • Published:
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rapid measurement of heavy metals in soil is an important factor in modeling the effect of industrial pollution on agricultural soil. Conventional methods of heavy metal analysis are relatively slow in terms of measurement/analysis time and sample preparation time with the requirement of skilled manpower. Our results highlight the quantitative analysis of toxic metal lead (Pb), for the first time, in an Indian agricultural soil, in the vicinity of brick-kiln area, Phaphamau, near Allahabad, India, by using a novel technique named as Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). LIBS spectra of soil has been recorded in the wavelength range from ultraviolet (UV) to infrared region (200–1,100 nm). The suitability of Pb lines for drawing the calibration curve is checked and realized, for the first time, that 220.3 nm, which is observed in the UV region of LIBS spectra, is completely interference free and best suited for the quantification of trace amount of Pb in soil instead of any other Pb lines, because it has best linear regression coefficient and smallest standard deviation of the background signal. In the present work the detection limit for Pb in soil is found to be 45 ppm. Based on the present work the concentration of Pb in agricultural soil of brick-kiln area in Phaphamau is found to be ≅570 ppm, which is more than the regulatory standards imposed by US Environmental Protection Agency (400 ppm) for the presence of lead in soil, therefore, it is of great concern to us.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Badawy, S. H., et al. (2002). Soil solid-phase controls lead activity in soil solution. Journal of Environmental Quality, 31, 162–167.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blackman, A., et al. (2006). The benefits and costs of informal sector pollution control: Mexican brick-kilns. Environment and Development Economics, 11, 603–627.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Body, D., et al. (2001). Simultaneous elemental analysis system using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Review of Scientific Instrument, 72(3), 1625–1629.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Buckley, S. G., et al. (2002). Measurements of lead vapor and particulate in flames and post-flame gases. Combustion & Flame, 128, 435–446.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, H.-H., et al. (2007). Application of Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry for direct determination of trace elements in starch-based flours. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 16, 622–627.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manceau, A., et al. (1996). Direct determination of lead speciation in contaminated soil; by EXAFS spectroscopy. Environmental Science and Technology, 30(5), 1540–1552.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palumbo, A. V., et al. (2004). Application of Emerging Tools and techniques for measuring carbon and microbial communities in reclaimed mine soil. Environmental Management, 33, S518–S527.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rai, A. K., et al. (2002). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: a versatile technique for elemental analysis. Trends in Applied Spectroscopy, 4, 165–214.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenwasser, S., et al. (2001). Development of a method for automated quantitative analysis of ores using LIBS. Spectrochimica Acta Part B, 56, 707–714.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabsabi, M., et al. (1995). Quantitative analysis of aluminium alloys by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy and plasma characterization. Applied Spectroscopy, 49(4), 499–507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Samek, O., et al. (2000). Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy to in situ analysis of liquid samples. Optical Engineering, 39(8), 2248–2262.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song, K., et al. (1997). Applications of Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry. Applied Spectroscopy Reviews, 32(3), 183–235.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Extreme Health USA (2007) Toxic heavy metals: sources and specific effect. http://www.extremehealthusa.com/source.html. Retrieved April 5, 2007.

  • Wainner, R. T., et al. (2001). Analysis of environmental lead contamination: comparison of LIBS field and laboratory instruments. Spectrochimica Acta Part B: Atomic Spectroscopy, 56(6), 777–793.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. K. Rai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pandhija, S., Rai, A.K. Screening of brick-kiln area soil for determination of heavy metal Pb using LIBS. Environ Monit Assess 148, 437–447 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0173-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-008-0173-1

Keywords

Navigation