Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Determination of Heavy Metals in Ambient Air Particulate Matter Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

  • Research Article - Chemistry
  • Published:
Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study describes optimization of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) experimental parameters for the determination of heavy metals in ambient air particulate matter. The optimization was performed using solidified metal standards on filter discs. The optimized values of LIBS parameters were 4.5 μs (delay time), 89.5 mJ (laser pulse energy), and 70 mm (lens to sample surface distance). At these optimized values LIBS demonstrated strong spectrum lines for each metal keeping the background noise at minimum level.The new method of preparing metal standards on filter discs exhibited calibration curves with good linearity over the concentration range 50–500 ppm with correlation coefficients, R 2 in the range of 0.992–0.998. The limit of detection for the three metals was in the range of 29–48 ppm. The developed method was tested on real ambient air samples for determination of cadmium, zinc, and lead. The concentration of various metals determined by the developed LIBS method was verified against a conventional analytical technique, flame atomic absorption spectroscopy.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

  1. Viana M., Kuhlbusch T.A.J., Querol X., Alastuey A., Harrison R.M., Hopke P.K., Winiwarter W., Vallius M., Szidat S., Prévôt A.S.H., Hueglin C., Bloemen H., Wåhlin P., Vecchi R., Miranda A.I., Kasper-Giebl A., Maenhaut W., Hitzenberger R.: Source apportionment of particulate matter in Europe. Aerosol Sci. 39, 827–849 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Dockery D.W.: Epidemiologic evidence of cardiovascular effects of particulate air pollution. Environ. Health Prospect. 109, 483–486 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pope C.A.I.I.I., Burnett R.T., Thurston G.D., Thun M.J., Calle E.E., Krewski D., Godleski J.J.: Cardiovascular mortality and long-term exposure to particulate air pollution: epidemiological evidence of general pathophysiological pathways of disease. Circulation 109, 71–77 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Stamati, P.N.; Hens, L.; Howard, V.: Environmental Health Impacts of Transport and Mobility, 1st edn. Springer, Netherlands (2005)

  5. Valavanidis A., Fiotakis K., Vlahogianni T., Bakeas E.B., Triantafillaki S., Paraskevopoulou V., Dassenakis M.: Characterization of atmospheric particulates, particle-bound transition metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of urban air in the centre of Athens (Greece). Chemosphere 65, 760–768 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Rungratanaubon T., Wangwongwatana S., Panich N.: Characterization and source identification of trace elements in airborne particulates of Bangkok, Thailand. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1140, 297–307 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Mazzei F., D’Alessandro A., Lucarelli F., Nava S., Prati P., Valli G., Vecchi R.: Characterization of particulate matter sources in an urban environment. Sci. Total. Environ. 401, 81–89 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Schauer J.J., Lough G.C., Shafer M.M., Christensen W.F., Arndt M.F., DeMinter J.T., Park J.S.: Characterization of emission and human exposure to metals emitted from motor vehicles. Health Eff. Inst. Boston Rep. 133, 1–76 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Salvi S., Holgate S.: Mechanisms of particulate matter toxicity, clinical and experimental allergy. Clin. Exp. Allergy 29, 1187–1194 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Wallenborn J.G., Schladweiler M.J., Richards J.H., Kodavanti U.P.: Differential pulmonary and cardiac effects of pulmonary exposure to a panel of particulate matter-associated metals. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 241, 71–80 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Racki, J.S.; Wall, J.W.: Pakistan strategic country environmental assessment, South Asia Enviornment and Social Development Unit. Pakistan (2006)

  12. Shah M.H., Shaheen N., Jaffar M., Khalique A., Tariq S.R., Manzoor S.: Spatial variations in selected metal contents and particle size distribution in an urban and rural atmosphere of Islamabad, Pakistan. J. Environ. Manag. 78, 128–137 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Zhang C.: Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling and Analysis. Wiley, New Jersey (2007)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  14. Shah M.H., Shaheen N.: and seasonal variations of trace metals in atmospheric suspended particulate matter in Islamabad, Pakistan. Water Air Soil Pollut. 190, 13–25 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Gharaibeh A., El-Rjoob A.O., Harb M.K.: Determination of selected heavy metals in air samples from the northern part of Jordan. Environ. Monit. Assess. 160, 425–429 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Quiterio S.L., da Silva C.R.S., Arbilla G., Escaleira V.: Metals in airborne particulate matter in the industrial district of Santa Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, in an annual period. Atmos. Environ. 38, 321–331 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Awan M.A., Ahmed S.H., Aslam M.R., Qazi I.A.: Determination of total suspended particulate matter and heavy metals in ambient air of four cities of Pakistan. Iran. J. Energy Environ. 2(2), 128–132 (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Michel A.P.M.: Applications of single-shot laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Spectrochim. Acta Part B 65, 185–191 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Cremers D.A., Radziemski L.J.: Handbook of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Wiley, England (2006)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  20. Miziolek A.W., Palleschi V., Schechter I.: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Fundamentals and Applications. Cambridge University Press, USA (2006)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Neuhauser R.E., Panne U., Niessner R.: Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS): a versatile tool for monitoring heavy metal aerosols. Anal. Chim. Acta 392, 47–54 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Panne U., Neuhauser R.E., Theisen M., Fink H., Niessner R.: Analysis of heavy metal aerosols on filters by laser-induced plasma spectroscopy. Spectrochim. Acta Part B 56, 839–850 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kuhlen T., Fricke-Begemann C., Strauss N., Noll R.: Analysis of size-classified fine and ultrafine particulate matter on substrates with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Spectrochim Acta Part B 63, 1171–1176 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Gondal M.A., Hussain T., Yamani Z.H.: Optimization of the LIBS parameters for detection of trace metals in petroleum products. Energy Sources Part A 30, 441–451 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce USA, Atomic Spectra Database. http://www.nist.gov/pml/data/asd.cfm

  26. Bakry H.: Determination of different metals in steel waste samples using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Pak. J. Anal. Environ. Chem. 8, 7–14 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Gondal M.A., Hussain T., Yamani Z.H., Baig M.A.: Detection of heavy metals in arabian crude oil residue using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Talanta 69, 1072–1078 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Song K., Lee Y., Sneddon J.: Recent development in instrumentation for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Appl. Spectrosc. Rev. 37, 89–117 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Alsulmi, S.A.: Water analysis by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. M.S thesis, King Saud University, KSA (2008)

  30. Multari R.A., Foster L.E., Cremers D.A., Ferris M.J.: The effects of sampling geometry on elemental emissions in laser induced breakdown spectroscopy. Appl. Spectrosc., 50, 1483–1499 (1996)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Miller, J.C.; Miller, J.N.: Statistics and Chemometrics for Analytical Chemistry, 4th edn. Wiley, UK (2000)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology, Sector H-12, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ali Awan, S. Hassan Ahmed, M. Rizwan Aslam, Ishtiaq A. Qazi & M. Anwar Baig

Authors
  1. Muhammad Ali Awan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Hassan Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. Rizwan Aslam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ishtiaq A. Qazi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. Anwar Baig
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Ali Awan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Awan, M.A., Ahmed, S.H., Aslam, M.R. et al. Determination of Heavy Metals in Ambient Air Particulate Matter Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy. Arab J Sci Eng 38, 1655–1661 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-013-0548-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-013-0548-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation