Development of a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy method for soil and ecological analysis (review)

The application of laser spectrochemical analysis to testing for basic compounds and nutritious/toxic elements in soil has been reviewed. A combined laser-spark approach has been applied for the rapid measurement of the carbon content in soil. Spectra have been excited both directly in a laser-ablation plume and by passing a pulsed electric discharge through the plume. The emission spectrum intensity in the combined plasma is considerably higher. The application of a complex of methods to carbon determination in soil has shown that in fact the data on the humus content usually obtained in agrochemical practice by a conventional method of carbon oxidation by potassium dichromate need to be corrected taking into account the possibility of incomplete oxidation of organic matter in soil. The efficiency of various double-pulse LIBS applications has been demonstrated in solving a number of environmental problems such as the determination of heavy and toxic metals in soil and the detection of sulfur in coal. The instrumentation and analytical procedures have been proposed and optimized for rapid control of the chlorine content in plant samples. The technique can be easily extended to ecological monitoring of toxic elements and heavy metals in any biogenic material.