Quantitative elemental determination in water and oil by laser induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used to evaluate the potentiality of the technique for the determination of trace amounts of elements in different types of liquids, in the framework of nuclear applications. A specific set-up using a pulsed laser focussed with a tilted angle on the surface of the liquid is presented. It allows on-line quantitative measurements with good reliability and reproducibility. Twelve elements (Pb, Si, Ca, Na, Zn, Sn, Al, Cu, Ni, Fe, Mg, Cr) have been studied in two different liquid matrices: water and oil. Detection limits (0.3–120 μg ml −1) and reproducibilities (ca. 3%) are reported. Moreover, the use of an echelle spectrometer for such elemental analysis is also proposed.