Combination of ultrasonic nebulization and thermal drying to assist LIBS (UNTD-LIBS): a sensitive online method for heavy metal element analysis in liquid samples

Abstract

Online and highly sensitive detection technology for heavy metal elements in water is of great significance for preventing water pollution and enforcing relevant environmental protection standards. Based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy ( LIBS ) technology, a novel LIBS detection method combining ultrasonic nebulization technology and thermal drying technology (UNTD-LIBS for short) was proposed in this paper. In this different concentrations show that within the concentration range of 15-65 mg/L, the method achieves an average inversion error of 7.62% and a minimum error of only 0.67% for heavy metal concentrations. Considering that this method retains the continuous online operation capability inherent to LIBS technology while significantly improving sensitivity, it holds great potential for development into an on-site, real-time, and highly sensitive detection technology for trace heavy metal elements in water in the field of water environmental monitoring.