Ultra-sensitive detection of heavy metal aerosols: A hybrid LIBS-LIF and gated PMT enhancement approach

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has great potential for rapid and in-situ detection in various applications, including environmental monitoring, mining, and metallurgy. However, its application is constrained by low sensitivity, particularly in the field of heavy metal aerosol detection due to little mass ablation and significant spectral fluctuations. For the first time, we achieved an outstanding limit of detection (LOD) of 0.0035 μg/m³ for lead aerosols using our hybrid LIBS assisted with laser-induced fluorescence (LIBS-LIF) and gated photomultiplier tube (PMT) approach. Compared to traditional LIBS, the sensitivity was improved by 4 orders of magnitude, and the spectral fluctuations were reduced by 90 %. This work represents a significant advancement in rapid and in-situ pollution monitoring, providing an efficient and ultra-sensitive alternative to existing methods. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.