Conclusion

In the context of soil polluted by heavy metals, laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) offers the possibility of carrying out on-site measurements. These measurements are extremely important, as they can significantly reduce the cost of remediation work. LIBS should not be considered as an analytical technique in competition with conventional laboratory techniques, but it is sufficiently sensitive to detect metal pollutants directly on site, in the concentration ranges encountered on polluted sites. And while absolute measurements of concentrations are not possible due to the presence of excessive matrix effects, relative LIBS measurements can be used to map the pollution of the site under examination. In this way, the operator in charge of taking soil samples for laboratory analysis has a much better understanding of the site as he takes his samples.

The LIBS...