Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy probes soil contaminants

17 Jun 2002

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a method for locating contaminated soils using a laser-based "backpack" system that electronically analyzes contaminants in the soils. The portable unit focuses infrared laser pulses on a soil sample and creates a series of sparks that cause the soil to heat rapidly and emit light. The unit then analyzes the spectrum of the emitted light to determine whether the soil is contaminated.

The entire process, lasting one ten-billionth of a second, is called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, or LIBS. The procedure repeats in three-second intervals. "The light is emitted in a specific pattern for each atom and these patterns are analyzed to identify contaminants," said co-designer David Cremers.