Investigation of the Multielement Capability of Laser-Enhanced Ionization Spectrometry in Flames for Analysis of Trace Elements in Water Solutions

Abstract

One-step Laser-Enhanced Ionization (LEI) spectrometry of 23 different elements in aqueous solutions has been performed in an acetylene/air flame. All elements were detected by light in the ultraviolet region, produced by frequency doubling of the output from the dye Coumarin 153. This was done in order to investigate the multielement capability of LEI in flames that has been made possible by the recent development of commercially available, widely tunable dyes. Among the elements detected, 9 (As, Au, In, Mn, Pb, Sb, Tl, W, Yb) show detection limits which are superior to those reported in the literature for one-step LEI. The lowest detection limit obtained in this investigation was 1 pg/mL for In. Four of the elements (As, Sb, Yb, W) are reported as being detected by LEI for the first time. The multielement capabilities of LEI as a method for trace element analysis are discussed.