Rapid analysis of heavy metals in paints with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced plasma can be generated by focusing pulses from a Q-switch Nd:YAG laser on the surface of a paint sample. The plasma emission was collected with a set of lens onto the entrance slit of a monochromator and finally detected by a photomultiplier tube. A rapid qualitative analysis of heavy metals in paints can be achieved by analysis of spectral emission of the plasma. The contents of heavy metals(Pb,Cu,Cr,Mn) in several commercial paints have been analyzed experimentally. It is demonstrated that, the spectral intensity of one element is proportional to its concentration for the same type of paint and under the same analytical condition. Thus a rapid quantitative analysis of heavy metals in paints with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is practical．