Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for on-mline monitoring and workplace surveillance of nanoparticle production processes
Abstract
Today, nanotechnology is a growing field of research and nanoparticle-based material production is expected to soar in years to come. The development of robust and reliable technologies for detection and measurement of airborne nanoparticles is a key point for the protection of workers health in the research and industry. Today, commercially available instruments provide global measurements of the particles concentration in the air. Selective monitoring will strongly improve the security level by giving the concentration of each element present in the air. To achieve this goal, the LIBS (Laser-Induced breakdown Spectroscopy) technique was deemed as a potential candidate. LIBS measurements consist in focusing a laser pulse on a material which elemental composition is to be determined. At the focus spot, plasma is generated and analysed by optical emission spectroscopy. This method provides the concentration of each element in the aerosol, in real time, and does not require sample preparation. These qualities are advantages over the other techniques