Recent advances in the use of portable/handheld laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrumentation have allowed its use directly in the field. In this study, a portable/handheld LIBS demo kit was tested to detect the titanium (Ti) content in some quartz veinlets hosted by hornfels collected from the contact aureole of a Pliocene granite from Italy. Results of the present study demonstrate the promising potential of LIBS in the rapid detection of low and very variable Ti contents in quartz, which can be used as a preliminary test for the estimation of the temperature of quartz crystallization in the laboratory. However, to date, the limited availability of matrix-matched calibration samples, the refinement of sampling protocols, as well as the development of suitable algorithms for data processing and spectral analysis still require further investigation.

Cocoa is a major commodity in the global food industry. Heavy metal contamination, particularly cadmium (Cd), raises significant concerns. This work demonstrates the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for fast Cd quantification in commercial cocoa powder across a wide range of concentrations (70–5000 ppm). Cocoa powder presents unique challenges due to its physical properties, such as the tendency to soften and liquefy at elevated temperatures, which complicates sample preparation. To address these issues, a mechanical mixing and pelletization protocol was implemented to ensure uniformity. Pellets were doped with known cadmium concentrations for calibration. Cadmium atomic lines at 340.36 and 361.05 nm were used to construct quantification curves. A special algorithm for background subtraction was implemented, and the LIBS plasma was characterized to ensure local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. Out of eighteen samples, five double-blinded unknowns were evaluated. The concentrations agreed well within normalized standard deviations of 9.73% and 5.88% for the two cadmium lines. The limits of detection for the lines were 0.4 and 0.08 μg/g, respectively. LIBS is confirmed as a rapid and versatile analytical tool for Cd detection and quantification in complex food matrices, with potential applications in field-based and industrial monitoring systems.

In this work, a fitting algorithm was implemented and applied to analyze emission line shapes in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. By modeling emission spectral lines, the optical thickness was calculated for each line of interest and the intensity line profiles were computed and matched to measured spectra. The algorithm was applied to analyze the experimental profiles of a hydrogen H α line at 6562.8 Å, and the resonant lines of Mg II at 2795.5 Å and at 2802.7 Å. Spectroscopic information was obtained about the physical processes occurring in the plasma, such as self-absorption and Stark broadening. The results demonstrated the potential of the developed method to provide valuable information in plasma spectroscopy for both fundamental and applied research.

Leaves of yerba mate plant (Ilex paraguariensis) have a wealth of nutrients, ingested by people who drink them in the hot water infusion popularly known as mate. In the present work, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was applied for the first time to analysis of the extractability of macronutrients, including Mg, Ca, Na, and K, in commercial samples of yerba mate. Powdered samples from leaves’ material were used to simulate the infusion process in the laboratory. To carry out LIBS analysis, the emission spectra were measured before and after the infusion from the samples prepared in pellets. The spectral data were processed and analyzed by a specially designed algorithm. A coefficient of extractability was calculated for each of the investigated macronutrients in the range 34–76%, showing a good correlation with the corresponding elemental concentrations leached into the water infusion, determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The obtained results demonstrated the feasibility of our approach for the rapid analysis of extractable macronutrients present in yerba mate leaves.