Leila Raquel Pincay

Ms. Leila Raquel Pincay


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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12 April 2025 in Sensors
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Juan Molina M.Juan Molina M.
Juan Molina M.
LPLeila Raquel Pincay
Leila Raquel Pincay
VSVíctor Santos
Víctor Santos
JGJosé Luis González
José Luis González
MTMARIA FERNANDA TRUJILLO-GUERRERO
MARIA FERNANDA TRUJILLO-GUERRERO
CCCesar Costa-Vera
Cesar Costa-Vera
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.