In situ determination of lead in paint by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using a fiber-optic probe

On-site determination of leaded paint in houses is important for minimizing the costs of renovations. A simple fiber-optic probe suitable for remote elemental analysis using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been developed for this purpose and is used to determine the lead concentration in samples of dry paint. Optical fibers transport the laser pulse to the sample and transfer the emission signal to the spectrometer, The use of separate excitation and collection fibers allows coupling of the probe to a conventional spectrometer using simple optics, The measurement takes less than 1 min to perform, requires no sample preparation, and can be made through overlayers of non-lead-containing paint. The limit of detection is 0.014% Pb in latex paint, on a dry weight basis, with relative sample standard deviations of 5-10%.