Continuous dust monitoring and analysis by spark induced breakdown spectroscopy

Fast monitoring and elemental analysis of suspended dust in air is an important part of health care. In the present paper we attempt to show the capabilities of spark induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS) as a simple, rapid, and in situ method for continuous detection and analysis of dust. In this method a high voltage is applied between two electrodes to create plasma in dusty air. Spectral emission of plasma contains qualitative information about the elemental composition of the air. The spectral lines of two major elements of dust, Ca and Mg, are traced as quality criteria of dusty air. To prevent shot to shot fluctuations, the spectral lines of Ca and Mg are normalized to N line available in air. The dust inside the room air is analyzed and compared for two cases of with and without foot traffic. In the subsequent stage, this approach is applied as continuous dust monitoring in a box, which has been simulated under windy weather conditions. The results show that, in the range of laboratory, SIBS has a good sensitivity to monitor variation of dust produced by foot traffic. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.