Total phosphorus determination in eutrophic tropical river sediments by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy techniques

Author(s)

Pereira de Morais, Carla ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Nicolodelli, Gustavo ^[4] ; Corso Mitsuyuki, Milene ^[2] ; Gaioso da Silva, Kleydson Stenio ^[2] ; Mauad, Frederico Fabio ^[5] ; Mounier, Stephane ^[2] ; Marcondes Bastos Pereira Milori, Debora ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos Inst Chem, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Embrapa Instrumentat, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[3] Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS INSU, MIO Mediterranean Inst Oceanog, Univ Toulon, IRD, UM 110, CS 60584, F-83041 Toulon 9 - France

^[4] Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Phys, Florianopolis, SC - Brazil

^[5] Univ Sao Paulo, Sao Carlos Sch Engn, Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ANALYTICAL METHODS; v. 13, n. 1, p. 77-83, JAN 7 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Total phosphorus (TP) in sediments is an important chemical variable in the study of the extent of eutrophication in water bodies. Two methods, based on single pulse (SP) and double pulse (DP) laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), were developed for determining TP in the sediment cores of Brazilian rivers upstream from the Barra Bonita reservoir. TP concentration in the sediments was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) on digested samples. Besides, a LIBS system operating in SP and DP modes was used to develop methods for TP quantification in sediment pellets. In LIBS, the most appropriate wavelength to measure P was 214.91 nm. The calibration curves showed correlation coefficients of 0.93 and 0.92 and limits of detection of 709 mg kg(-1) and 349 mg kg(-1) for SP and DP LIBS, respectively. The two proposed methods were validated and the average percentage errors were 14% and 10% for SP and DP LIBS, respectively. The ICP OES and SP and DP LIBS data showed that the most superficial layers of the Piracicaba River, all the sedimentary layers of the Tiete River, and the confluence region present a high concentration of TP, according to the Brazilian sediment quality criterion. In conclusion, SP and DP LIBS were confirmed as promising alternative tools to traditional analytical methods for monitoring the TP content in the sediments that come from different hydrographic units. The proposed method using DP LIBS proved more sensitive than SP LIBS, but the SP LIBS method demonstrated enough precision for determining TP in eutrophic river sediments. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/07276-1 - CEPOF - Optics and Photonic Research Center
• Grantee: Vanderlei Salvador Bagnato
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC