Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Detection of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil Samples from North Birmingham, Alabama

High levels of heavy metal contamination in soil present substantial threats to human health and the environment, leading to severe health problems such as neurotoxicity, cancer, kidney issues, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and reduced life expectancy. This research aims to identify and analyze heavy metals in soil samples collected from Superfund sites in North Birmingham, Alabama, specifically in affected areas with zip codes 35207 and 35217 and control area 35214. These affected areas were previously used for mining, coal-fired power plants, coke furnaces, smelting, and other potential sources of heavy metal pollution. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was employed to study 60 soil samples systematically collected from affected and control areas. We found that by using LIBS, we could detect arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and manganese (Mn) in all soil samples from the affected areas. The limit of detection (LoD) was 29.5 mg/kg for Pb, 95.5 mg/kg for As, and 327 mg/kg for Mn using specific parameters of the detection system and/or argon gas purging at atmospheric pressure. The results were compared with ICP-MS measurements to validate the accuracy of the LIBS findings. The data showed good linearity for all calibration data at relatively low concentrations and a good correlation with ICP-MS measurements.