Monitoring and assessment of toxic metals in Gulf War oil spill contaminated soil using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2008-01, Vol.136 (1-3), p.391-399
• Main Authors: Hussain, T, Gondal, M. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aluminum; Analysis methods; Analytical chemistry; Animals; Applied sciences; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Barium; Breakdowns; Chemical spills; Chemistry; Chromium; Coasts; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Emission spectroscopy; Emissions; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment; Environmental effects; Environmental Management; Environmental monitoring; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Pollution; Exact sciences and technology; Gulf War 1991 oil spill disaster; Health risk assessment; Health risks; Heavy metals; Humans; Laboratories; Laser spectroscopy and its applications; Lasers; LIBS; Magnesium; Marine; Metals; Metals - analysis; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Multi-elemental analysis; Oil pollution; Oil spill contaminated soil; Oil spills; Persian Gulf War; Petroleum - analysis; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; R&D; Reproducibility of Results; Research & development; Saudi Arabia; Sensitivity and Specificity; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil contaminants; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Spectrometric and optical methods; Spectrum analysis; Spectrum Analysis - instrumentation; Spectrum Analysis - methods; Strontium; Studies; Trace elements; Vanadium; War; Zirconium
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-007-9694-2

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied for the detection of toxic metals in oil spill contaminated soil (OSCS). The OSCS samples were collected from Khursania Saudi Arabia along the coast of Persian Gulf exposed to oil spills in 1991 Gulf war. Environmentally important elements like Aluminum Magnesium, Calcium, Chromium, Titanium, Strontium, Iron, Barium, Sodium, potassium, Zirconium and Vanadium from the contaminated soil have been detected. Optimal experimental conditions for analysis were investigated. The LIBS system was calibrated using standard samples containing these trace elements. The results obtained using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) were compared with the results obtained using Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy (ICP). The concentrations of some elements (Ba and Cr) were found higher than permissible safe limits. Health risks associated with exposure to such toxic elements are also discussed.