Detection of uranium in solids by using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy combined with laser-induced fluorescence.

Detection of uranium in solids by using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been investigated in combination with laser-induced fluorescence. An optical parametric oscillator wavelength-tunable laser was used to resonantly excite the uranium atoms and ions within the plasma plumes generated by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser. Both atomic and ionic lines can be selected to detect their fluorescence lines. A uranium concentration of 462 ppm in a glass sample can be detected by using this technique at an excitation wavelength of 385.96 nm for resonant excitation of U II and a fluorescence line wavelength of 409.0 nm from U II.