Accuracy and precision improvement of Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) by geostandards

Compared to other atomic emission spectroscopy techniques, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) leads numerous advantages, as well as uncertainties in the measurements of elemental composition and elemental concentrations in a samples, mainly due to fluctuations in laser energy and laser-sample interaction. As a matter of fact, precision and accuracy improvements are currently promised by appropriate measurement routines (i.e.: repeated measurements and averaging of spectra) or by data processing [1]. Taking advantage from standardization routines applied for quantitative measurements in other techniques, such as X-ray spectroscopy, the main aim is this research is to evaluate the precision and the accuracy of LIBS by analyzing a selection of geostandards [2] consisting in powders of rocks and minerals which provenance, elemental composition and concentration is well known. The comparison between geostandard and LIBS measurement has allowed discussing about the precision and accuracy of the method in geological samples analysis.