Identification of Cu in Crassostrea virginica Tissue Using the Technique of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)

Abstract

The analysis of metals in aquatic organisms is of great importance due to the health problems they can cause to be consumed by human beings. In this study, the Laser-Induced Plasma Spectroscopy (LIBS) technique is evaluated as an alternative method to identify Cu in Crassostrea virginica oysters’ tissue. It focuses on the characterization of oysters caught a natural bank and the identification of different Cu concentrations. To carry out experimentation, oyster samples were collected in autumn (October 2017) and spring (May 2018) from San Andres Lagoon, Aldama, Tamaulipas. A single pulse Nd:YAG laser (1064 nm) was used, and tissue was contaminated with 0, 2, 10, 20, 50, and 100 μg/g of Cu. In tissue were identified atomic lines for Ca, Cr, Mg, Mn, Na, N, O, and H. However, the intensities of emission lines for autumn samples were greater than spring samples. Cu emission lines at 324.6, 327.1, 510.3, 515.1, and 521.5 nm were found for contaminated pills. The intensity of emission lines showed a linear increase with the concentration; whereby, they can be used as calibration curves to quantify Cu concentrations in oyster tissue.