Quantification of Minor Chemical Elements in Particulate Matter Collected from In-Use Diesel Engine Passenger Vehicles by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

This research qualitatively and quantitatively characterises the minor chemical elements in diesel particulate matter (DPM). DPM was extracted from in-use diesel engine passenger vehicles of diverse types and models from major brand car producers in Europe. We analysed particulate matter extracted from the exhaust manifold part from passenger vehicles that are used in daily life environment. To qualitatively and quantitatively characterise the DPM, we employed the high-resolution Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy analytical technique (LIBS). Qualitative spectrochemical LIBS analyses confirmed the presence of minor chemical elements—silicon, nickel, titan, potassium, strontium, and molybdenum in DPM. For quantification of the LIBS signal, the calibration functions were constructed from internal calibration standards. Different concentrations of detected minor elements Si, Ni, Ti, K, Sr, and Mo were measured with respect to the type of complex particulate matter.