Rapid Determination of Cr and Mn in Water Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Combined with Filter Paper Modified with Gold Nanoclusters.

Excessive emissions of heavy metals not only cause environmental pollution but also pose a direct threat to human health. Therefore, rapid and accurate detection of heavy metals in the environment is of great significance. Herein, we propose a method based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with filter paper modified with bovine serum albumin-protected gold nanoclusters (LIBS-FP-AuNCs) for the rapid and sensitive detection of Cr and Mn. The filter paper modified with AuNCs was used to selectively enrich Cr and Mn. Combined with the multi-element detection capability of LIBS, this method achieved the simultaneous rapid detection of Cr and Mn. Both elements showed linear ranges for concentrations of 10-1000 μg L, with limits of detection of 7.5 and 9.0 μg L for Cr and Mn, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the determination of Cr and Mn in real water samples, with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 94.6% to 105.1%. This method has potential application in the analysis of heavy metal pollution.