Analytical study of seashell using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Seashell has been applied as an indicator for ocean research and element analysis of the seashell is used to track biological or environmental evolution. In this work, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied for elementary analysis of an ezo scallop-shell, and a graphite enrichment method was used as the assistance. It was found that LIBS signal intensity of Ca fluctuated less than 5%, in spite of the sampling positions, and Sr/Ca was relatedtothe shellgrowth. Asimilar variationwas also foundwhenusing adirect LIBS analysis on the shell surface, and it might be more practicable to track shell growth by investigating Sr/Ca ratio with Sr ionic line at 421.6 nm. The obtained results prove that calcium (Ca) is quali?ed as an internal reference for shell analysis, and LIBS is a potential analytical method for seashell study.