Speaker
Description
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was employed to investigate plasma characteristics and matrix-induced analytical effects in hydrophilic chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds. Owing to their gel-forming polysaccharide matrix, chia seeds represent a structurally complex material that can significantly influence plasma formation and emission stability. Pressed pellet samples were analyzed under optimized TEA CO2 laser conditions, while elemental concentrations were validated by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES). Quantitative calibration was performed for Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mg using analyte-to-internal standard intensity ratios, yielding high linearity with correlation coefficients (R2) of 0.989 (Ca), 0.991 (Fe), 0.997 (Zn), and 0.989 (Mg). In addition to the calibrated elements, emission lines of major constituents (P, K, Ca, Mg) and trace elements (Ba, Sr, Ti, Cu, Al, Si) were clearly detected. Plasma diagnostics revealed an electron temperature of ~ 10,000 K and an electron number density of ~ 4 × 1016 cm-3, confirming stable plasma conditions despite pronounced matrix effects. The obtained results are consistent with previously developed LIBS methodologies for plant-based matrices1 and further demonstrate that TEA CO2 LIBS provides reliable multielemental quantification in hydrophilic food materials.