Laser Chemical Elemental Analysis: From Total to Images

This book chapter focuses on laser ablation employed in elemental analysis and discusses the fundamentals and instrumentation of the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) techniques. The analytical performance of such techniques, challenges related to calibration, and strategies to improve sensitivity are discussed. In addition, the processes involved in data acquisition and imaging for acquiring the elemental spatial distribution are highlighted, and some representative examples in environmental, biological, medical, and forensic researches are presented.