Publication details

Multielemental analysis of prehistoric animal teeth by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Authors

GALIOVÁ Michaela KAISER Jozef FORTES Francisco NOVOTNÝ Karel MALINA Radomír PROKEŠ Lubomír HRDLIČKA Aleš VACULOVIČ Tomáš NÝVLTOVÁ FIŠÁKOVÁ Miriam SVOBODA Jiří KANICKÝ Viktor LASERNA Javier

Year of publication 2010
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Applied Optics
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Field Analytic chemistry
Keywords fossil animal teeth; LIBS; LA-ICP-MS; elemental mapping
Description LIBS and LA-ICP-MS were utilized for microspatial analyses of a prehistoric bear (Ursus arctos) tooth dentine. The distribution of selected trace elements (Sr, Ba, Fe) was measured on a 26 mm x 15 mm large and 3 mm thick transverse cross section of a canine tooth. The Na and Mg content together with the distribution of matrix elements (Ca, P) was also monitored within this area. The depth of the LIBS craters was measured with an optical profilometer. As shown, both LIBS and LA-ICP-MS can be successfully used for the fast, spatially resolved analysis of prehistoric teeth samples. In addition to microchemical analysis, the sample hardness was calculated using LIBS plasma ionic-to-atomic line intensity ratios of Mg (or Ca). To validate the sample hardness calculations, the hardness was also measured with a Vickers microhardness tester.
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