Potential human exposure to airborne metals occurs in a broad number of government and civilian operations and processes. Included among these are hard chromium plating, firing ranges, metallurgy and metals processing, lead paint abatement, and decontamination and decommissioning activities at hazardous waste sites. Effective control of these fugitive emissions requires sensitive real time monitoring.

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has developed a real time monitor for lead and chromium based on spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS). The basis of SIBS is a high energy breakdown creating atomic emission which is sensitively viewed with a radiometer. This technology has been successfully demonstrated to detect low ppbw (µg/m³) concentrations of lead and chromium in incinerator stack gases (joint DoE/EPA test at Research Triangle Park in September 1997), airborne lead at a local firing range (in the airspace of the shooters and in the ventilation system), and chromium at a hard chromium electroplating facility.

The PSI SIBS technology is being developed as an inexpensive real time monitor for toxic metals in a variety of applications including: process control, emission compliance and industrial hygiene. Our progress towards developing a commercially viable prototype will be reviewed.