Best of the Week: Highlights from the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry

This week, Spectroscopy published a variety of articles highlighting recent studies in several application areas. Key techniques highlighted in these articles include X-ray fluorescence (XRF) glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Happy reading!

An Inside Look at Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy

The Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry brings together experts across academia, industry, and instrumentation to discuss advances in atomic spectroscopy and plasma technologies. Among the featured speakers is Gerardo Gamez of Texas Tech University, who presented on characterizing nano- to microscale particles using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES). In this interview segment, Gamez explains how GDOES enables rapid, wide-area elemental mapping by sputtering surface atoms into a glow discharge plasma and capturing their emission signatures (1). When combined with hyperspectral imaging, this pulsed, higher-pressure approach provides full elemental maps simultaneously, offering orders-of-magnitude faster analysis than traditional raster-based methods (1).

Advances in XRF Instrumentation

A recent interview highlights new advancements in X-ray fluorescence (XRF), which is a widely used, non-destructive technique for elemental analysis across industries. Patrick Parsons of the New York State Department of Health’s Wadsworth Center led a study evaluating two second-generation XRF analyzers equipped with Doubly Curved Crystal (DCC) optics (2). The team tested real-world herbs and spices, demonstrating the instruments’ ability to rapidly detect toxic elements in food. In this video segment, Parsons, a leading researcher in human biomonitoring and the exposome, discussed key performance improvements in modern XRF systems, emphasizing how enhanced sensitivity and precision strengthen trace-element analysis in both research and public health (2).

What Advantages Does LIBS Have Over Other Optical Spectroscopy Methods?

A recent interview highlights the versatility of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a rapid, in situ technique capable of detecting nearly all elements across diverse sample types. Speaking at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientist Hunter Andrews explained how LIBS offers fast analysis, broad elemental coverage, and customizable sensitivity, making it adaptable to a wide range of research needs (3). He noted that system modifications and enhancement strategies can further improve performance. However, Andrews emphasized that matrix effects remain a major challenge, complicating calibration and limiting consistency in demanding, real-world environments where online analysis is required (3).

An Inside Look at SIBS and Transient Discharges

Alexander Scheeline, Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, reflected on his decades-long career in analytical chemistry during an interview at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry in Tucson. His conference talk offered a retrospective on transient discharges leading up to spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy (SIBS) and modern laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). Scheeline discussed his broad research contributions spanning optical spectrometry, nonlinear chemical dynamics, oxidative stress, and low-cost portable instrumentation, including cell-phone spectrometers (4). He also highlighted his work in education, outreach, and entrepreneurship. In the interview, Scheeline shared insights from his presentation and his impressions of the conference (4).

Analyzing Elemental and Stable Metal Isotopic Compositions of Biological Systems

Anika Retzmann, a postdoctoral researcher in the Atom Mass Lab at the University of Calgary, discussed her latest work at the Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry. Her talk introduced multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-MICAP-MS), a nitrogen-based plasma ion source for high-precision metal isotope abundance ratio measurements (5). Retzmann specializes in elemental and stable metal isotopic analysis, advancing methods that support environmental science, archaeometry, biomedicine, and the life sciences (5). Her research integrates MC-ICP-MS, thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), and automated chromatographic purification to enhance throughput and precision. In the interview, she explains how isotopic analysis of biological systems provides powerful insights across diverse scientific disciplines.

References

1. Wetzel, W. An Inside Look at Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/an-inside-look-at-glow-discharge-optical-emission-spectroscopy (accessed 2026-01-14).
2. Wetzel, W. Advances in XRF Instrumentation. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/advances-in-xrf-instrumentation (accessed 2026-01-14).
3. Wetzel, W. What Advantages Does LIBS Have Over Other Optical Spectroscopy Methods? Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/what-advantages-does-libs-have-over-other-optical-spectroscopy-methods- (accessed 2026-01-14).
4. Wetzel, W. An Inside Look at SIBS and Transient Discharges. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/an-inside-look-at-sibs-and-transient-discharges (accessed 2026-01-15).
5. Wetzel, W. Analyzing Elemental and Stable Metal Isotopic Compositions of Biological Systems. Spectroscopy. Available at: https://www.spectroscopyonline.com/view/analyzing-elemental-and-stable-metal-isotopic-compositions-of-biological-systems (accessed 2026-01-15).