Design and Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge Detector for High-sensitivity and Rapid Detection of Metal Elements in Liquids

DING Yu; XU Jianan; PANG Maoyuan; WANG Yuhang; LI Jinyi; YU Weiye; HE Yihua; LI Xiangchu; TAN Qiang; LIU Xinxin; ZHOU Wangping

doi:10.11999/JEIT260436

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DING Yu, XU Jianan, PANG Maoyuan, WANG Yuhang, LI Jinyi, YU Weiye, HE Yihua, LI Xiangchu, TAN Qiang, LIU Xinxin, ZHOU Wangping. Design and Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge Detector for High-sensitivity and Rapid Detection of Metal Elements in Liquids[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT260436

Citation:

DING Yu, XU Jianan, PANG Maoyuan, WANG Yuhang, LI Jinyi, YU Weiye, HE Yihua, LI Xiangchu, TAN Qiang, LIU Xinxin, ZHOU Wangping. Design and Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge Detector for High-sensitivity and Rapid Detection of Metal Elements in Liquids[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT260436

Citation:

DING Yu, XU Jianan, PANG Maoyuan, WANG Yuhang, LI Jinyi, YU Weiye, HE Yihua, LI Xiangchu, TAN Qiang, LIU Xinxin, ZHOU Wangping. Design and Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge Detector for High-sensitivity and Rapid Detection of Metal Elements in Liquids[J]. Journal of Electronics & Information Technology. doi: 10.11999/JEIT260436

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Design and Performance Evaluation of Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge Detector for High-sensitivity and Rapid Detection of Metal Elements in Liquids

doi: 10.11999/JEIT260436 cstr: 32379.14.JEIT260436

DING Yu^{1, 2
,},
XU Jianan^{1, 2},
PANG Maoyuan^{1, 2},
WANG Yuhang^{1, 2},
LI Jinyi^{1, 2},
YU Weiye^{1, 2},
HE Yihua^{1, 2},
LI Xiangchu^{1, 2},
TAN Qiang^{1, 2},
LIU Xinxin^{1, 2
,
,},
ZHOU Wangping^{1, 2}

1.
School of Automation, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
2.
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center on Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China

Funds: The National Natural Science Foundation of China (62105160, 62203225), The Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20220443), The Key Laboratory of Geophysical Exploration Equipment of Ministry of Education (Jilin University, GEIOF 20240402), The Qing Lan Project

Received Date: 2026-04-09
Accepted Date: 2026-08-26
Rev Recd Date: 2026-08-26

Available Online: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

Objective Water is essential for all organisms and ecological systems, and the composition and content of dissolved metal elements, especially copper (Cu), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), are crucial for maintaining ecological balance and biological health. Cu is an essential human trace element that forms enzymes with functional proteins, participating in antioxidant, energy supply, and immune processes. However, excessive Cu in water—from industrial wastewater, feed additives, pipeline corrosion, and electronic waste leakage—harms human health, causing vomiting, hypotension, jaundice, and hemolytic anemia. Aquatic organisms and plants, lacking effective detoxification systems, are more vulnerable to Cu pollution, which damages roots, induces oxidative stress, and inhibits growth. Na and K are vital for nerve conduction, muscle movement, and fluid balance, but excessive intake endangers those with hypertension or renal/cardiac insufficiency, and their imbalance in irrigation water causes soil salinization. Conventional detection methods (ICP-MS/AES, AAS, AFS) have excellent sensitivity but are limited by large size, complex pretreatment, high cost, and professional operation. Atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) shows potential for miniaturization, but existing APGD-based technologies (PN-APGD, SCGD) require expensive equipment or complex pretreatment. Thus, a highly sensitive, rapid detector for on-site real-time detection of Cu, Na, K without additional pretreatment or driving equipment is urgently needed. Methods A Ultrasonic Nebulization Glow Discharge (UNGD) detector was designed, consisting of an ultrasonic nebulization unit, a plasma excitation unit, and a spectral signal collection unit. The ultrasonic nebulization unit adopted a self-designed centrifuge tube-based diversion chamber with a detachable microporous atomizing sheet, argon inlet/outlet, and a space-constrained transfer tube to form a short gas path, reducing aerosol loss. The plasma excitation unit used 180° coaxial tungsten needle electrodes (cathode/anode) with a double-layer fixing sleeve, clamped on a 3D platform for precise spacing adjustment, powered by a high-voltage DC power supply with a 20 kΩ ballast resistor. The spectral unit included an optical fiber probe and a three-channel AvaSpec spectrometer for high-resolution signal collection. Performance was evaluated using Cu/Na/K mixed solutions: single-factor experiments optimized parameters; characteristic spectra for qualitative analysis; recovery rates for anti-interference assessment; standard curves, LOD, RSD, and CRM detection for quantitative verification; and comparison with similar technologies. Results and Discussions Qualitative analysis of a water sample (Cu: 5.28 mg/L, Na: 5.23 mg/L, K: 3.89 mg/L) showed OH (281.1～309.0 nm) and N₂ (315.0～406.0 nm) molecular bands, with obvious Cu (324.7 nm), Na (589.0 nm), and K (766.5 nm) characteristic peaks (Fig. 2); 324.7 nm was selected as Cu’s analytical line. Parameter optimization determined optimal conditions: discharge current 38 mA (Fig. 3), argon flow rate 0.5 L/min (Fig. 4), electrode spacing 1 mm (Fig. 5), sampling distance 22 mm (Fig. 6). Under these conditions, Cu, Na, K showed good linearity (R²: 0.9942, 0.9968, 0.9973), with LODs of 141.29 μg/L, 9.54 μg/L, 12.05 μg/L, and RSDs of 6.8%, 6.1%, 5.5% (n=11) (Table 1). Anti-interference tests showed 90%～110% recovery rates with 500 mg/L interfering cations (Fig. 7). CRM detection showed 89%～110% recovery rates, consistent with standard values (Table 2). Conclusions The UNGD detector achieves accurate quantitative analysis of Cu, Na, K in liquids without additional pretreatment or driving equipment. Its detachable atomizing sheet and short gas path improve sampling efficiency, while coaxial electrodes concentrate excitation energy. With excellent sensitivity, precision, and anti-interference ability, it provides reliable technical support for on-site real-time monitoring of water metal elements and has potential for extending to other metal detections, contributing to water ecological protection and biological health.
- Metal element detection,
- Ultrasonic nebulization,
- Glow discharge,
- Quantitative analysis

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