Determination of selenium in food and environmental samples by hydride generation high-resolution continuum source quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract

The paper presents a method for Se determination in a wide variety of food and environmental samples by hydride generation high-resolution continuum source quartz furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. The method was found to be free from spectral interference caused by O₂ and H₂O as well as non-spectral interference coming from the mineral matrix. The detection/quantification limits (95% confidence level) were in the range 0.125 ± 0.007/0.377 ± 0.021 μg L⁻¹ and 0.062 ± 0.004/0.188 ± 0.011 mg kg⁻¹ Se in liquid and solid samples, respectively. Recovery in several certified reference materials was 82–110%, while spike recovery of 1 and 5 μg L⁻¹ Se in natural water was 104 ± 11%. The measurement precision on real samples was in the range 3.9–14.1%.