Selenomethionine content of candidate reference materials.

Selenium has been identified as an antioxidant of importance in the diet. Accurate determination of its chemical forms depends on the availability of suitable reference materials (RMs). Two candidate reference materials for determination of selenomethionine (Semet) in food-related materials, a standard wheat gluten sample (NIST RM 8418 Wheat Gluten) and a commercial selenium enriched yeast, have been examined by use of a gas chromatography-isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS) procedure, after treatment of the matrix with 0.1 mol L(-1) hydrochloric acid containing stannous chloride, addition of CNBr, and extraction with chloroform. This procedure results in cleavage of the CH3Se group to form volatile CH3SeCN. Addition of isotopically enriched 74Semet to an analytical sample enables estimation of the naturally occurring protein-bound 80Semet by IDMS without a protein-digestion process. We found that the Wheat Gluten RM contains a significant amount of Semet as a portion of its assigned value of 2.58 microg Se(total g(-1). Commercial selenium yeast tablets are labeled as containing an elevated level of "organic selenium", usually as Semet. The sample we investigated contained 210 microg Se(total) g(-1) sample as determined separately by IDMS, measuring elemental selenium after digestion. 73% of this total (153 +/- 21 microg Se(semet) g(-1); n = 23) was present as Semet. Thus, these two materials contain significant amounts of their total selenium content as Semet and would be good candidates for further study and characterization as reference materials for determining this important food component. The CNBr reaction used will also enable the determination of Se-(methyl)selenocysteine, the biological role of which is of recent interest. In addition to matrix RMs for Semet, it is important to have standard materials of the pure substance. We have examined a sample of a candidate standard material of selenomethionine being prepared by the USP. It was confirmed that this material is pure selenomethionine.     

Direct determination of platinum group elements and their distributions in geological and environmental samples at the ng g<Superscript>−1</Superscript> level using LA–ICP–IDMS

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma isotope dilution mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–IDMS) was applied to the direct and simultaneous determination of the platinum group elements (PGEs) Pt, Pd, Ru, and Ir in geological and environmental samples. A special laser ablation system with high ablation rates was used, along with sector field ICP–MS. Special attention was paid to deriving the distributions of PGEs in the pulverized samples. IDMS could not be applied to the (mono-isotopic) Rh, but the similar ablation behavior of Ru and Rh allowed Rh to be simultaneously determined via relative sensitivity coefficients. The laser ablation process produces hardly any oxide ions (which usually cause interference in PGE analysis with liquid sample injection), so the ICP–MS can be run in its low mass resolution but high-sensitivity mode. The detection limits obtained for the geological samples were 0.16 ng g⁻¹, 0.14 ng g⁻¹, 0.08 ng g⁻¹, 0.01 ng g⁻¹ and 0.06 ng g⁻¹ for Ru, Rh, Pd, Ir and Pt, respectively. LA–ICP–IDMS was applied to different geological reference materials (TDB-1, WGB-1, UMT-1, WMG-1, SARM-7) and the road dust reference material BCR-723, which are only certified for some of the PGEs. Comparisons with certified values as well as with indicative values from the literature demonstrated the validity of the LA–ICP–IDMS method. The PGE concentrations in subsamples of the road dust reference material correspond to a normal distribution, whereas the distributions in the geological reference materials TDB-1, WGB-1, UMT-1, WMG-1, and SARM-7 are more complex. For example, in the case of Ru, a logarithmic normal distribution best fits the analyzed concentrations in TDB-1 subsamples, whereas a pronounced nugget effect was found for Pt in most geological samples.     

Simultaneous ion chromatographic determination of selenium and metal ions in waters at trace level

Summary An ion-chromatographic procedure is described for the determination of selenium (VI) at μg L⁻¹ level in the presence of anions and heavy metal ions. Maximum permissible concentrations and effects from each interfering substance were investigated for the Se concentration range 12.5–1,000 μg L⁻¹. The method, optimized for the detection of SeO ₄ ²⁻ , gives results suitable for speciation analysis. Total selenium can be determined after complete conversion to selenate ion by oxidation with KMnO₄. The detection limit of selenium is 4.8 μg L⁻¹ (0.96 ng for 200 μL sample). Paper presented at the 41st Pittsburgh Conference, New York, March 5–9, 1990.     

Simultaneous multi-species determination of trimethyllead,monomethylmercury and three butyltin compounds by species-specific isotope dilution GC–ICP–MS in biological samples

An accurate and sensitive multi-species species-specific isotope dilution GC–ICP–MS method was developed for the simultaneous determination of trimethyllead (Me₃Pb⁺), monomethylmercury (MeHg⁺) and the three butyltin species Bu₃Sn⁺, Bu₂Sn²⁺, and BuSn³⁺ in biological samples. The method was validated by three biological reference materials (CRM 477, mussel tissue certified for butyltins; CRM 463, tuna fish certified for MeHg⁺; DORM 2, dogfish muscle certified for MeHg⁺). Under certain conditions, and with minor modifications of the sample pretreatment procedure, this method could also be transferred to environmental samples such as sediments, as demonstrated by analyzing sediment reference material BCR 646 (freshwater sediment, certified for butyltins). The detection limits of the multi-species GC–ICP–IDMS method for biological samples were 1.4 ng g⁻¹ for MeHg⁺, 0.06 ng g⁻¹ for Me₃Pb⁺, 0.3 ng g⁻¹ for BuSn³⁺ and Bu₃Sn⁺, and 1.2 ng g⁻¹ for Bu₂Sn²⁺. Because of the high relevance of these heavy metal alkyl species to the quality assurance of seafood, the method was also applied to corresponding samples purchased from a supermarket. The methylated lead fraction in these samples, correlated to total lead, varied over a broad range (from 0.01% to 7.6%). On the other hand, the MeHg⁺ fraction was much higher, normally in the range of 80–100%. Considering that we may expect tighter legislative limitations on MeHg⁺ levels in seafood in the future, we found the highest methylmercury contents (up to 10.6 μg g⁻¹) in two shark samples, an animal which is at the end of the marine food chain, whereas MeHg⁺ contents of less than 0.2 μg g⁻¹ were found in most other seafood samples; these results correlate with the idea that MeHg⁺ is usually of biological origin in the marine environment. The concentration of butyltins and the fraction of the total tin content that is from butyltins strongly depend on possible contamination, due to the exclusively anthropogenic character of these compounds. A broad variation in the butylated tin fraction (in the range of <0.3–49%) was therefore observed in different seafood samples. Corresponding isotope-labeled spike compounds (except for trimethyllead) are commercially available for all of these compounds, and since these can be used in the multi-species species-specific GC-ICP-IDMS method developed here, this technique shows great potential for routine analysis in the future.     

Speciation of four selenium compounds using high performance liquid chromatography with on-line detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry or flame atomic absorption spectrometry

An analytical method for the speciation of selenomethionine, selenocystine, selenite and selenate by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with atomic spectrometric detection is presented. An organic polymeric strong anion exchange column was used as the stationary phase in combination with an aqueous solution of 6 mmol L^–1 of salicylate ion at pH 8.5 as the mobile phase which allowed the isocratic separation of the four selenium analytes within 8 minutes. The separated selenium species were detected on-line by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The signal-to-noise ratio of the FAAS detector was optimized using a hydrogen-argon entrained-air flame and a slotted-tube atom trap (STAT) in the flame. The limit of detection (3 σ) achieved by the HPLC-FAAS system was 1 mg L^–1 of selenium (100 μL injections) for each of the four selenium species. More powerful selenium detection was achieved using an ELAN 5000 ICP-MS instrument. Selenium was measured at m/z = 82. The ICP-MS signal intensity was enhanced by a factor of 3–4 after addition of 3% methanol to the chromatographic mobile phase and by using an increased plasma power input of 1300 W. The limit of detection achieved under these conditions was 1 μg L^–1 (100 μL injections). The HPLC-ICP-MS system was used for selenium speciation of selenite and selenate in aqueous solutions during a BCR certification exercise and for selenium speciation in the certified reference material, BCR No. 402 White Clover. Extraction experiments revealed that the selenium species in the biological material were extractable only in the presence of water in the extraction medium. The results indicated that selenate and a compound of unknown identity U were present in the plant sample. Received: 4 September 1996 / Accepted: 12 December 1996     

Uptake and speciation of selenium in garlic cultivated in soil amended with symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) and selenate

The scope of the work was to investigate the influence of selenate fertilisation and the addition of symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) to soil on selenium and selenium species concentrations in garlic. The selenium species were extracted from garlic cultivated in experimental plots by proteolytic enzymes, which ensured liberation of selenium species contained in peptides or proteins. Separate extractions using an aqueous solution of enzyme-deactivating hydroxylamine hydrochloride counteracted the possible degradation of labile selenium species by enzymes (such as alliinase) that occur naturally in garlic. The selenium content in garlic, which was analysed by ICP–MS, showed that addition of mycorrhiza to the natural soil increased the selenium uptake by garlic tenfold to 15 μg g⁻¹ (dry mass). Fertilisation with selenate and addition of mycorrhiza strongly increased the selenium content in garlic to around one part per thousand. The parallel analysis of the sample extracts by cation exchange and reversed-phase HPLC with ICP–MS detection showed that γ-glutamyl-Se-methyl-selenocysteine amounted to 2/3, whereas methylselenocysteine, selenomethionine and selenate each amounted to a few percent of the total chromatographed selenium in all garlic samples. Se-allyl-selenocysteine and Se-propyl-selenocysteine, which are selenium analogues of biologically active sulfur-containing amino acids known to occur in garlic, were searched for but not detected in any of the extracts. The amendment of soil by mycorrhiza and/or by selenate increased the content of selenium but not the distribution of detected selenium species in garlic. Finally, the use of two-dimensional HPLC (size exclusion followed by reversed-phase) allowed the structural characterisation of γ-glutamyl-Se-methyl-selenocysteine and γ-glutamyl-Se-methyl-selenomethionine in isolated chromatographic fractions by quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.     

Negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry of selenium part 3.* Selenium trace determination in food samples

Summary Selenium traces are analysed in different animal tissue samples with isotope dilution mass spectrometry using the formation of negative Se^– thermal ions (NTI-IDMS) for isotope ratio measurements. An enriched⁸²Se spike is applied for the isotope dilution technique. After decomposition of the food samples with a HNO₃/HCIO₄ mixture selenium is separated by the formation of SeH₂ using a hydride generation system which is normally applied for atomic absorption spectrometry. Selenium hydride is absorbed in a cone. HNO₃ solution, from which sample mass spectrometric determinations are carried out. The recovery of selenium for the total sample treatment has been determined with a⁷⁵Se tracer to be about 62%. The precision of the IDMS method in the concentration range of 0.1–10 g/g lies between 1.8% and 4.1 %. The IDMS results agree well with the certified values of the analysed standard reference materials. A comparison of these results with those achieved by an isotope dilution method, using the formation of piazselenol and gas-chromatographic separation (GC-IDMS), and by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HGAAS) is given. Whereas the NTI-IDMS and GC-IDMS results are in very good agreement, HGAAS can be affected by interferences.

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Negative Thermionen-Massenspektrometrie von Selen Teil 3. Selenspurenbestimmung in Lebensmittelproben

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Part 2: see [131

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. G. Tölg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Selenomethionine contents of NIST wheat reference materials

Values of the total selenium and selenomethionine (Semet) content of four wheat-based reference materials have been obtained by gas chromatography-stable isotope dilution mass spectrometry methods. The total Se method is an established one, and the results obtained with it are consistent with previously-assigned values. The Semet method (previously reported by our laboratory) is based on reaction with CNBr. Our data indicate that the four wheat samples (wheat gluten, durum wheat, hard red spring wheat, and soft winter wheat), though having a 30-fold range in total Se content, all have about 45% of their total Se values in the form of selenomethionine. Investigation of the CNBr-based method suggests that additional experiments are needed to verify that all selenomethionine in the wheat samples is accounted for, but also indicates that the values obtained are within 15% of the true values. As the form in which Se occurs in foods and dietary supplements is important from a nutritional perspective, adding information about Se speciation to total Se values in appropriate reference materials makes these materials more valuable in relevant analytical work.     

Determination of trace amounts of gold and silver in high-purity iron and steel by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after reductive coprecipitation

Trace amounts of gold and silver in high-purity iron or steel were preconcentrated by reductive coprecipitation with palladium using ascorbic acid, and determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS). Both gold and silver could be simultaneously separated and sensitively determined in 10 metals (aluminum, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and zinc). Comparable values were obtained for gold and silver in reference materials (low alloy steel) by the proposed method and a non-separation method; good agreement was found between the analytical values by both methods and the certified values. The proposed method is easy, simple and not dependent on sample composition and content. Moreover, gold and silver in metal samples could be simultaneously separated together with selenium and tellurium. The detection limits for gold and silver (3 σ) are 0.003 μg g^–1 and 0.002 μg g^–1, respectively. Received: 3 February 2000 / Revised: 11 April 2000 / Accepted: 16 April 2000     

Determination of trace amounts of gold and silver in high-purity iron and steel by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry after reductive coprecipitation

Trace amounts of gold and silver in high-purity iron or steel were preconcentrated by reductive coprecipitation with palladium using ascorbic acid, and determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS). Both gold and silver could be simultaneously separated and sensitively determined in 10 metals (aluminum, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and zinc). Comparable values were obtained for gold and silver in reference materials (low alloy steel) by the proposed method and a non-separation method; good agreement was found between the analytical values by both methods and the certified values. The proposed method is easy, simple and not dependent on sample composition and content. Moreover, gold and silver in metal samples could be simultaneously separated together with selenium and tellurium. The detection limits for gold and silver (3 σ) are 0.003 μg g^–1 and 0.002 μg g^–1, respectively. Received: 3 February 2000 / Revised: 11 April 2000 / Accepted: 16 April 2000     

Total selenium and selenomethionine in pharmaceutical yeast tablets: assessment of the state of the art of measurement capabilities through international intercomparison CCQM-P86

Results of an international intercomparison study (CCQM-P86) to assess the analytical capabilities of national metrology institutes (NMIs) and selected expert laboratories worldwide to accurately quantitate the mass fraction of selenomethionine (SeMet) and total Se in pharmaceutical tablets of selenised-yeast supplements (produced by Pharma Nord, Denmark) are presented. The study, jointly coordinated by LGC Ltd., UK, and the Institute for National Measurement Standards, National Research Council of Canada (NRCC), was conducted under the auspices of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM) Inorganic Analysis Working Group and involved 15 laboratories (from 12 countries), of which ten were NMIs. Apart from a protocol for determination of moisture content and the provision of the certified reference material (CRM) SELM-1 to be used as the quality control sample, no sample preparation/extraction method was prescribed. A variety of approaches was thus used, including single-step and multiple-step enzymatic hydrolysis, enzymatic probe sonication and hydrolysis with methanesulfonic acid for SeMet, as well as microwave-assisted acid digestion and enzymatic probe sonication for total Se. For total Se, detection techniques included inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry (MS) with external calibration, standard additions or isotope dilution MS (IDMS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry , flame atomic absorption spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis. For determination of SeMet in the tablets, five NMIs and three academic/institute laboratories (of a total of five) relied upon measurements using IDMS. For species-specific IDMS measurements, an isotopically enriched standard of SeMet (⁷⁶Se-enriched SeMet) was made available. A novel aspect of this study relies on the approach used to distinguish any errors which arise during analysis of a SeMet calibration solution from those which occur during analysis of the matrix. To help those participants undertaking SeMet analysis to do this, a blind sample in the form of a standard solution of natural abundance SeMet in 0.1 M HCl (with an expected value of 956 mg kg⁻¹ SeMet) was provided. Both high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–ICP-MS or gas chromatography (GC)–ICP-MS and GC-MS techniques were used for quantitation of SeMet. Several advances in analytical methods for determination of SeMet were identified, including the combined use of double IDMS with HPLC-ICP-MS following extraction with methanesulfonic acid and simplified two-step enzymatic hydrolysis with protease/lipase/driselase followed by HPLC-ICP-IDMS, both using a species-specific IDMS approach. Overall, satisfactory agreement amongst participants was achieved; results averaged 337.6 mg kg⁻¹ (n = 13, with a standard deviation of 9.7 mg kg⁻¹) and 561.5 mg kg⁻¹(n = 11, with a standard deviation of 44.3 mg kg⁻¹) with median values of 337.6 and 575.0 mg kg⁻¹ for total Se and SeMet, respectively. Recovery of SeMet from SELM-1 averaged 95.0% (n = 9). The ability of NMIs and expert laboratories worldwide to deliver accurate results for total Se and SeMet in such materials (selensied-yeast tablets containing approximately 300 mg kg⁻¹ Se) with 10% expanded uncertainty was demonstrated. The problems addressed in achieving accurate quantitation of SeMet in this product are representative of those encountered with a wide range of organometallic species in a number of common matrices. Figure Looking into the quantitative speciation of selenium in pharmaceutical supplements Photo courtesy of LGC.     

Simultaneous determination of arsenic, selenium and antimony species using HPLC/ICP-MS

A new method for the simultaneous separation and determination of four arsenic species [As(III), As(V), monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsinic acid], three selenium species [Se(IV), Se(VI) and selenomethionine] as well as Sb(III) and Sb(V) is presented. The speciation was achieved by on-line coupling of anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Chromatographic parameters such as the composition and pH of the mobile phase were optimised. Limits of detection are below 4.5 μg L^–1 (as element) for Sb(III) and the selenium species and below 0.5 μg L^–1 for the other species. Precisions of retention times were better than 2% RSD and of peak areas better than 8% RSD for all the species investigated. Received: 13 January 1999 / Accepted: 4 March 1999     

Updated estimates of the selenomethionine content of NIST wheat reference materials by GC–IDMS

Updated estimates of the selenomethionine content of four NIST wheat reference materials have been obtained by use of a revised gas chromatography–stable-isotope dilution mass spectrometric method. The revised method makes use of digestion with methanesulfonic acid, which enables more complete recovery of endogenous selenomethionine than was previously achieved by overnight denaturing treatment in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ HCl. The NIST wheat reference materials each contain approximately 55% of their total Se content as selenomethionine. Information about forms of Se in reference materials adds value to these materials in Se speciation studies. Estimates of selenomethionine content are also provided for other wheat samples, including several grown under conditions of exposure to high Se levels. These samples also contain approximately 55% of their total Se content as selenomethionine. The consistent level of 55% of total selenium occurring in the form of selenomethionine when the total selenium content varies by a factor of 500 is suggestive of an active mechanism of incorporation of selenium into wheat grain. Figure Selenomethionine content of wheat samples     

Application of a double-focusing magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer with laser ablation for the bulk analysis of rare earth elements in rocks fused with Li2B4O7

Results of the use of a double-focusing, magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) with ultraviolet (UV) laser ablation (LA) are presented for the bulk analysis of rare earth elements (REEs) in rocks fused with Li₂B₄O₇. The sample preparation procedure used a sample to flux weight ratio of 1 : 7, and was identical with a procedure routinely used for X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses of major and minor elements in geological materials. Calibration was based on a total of 18 international standard reference materials (SRMs), and Ba was used as an internal standard element for all REEs. The calibration curves were constructed using a weighted regression model. The use of internal standard, without exception, improved the correlation coefficients significantly. The 3σ detection limits were established by a blank sample of SiO₂ spiked with Ba, and were in the range from 0.003 μg g^–1 (¹⁵⁹Tb) to 0.051 μg g^–1 (¹⁴⁰Ce). The use of a large set of SRMs for calibration gave a good basis for the evaluation of analytical quality, and extensive data for calculated analytical uncertainty are presented. Instrumental precision and the repeatability of the method were studied separately, and no significant difference in these two sets of parameters were found, indicating that the spread of results predominantly was connected to the instrumental measurements. Repeated ablations on the surface of a disk did not influence subsequent measurements with XRF, showing that the fused disks can be stored for future use in XRF and/or LA-ICP-MS analysis. Received: 12 February 1998 / Revised: 6 April 1998 / Accepted: 17 April 1998     

Comparative study of inorganic elements determination in whole blood from Crioula breed horse by EDXRF and NAA analytical techniques

The World Health Organization states that envenomation is responsible for a high number of deaths per year, especially in equatorial areas. The only effective specific treatment is the use of hyperimmune serum (antivenom). In Brazil, Crioula breed horses are used for antivenom production, with great importance in the maintenance of public health programs. A strict biochemical and metabolic control is required to attain specificity in antiserum. Inorganic elements represent only a small fraction of whole blood. Nonetheless, they play important roles in mammalian metabolism, being responsible for controlling enzymatic reactions, respiratory and cardiac functions and ageing. In this work, whole blood samples from Crioula breed horses were analyzed by EDXRF technique. The reference interval values were determined for the elements Na (1955–2013 μg g⁻¹), Mg (51–75 μg g⁻¹), P (523–555 μg g⁻¹), S (1628–1730 μg g⁻¹), Cl (2388–2574 μg g⁻¹), K (1649–1852 μg g⁻¹), Ca (202–213 μg g⁻¹), Cu (4.1–4.5 μg g⁻¹) and Zn (2.4–2.8 μg g⁻¹) and a comparative study with NAA results was outlined. The samples were obtained from Instituto Butantan. Both techniques showed to be appropriate for whole blood sample analyses and offer a new perspective in Veterinary Medicine.     

Determination of trace amounts of lead in mussels by flow-injection flame atomic-absorption spectrometry coupled with on-line minicolumn preconcentration

A minicolumn packed with poly(aminophosphonic acid) chelating resin incorporated in an on-line preconcentration system for flame atomic-absorption spectrometry was used to determine ultratrace amounts of lead in mussel samples at μg L^–1 level. The preconcentrated lead was eluted with hydrochloric acid and injected directly into the nebulizer for atomization in an air-acetylene flame for measurement. The performance characteristics of the determination of lead were: preconcentration factor 26.8 for 1 min preconcentration time, detection limit (3σ) in the sample digest was 0.25 μg g^–1 (dry weight) for a sample volume of 3.5 mL and 0.2 g sample (preconcentration time 1 min), precision (RSD) 2.3% for 25 μg L^–1 and 2.0% for 50 μg L^–1. The sampling frequency was 45 h^–1. The method was highly tolerant of interferences, and the results obtained for the determination of lead in a reference material testify to the applicability of the proposed procedure to the determination of lead at ultratrace level in biological materials such as mussel samples. Received: 1 November 2000 / Revised: 8 January 2001/ Accepted: 11 January 2001     

Negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry of selenium part 4. Selenium trace determination in sediments and related samples

Summary Selenium traces have been determined in different sediments (estuarine, river, lake), sandy soil and sewage sludge with isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). Negative selenium atomic ions are formed in a double-filament thermal ion source. The use of a silica gel technique for ionization improves the mass spectrometric sensitivity by a factor of 40 compared with the technique previously applied. An enriched⁸²Se spike is used for the isotope dilution process. The samples are decomposed with a mixture of conc. HNO₃ and conc. HE After decomposition selenium is separated by the formation of SeH₂ in a hydride generation system which is normally applied for atomic absorption spectrometry. The IDMS results for three standard reference sediments agree well with the certified values. In the case of three other standard reference materials, which are not certified for selenium up to now, the IDMS analyses were able to improve the selenium data given for information or as indicative values. The precision of the IDMS method in the concentration range of 0.2–3.5 g/g lies between 0.8 % and 4.1 %. The detection limit is 6 ng/g. A comparison with several other methods shows that IDMS is one of the very few analytical methods which produces accurate selenium results even at concentration levels of 0.2 g/g and less in sediments and related samples of environmental interest.

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Negative Thermionen-Massenspektrometrie von Selen Teil 4. Selenspurenbestimmung in Sedimenten und vergleichbaren Proben

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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. G. Tblg on the occasion of his 60th birthday     

Cathodic stripping voltammetric determination of selenium(IV) at a thin-film mercury electrode in a thiocyanate-containing electrolyte

The well-known method for the determination of selenium(IV), which is based on the cathodic stripping voltammetry of copper(I) selenide, has been adapted for application at the thin-film mercury electrode on glassy carbon (TFME). Insufficient reproducibility and sensitivity have been overcome by using a 0.1 mol/L HClO₄ electrolyte solution containing 0.02 mol/L thiocyanate ions. Thiocyanate ions have been found to increase the peak height of the selenium response and shift it to more positive potentials. This behaviour is explained by an adsorption of SCN^– at the interface glassy carbon/Cu₂Se and its action as an electron transfer catalyst between glassy carbon and copper(I) selenide. A 3σ-detection limit of 75 ng/L Se^(IV) has been achieved. The relative standard deviation is 5.2% at 5 μg/L selenium(IV). The influence of cadmium(II), arsenic(III), zinc(II), iron(III) and lead(II) ions on the selenium response has been studied. In case of lead ions, a new signal occurred at more negative potentials than the reduction of Cu₂Se. This signal, which is probably due to the reduction of PbSe, can also be used for the determination of selenium(IV). Received: 13 November 1996 / Revised: 19 December 1996 / Accepted: 24 December 1996     

Determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb in Milk, Cheese and Chocolate

 Combined analytical procedures consisting of wet digestion step followed by instrumental determination – differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (DPCSV) or electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) – as well as a direct analysis method – slurry sampling ETAAS – for the determination of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni and Pb in milk, cheese and chocolate are described and compared. Wet digestion using a mixture of HNO₃-HClO₄-H₂O₂ is proposed for complete matrix decomposition prior to trace analyte determinati on by DPCSV or ETAAS. A mixture of HNO₃-H₂O₂ is used for slurry preparation. Optimal instrumental parameters for trace analyte measurements are presented. The reliability of the procedures has been verified by analyzing standard reference materials. Results obtained are in good agreement with the certified values and the relative standard deviations (for these results) are in the range 5–10% for wet digestion DPCSV or ETAAS and 3–9% for slurry sampling ETAAS in the range of 2 μgċg⁻¹ (Cd) to 12 μgċg⁻¹ (Fe). Received August 24, 1999. Revision January 20, 2000.     

Evaluation of on-line coupling size exclusion chromatography electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for selenium speciation

 Chromatographic effluents were on-line analyzed by Zeeman-ETAAS, using a flow-through cell placed in a graphite furnace autosampler as interface. To obtain high sampling rates, the use of fast graphite furnace programmes was studied. Conventional programmes of 96 s were reduced to 18 s by using hot injection (120 °C) and reducing the charring step to 2 s. The increase of the injection volume from 20 to 60 μl lengthened the programme to 46 s. Nickel had to be added to get a comparable response for both inorganic and organic selenium species (selenite and selenomethionine) and to reduce the interferent effect produced in presence of the chromatographic eluent (TRIS 0.01 mol l^-1, NH₄NO₃ 0.1 mol l^-1, pH 7). The optimized conditions were applied to the speciation of selenium in human erythrocyte lysates by size exclusion LC-ETAAS. Using a high performance size exclusion column selenium could be assigned to proteins of 100 and 35 kDa. Detection limits in the range of 1 ng (2 μg l^-1 for 500 μl injection volume) were obtained for the combined technique. Received: 9 October 1996/Revised: 8 July 1996/Accepted: 14 July 1996