Accurate determination of selenium in biological materials without perchloric acid for digestion

Selenium (10–80 μg kg^?1) is determined by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry in mixed diet, faecal and urine samples and in standard reference materials (bovine liver, rice flour, wheat flour and horse kidney) after two digestion procedures. No difference was found in digestion efficiency between a nitric/sulphuric acid mixture and a nitric/sulphuric/perchloric acid mixture. The results suggest that the digestion of most biological materials for the determination of selenium does not require the use of perchloric acid.