A comparative study of methods for determining selenium in biological materials.

Abstract

A comparative study of the analytical performance of fluorimetric spectrophotometric, atomic absorption spectrometric, flow injection analysis with atomic absorption spectrometric, flow injection analysis with atomic absorption spectrometric detection, hydride generation with atomic absorption spectrometric detection and hydride generation with molecular emission cavity analysis detection methods has been carried out for the determination of selenium in biological materials. Based on results concerning detection limit, linearity and sensitivity, only the fluorimetric and hydride generation with atomic absorption spectrometric detection methods were suitable for the determination of selenium in biological materials. Whereas, the spectrophotometric, flame absorption spectrometric flow injection-atomic absorption spectrometric and hydride generation with molecular emission cavity detection, due to its worse detection limits and poorer sensitivities, were found to be unsuitable for the determination of selenium in such matrices. The accuracy of the fluorimetric and hydride generation with atomic absorption spectrometric detection methods were tested by using NBS standard reference materials.