Determination of selenium compounds by HPLC with ICP-MS or FAAS as selenium-specific detector

A speciation method was developed for selenious acid, selenic acid, trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) and selenomethionine (SeMet). Separation of the four selenium species was achieved by HPLC on an ESA Anion III anion-exchange column using aqueous mobile phase of 5.5 mmol/L ammonium citrate at pH 5.5 with a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Under the optimal conditions, the four selenium species were separated within 8 minutes. On-line selenium-specific detection was carried out with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) or a flame atomic absorption spectrometer (FAAS). The detection limits of HPLC-FAAS were approximately rho(Se) = 1 mg/L for each compound (100 microL injection). To increase the nebulization efficiency of the ICP-MS, the Meinhard concentric nebulizer was replaced by an ultrasonic nebulizer (USN). The ICP-MS signal intensity was increased by a factor of 7 for selenious acid and 24 to 31 for TMSe, SeMet and selenic acid with the USN compared to that with the Meinhard nebulizer. The detection limits of the HPLC-USN-ICP-MS were rho(Se) = 0.08 microgram/L for TMSe, rho(Se) = 0.34 microgram/L for selenious acid, rho(Se) = 0.18 microgram/L for SeMet and rho(Se) = 0.07 microgram/L for selenic acid.