An automated microtechnique for selenium determination in human body fluids by flow injection hydride atomic...

The automation of a flow injection system for the hydride generation of selenium and its subsequent determination by atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HAAS) is described. Pre-treatment of the sample and the details of the automated equipment are reviewed. For the FI-HAAS selenium analysis a volume of 350 microL of acid-digested sample solution is injected. The on-line generated hydride is delivery by the gas-liquid separator and is transported together with an Ar stream to the heated quartz cell for the atomic absorption determination. The absolute detection limit is 35 pg Se; the relative detection limit 0.10 micrograms/L Se. The absolute determination limit in real biological samples is 110 pg Se; the relative detection limit 0.31 micrograms/L Se. The accuracy of the method was evaluated via analysis of certified standard reference materials. Quality control was made by comparing FI-HAAS and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), as an independent analytical method. Two acid-digestion procedures (in open vessels at atmospheric pressure and bomb-digestion in pressure vessels) were experimentally tested. To determine the effectiveness of the selenium reduction and the completeness of the selenium hydride formation a parallel selenium determination was carried out by means of ICP-AES and FI-HAAS analysis. FI-HAAS was applied for blood serum analysis of children undergoing long-term total parenteral nutrition, as well as of persons with high dietary selenium intake, and for human milk analysis.