Blood and tissue selenium determination by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry

Abstract

The aim of the study was to optimize the method of blood and tissue selenium determination in ruminants, and to implement it in research and diagnostic practice. A method was developed for selenium determination by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry (HG-AAS) in full blood, blood plasma and serum, the liver, skeletal muscle tissue, the myocardium, and the kidneys after wet mineralization of samples in a closed nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide system and subsequent hydrogen chloride reduction. Hydride generation was performed by 1% sodium borohydride. The resulting selenium hydride was drawn off under inert atmosphere into a flameheated quartz T-tube to atomize; absorbance at 196 nm wavelength was measured by an optic system with deuterium lamp background correction. The measurements were verified by using diverse types of reference materials with declared selenium concentration and by a method of yield measurement of calibration solution addition in mineralized samples. The results corresponded with the stated values at the 95% probability level for all reference materials used. This methodology is acceptable as to both the detection limit (0.762 μg·l-1) and the error of measurement (4.6-15%) required for authorized use in research as well as clinical and preventive livestock medicine. The practical potential of the method was documented in a group of calves supplemented with two different forms of selenium.