Multisyringe flow injection system for total inorganic selenium determination by hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry

Selenium inorganic speciation in beers using MSFIA-HG-AFS system after multivariate optimization

In this work, the use of a multisyringe flow injection analysis coupled to hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry (MSFIA-HG-AFS) for inorganic selenium chemical speciation was proposed. A Doehlert design was applied to optimize the experimental conditions for hydride generation (NaBH₄ and HCl concentrations). The limits of quantification (LoQ) obtained were 0.07 µg L^-1, for total inorganic Se, and 0.08 µg L^-1, for Se(IV). Accuracy and precision of the proposed analytical method were evaluated through analysis of standard reference material and addition and recovery tests. The optimized method was applied to analyses of eight samples of beer, produced in Spain, obtaining concentrations for Se(IV) (<0.08 - 0.46 ± 0.01 µg L^-1), total inorganic Se (0.47 ± 0.01 - 3.04 ± 0.62 µg L^-1) and Se(VI) (0.06 ± 0.01 - 3.00 ± 0.59 µg L^-1). The proposed analytical method was accurate, precise and sensitivity for determination of selenium species in beer samples.

Developmental selenium exposure and health risk in daily foodstuffs: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Selenium (Se) is a trace mineral and an essential nutrient of vital importance to human health in trace amounts. It acts as an antioxidant in both humans and animals, immunomodulator and also involved in the control of specific endocrine pathways. The aim of this work is to provide a brief knowledge on selenium content in daily used various foodstuffs, nutritional requirement and its various health consequences. In general, fruits and vegetables contain low content of selenium, with some exceptions. Selenium level in meat, eggs, poultry and seafood is usually high. For most countries, cereals, legumes, and derivatives are the major donors to the dietary selenium intake. Low level of selenium has been related with higher mortality risk, dysfunction of an immune system, and mental failure. Selenium supplementation or higher selenium content has antiviral outcomes and is necessary for effective reproduction of male and female, also decreases the threat of chronic disease (autoimmune thyroid). Generally, some advantages of higher content of selenium have been shown in various potential studies regarding lung, colorectal, prostate and bladder cancers risk, nevertheless results depicted from different trials have been diverse, which perhaps indicates the evidence that supplementation will merely grant advantage if the intakes of a nutrient is deficient. In conclusion, the over-all people should be advised against the usage of Se supplements for prevention of cardiovascular, hepatopathies, or cancer diseases, as advantages of Se supplements are still ambiguous, and their haphazard usage could result in an increased Se toxicity risk. The associations among Se intake/status and health, or disease risk, are complicated and need exposition to notify medical practice, to improve dietary recommendations, and to develop adequate communal health guidelines.

Determination of Total Selenium in Infant Formulas: Comparison of the Performance of FIA and MCFA Flow Systems

Two flow methods, based, respectively, on flow-injection analysis (FIA) and on multicommutated flow analysis (MCFA), were compared with regard to their use for the determination of total selenium in infant formulas by hydride-generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The method based on multicommutation provided lower detection and quantification limits (0.08 and 0.27 μg L⁻¹ compared to 0.59 and 1.95 μ L⁻¹, resp.), higher sampling frequency (160 versus. 70 samples per hour), and reduced reagent consumption. Linearity, precision, and accuracy were similar for the two methods compared. It was concluded that, while both methods proved to be appropriate for the purpose, the MCFA-based method exhibited a better performance.

Hyphenating Multisyringe Flow Injection Lab-on-Valve Analysis with Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry for On-Line Bead Injection Preconcentration and Determination of Trace Levels of Hydride-Forming Elements in Environmental Samples

In this work the third generation of flow injection analysis, that is, the so-called micro-lab-on-valve (microLOV) approach, is proposed for the first time for the separation, preconcentration, and monitoring of metalloids as hyphenated with atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). This was made feasible by interfacing the micromachined LOV-module with AFS by a multisyringe flowing stream network for on-line postcolumn derivatization of the eluate aimed at generation of hydride species. The potential of this new hyphenated technique for environmental assays was ascertained via determination of ultratrace level concentrations of total inorganic arsenic in freshwater. Employing quantitative preoxidation of As(III) to As(V) in the samples by means of permanganate, the method involves preconcentration of arsenate at pH 10 on a renewable anion exchanger, namely, Q-Sepharose, packed in a LOV microcolumn. The analyte species is afterward stripped out and concurrently prereduced by a 300 microL eluent plug containing 6 mol L(-)1 HCl and 10% KI. The eluate is downstream merged with a metered volume of sodium tetrahydroborate (0.3% w/v) for generation of arsine, which is subsequently quantified by AFS. The flow system facilitates on-column reduction of the retained arsenic with no need for application of programmable stopped flow. Yet, the high concentration of reductant and extreme pH conditions for elution hinder the sorbent to be reused due to gradual deactivation of the functional moieties, so that maximum benefit can be taken from the application of the bead renewable strategy. The proposed procedure is characterized by a high tolerance to metal species and interfering hydride-forming elements. In fact, ratios of Se(IV) to As < or = 5000 and Sb(V) to As < or = 500 are tolerated at the 10% interference level. Under the optimized experimental conditions, a detection limit (3sigma) of 0.02 ng mL(-1) As, a dynamic linear range of 0.05-2.0 ng mL(-1) As (by tailoring the AFS gain), an enrichment factor of 8.8 for arsenate, and a precision better than 6.0% at the 0.1 ng mL-1 level were obtained for the bead-injection mode whenever the loading sample volume was affixed at 3.0 mL. The reliability and accuracy of the automated procedure was ascertained by determining total inorganic arsenic in both spiked environmental waters and certified reference materials of variable matrix complexity (TMDA-54.3 and ERM-CA010) at the low ng mL(-1) level. No significant differences were found between the experimental results and the certified values at a significance level of 0.05.

Determination of mercury by multisyringe flow injection system with cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry

A new software-controlled time-based multisyringe flow injection system for mercury determination by cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometry is proposed. Precise known volumes of sample, reducing agent (1.1% SnCl2 in 3% HCl) and carrier (3% HCl) are dispensed into a gas-liquid separation cell with a multisyringe burette coupled with one three-way solenoid valve. An argon flow delivers the reduced mercury to the spectrometer. The optimization of the system was carried out testing reaction coils and gas-liquid separators of different design as well as changing parameters, such as sample and reagents volumes, reagent concentrations and carrier gas flow rate, among others. The analytical curves were obtained within the range 50-5000 ng L(-1). The detection limit (3sigma(b)/S) achieved is 5 ng L(-1). The relative standard deviation (R.S.D.) was 1.4%, evaluated from 16 successive injections of 250 ng L(-1) Hg standard solution. The injection and sample throughput per hour were 44 and 11, respectively. This technique was validated by means of solid and water reference materials with good agreement with the certified values and was successfully applied to fish samples.

Multisyringe Flow Injection Analysis: State-of-the-Art and Perspectives

In the present paper, the characteristics (apparatus, manifold design, and operation mode) of multi-syringe flow injection analysis systems are discussed and critically compared to those of flow injection analysis and sequential injection systems. Furthermore, a survey of applications proposed until the present moment is presented, with special emphasis on implementation of in-line sample treatment.