Determination of selenium speciation in biogenic particles and sediments
Selenium can exist in a variety of chemical forms in the suspended particles and bottom sediments of natural waters. A procedure for sediments and planktonic material has been developed that uses a multistep nitric/perchloric acids digestion to solubilize total selenium and a weak sodium hydroxide treatment to release selenite and selenate. The solubilized selenium species are determined by a selective hydride generation/atomic absorption technique. Accuracy was verified by using a combination of standard reference materials, radiotracers, and existing sediment leach methods. For field and reference samples the average precision (relative standard deviation) for total selenium determinations is 8.8% (n = 8 samples) and 19.3% for selenite + selenate determinations (n = 6 samples). The detection limit for total particulate selenium is 10 ng/g using a sample size of 0.2 g. The method has been used on a variety of plankton, planktonic detritus, and sediment samples. 22 references, 1 figure, 3 tables.
- Research Organization:
- Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA
- OSTI ID:
- 6177904
- Journal Information:
- Anal. Chem.; (United States), Vol. 57:14
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DETRITUS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
PLANKTON
SEDIMENTS
SELENIUM
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
NITRIC ACID
PERCHLORIC ACID
SELENATES
SELENITES
SODIUM HYDROXIDES
TRACE AMOUNTS
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DATA
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROXIDES
INFORMATION
INORGANIC ACIDS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SEMIMETALS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SPECTROSCOPY
400104* - Spectral Procedures- (-1987)
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)