Comparison of chemical modifiers for selenium determination in soil aqua regia extracts by ZETAAS

The effect of various chemical modifiers 0.5 g l−1 Pd, 1% (w/v) Ni, 0.5 g l−1 Pd + 1% (w/v) Ni and 1.0 g l−1 Pd on the measurement of selenium in soil aqua regia extracts, by ZETAAS, is described. Two Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) RTC-CRM 023-050 and RTC-CRM 025-050 were used for this study. Pyrolysis and atomization curves were obtained for each chemical modifier and their optimal values were assessed. By using standard addition as calibration method, accurate results were obtained for all the chemical modifiers studied. The precision was similar for both CRMs, with a maximum value of 7.5% R.S.D. The limits of detection and quantification for selenium in the soil extracts (n = 10) were 3.0 and 6.0 μg l−1, respectively. The characteristic mass of selenium is assessed as 10 pg. The use of aqua regia as extractant gave quantitative results for selenium in the CRMs assayed.