Lh. Foster et S. Sumar, METHODS OF ANALYSIS USED FOR THE DETERMINATION OF SELENIUM IN MILK AND INFANT FORMULAS - A REVIEW, Food chemistry, 53(4), 1995, pp. 453-466
Selenium (Se) occurs naturally in a range of oxidation states as volat
ile species or analogues of organic sulphur compounds. Over a narrow c
oncentration range (< 1 mg/day), selenium is an essential element for
growth of animals and man. However at higher concentrations (> 3 mg/da
y) it possesses toxicological properties. Low levels of the element in
most foods including milk and infant formulae require a sampling proc
edure to be followed and the use of certified reference material. Accu
rate quantitative analysis is dependent on the initial digestion stage
of the food matrix and the reduction of Se(VI) to Se(IV) in the final
determination. In view of the difficulty in obtaining some reagents (
e.g. 2,3-diaminonapthalene), alternative procedures to the classical f
luorometric technique need to be evaluated. Methods for the determinat
ion of Se are described detailing detection limits, sensitivity, inter
ferences and matrix-related problems.