Determination of selenium in serum by FI-HG-AAS and calculation of dietaryintake

A method was developed for the determination of selenium concentration in s erum by flow injection-hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (F I-HG-AAS) following microwave digestion of serum samples and reduction of s elenate to selenite. The detection limit of the method was 0.3 mu g Se/L an d the characteristic concentration, corresponding to the 0.0044 absorbance signal, was 0.12 mu g Se/L. The results from the analysis of two Seronorm s tandard reference materials showed good agreement with the certified values . The method was then used to analyze selenium in sera of Austrian and Slov enian people for the calculation of dietary intakes. The selenium concentra tions in sera of mothers at delivery, their neonates, and the male and fema le adults were 71 +/- 14, 42 +/- 6, 75 +/- 21, and 65 +/- 16 mu g/L for the Austrians and 62 +/- 15, 34 +/- 7, 70 +/- 12, and 66 +/- 15 mu g/L for the Slovenians. The dietary intakes of selenium of the mothers and the male an d the female adults were calculated as 52, 37, and 46 mu g/d for the Austri ans and 45, 38, and 32 mu g/d for the Slovenians.