ADAPTATION OF A DRY ASHING PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINATION OF SELENIUM BY FLUOROMETRY IN HIGH-FAT FOODS

The wet ashing-dry ashing procedure for destruction of organic matter in high-fat foods for subsequent fluorimetric determination of selenium was investigated. Samples were decomposed by predigestion with nitric acid and dry-ashed with magnesium nitrate and hydrochloric acid. Selenium was recovered quantitatively through the total procedure. Detection limit was about 4 ppb. Accuracy was tested by analysis of several reference materials and by comparison with the wet-digestion method. The present method can be used conveniently for selenium determination in high-fat foods.