Determination of copper, molybdenum and selenium in biological reference materials by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Abstract

In a contribution to the elemental characterization of 10 new reference materials, Bovine Muscle Powder (136), Corn Starch (162), Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour (165), Soft Winter Wheat Flour (166), Whole Milk Powder (183), Wheat Gluten (184), Corn Bran (186), Durum Wheat Flour (187), Whole Egg Powder (188) and Microcrystalline Cellulose (189), the total concentrations of Cu, Mo and Se were determined by the application of an analytical method based on isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Cu and Mo contents were quantified by measurement of 65Cu/63Cu and 97Mo/100Mo isotopic ratios following spiking with 65Cu and 97Mo and digestion with nitric acid. Selenium was separated as hydrogen selenide from the matrix using sodium borohydride after spiking with 82Se and acid digestion-dry ashing and quantified by measurement of the 82Se/78Se isotopic ratio. Comparison of these results with those from a variety of other methods and assessment of the procedures using certified reference materials indicated that the determinations of Cu, Mo and Se were performed without analytical bias.