Inorganic selenium speciation using HPLC-ICP-hexapole collision/reaction cell-MS

Abstract

A chromatographic separation procedure based on the use of a porous graphitic carbon stationary phase and formic acid as eluent was employed to separate Se(IV) and Se(VI), inorganic selenium anions. Detection was performed by using an ICP-MS instrument equipped with a screened torch and a collision/reaction cell. The use of helium, dinitrogen oxide and hydrogen as collision gases was studied to improve selenium detection. The different configurations of the detection system were compared in terms of detection limits. Hydrogen gave the best results with detection limits of 12 and 24 ng L−1 for Se(IV) and Se(VI), respectively.