Arsenic and Selenium in Drinking Water by ICP-OES with Continuous Flow Hydride Generation and a Single Pre-Reduction Procedure

Introduction

The determination of arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) by ICP-OES is challenging because both elements are weak emitters, which makes it difficult to measure low concentrations. In addition, in many sample types, both As and Se are present in low concentrations; the combination of low concentrations and inherently low signals makes it difficult to measure low levels of As and Se by ICP-OES.

This work describes the analysis of As and Se in drinking water using the Avio® 220 Max hybrid simultaneous ICP-OES with continuous flow hydride generation, utilizing a single pre-reduction technique which enables the measurement of both elements at the same time.