Abstract: A solid phase extraction method coupled with hydride generation-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (HGAFS) method was developed for the determination of Se in various food and water samples. The method was based on the retention of the trace metal ions on Dowex Marathon A ion exchange resin for eliminating the interference from co-existing metal ions. The limits of detection (LOD) for Se (Ⅳ) was 0.013 μg/L, while the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.043 μg/L. The linear range was in the range of 0.1–10.0 μg/L (R2 = 0.999 9). The relative standard derivation was less than 3% for 11 parallel determinations. The recovery was more than 95%. The method was rapid, accurate and precise, and its accuracy was satisfactorily verified by using it to analyze certified reference materials.

Key words: solid phase extraction, Dowex Marathon A, atomic fluorescence spectrometry, food samples, selenium