Victus Samlafo
University of Education, Winneba
Ghana
Title: Title: Speciation of selenium(IV) (selenite) and selenium(VI) (selenate) levels in human whole blood samples
Biography
Biography: Victus Samlafo
Abstract
This paper examined the speciation of selenium(IV) (selenite) and selenium(VI) (selenate) levels in human whole blood samples from Tarkwa and its environs, a mining-impacted area in Ghana, using hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometric technique.
Selenium (IV) in the experimental subjects ranged from 0.08±0.01 µg/mL to 0.50±0.02µg/mL with a mean of 0.29 µg/mL, while the control ranged from 0.02±0.1 µg/mL to 0.21 ±0.05 µg/mL, with a mean of 0.07 µg/mL. Significant differences existed between the levels of selenium (IV) concentrations in experimental and control subjects (p=0.0001 <0.05). The selenium (VI) in experimental subjects ranged from 2.97±0.52 µg/mL to 4.39±0.42 µg/mL ,with a mean of 3.63 µg/mL, while the control ranged from 0.60 µg/mL to 1.0 µg/mL, with a mean of 0.89 µg/mL. Significant differences existed between the levels of selenium (VI) in experimental and the control subjects (p=5.98 x10-14<0.05). The measurement precision determined by relative standard deviation was within ±5%. The accuracy of the determination was evaluated by analysing certified standard human hair reference material GBW 09101. The observed values were within ±6% of the certified values.