Arsenic and Selenium Speciation Analysis and Applications

Arsenic and selenium are naturally occurring contaminants who naturally exist in an array of different forms. The different forms of these contaminants (often referred to as species) behave very differently in the environment, thus these is a need to understand the distributions of these species in the environment to properly assess these contaminants’ risk and impact.

Selenium is a biologically necessary element for humans and other organisms, but can be toxic to these species in higher concentrations and is highly toxic to fish and marine wildlife. The bioaccumulation of selenium is also strongly dependent on the species present, hence the need to understand the distribution of species within the environment. In contrast, inorganic versions of arsenic are highly toxic but other organic forms of arsenic do not show the same level of toxicity which again leads speciation’s importance as a tool in the environmental toolbox.

When analyzing samples for arsenic and selenium species, complex changes and shifts can occur with improper sample handling and analytical method selection. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the nuances of speciation and proper method selection is necessary to ensure data usability.

Original Airdate:  Tuesday, May 23, 2023
 
Length:  60 minutes 

Presenter: Patrick Garcia-Strickland & Kyle Groden - Eurofins Environment Testing