Abstract:Based on hydride generator and atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS), selenium content in soil samples was determined and compared with inductively coupled plasma-mass pectrometry (ICP-MS). The selenium content of soil was determined under the best working conditions of the two instruments. The experimental results showed that the analytical calibration curves of selenium in soil were ranging from 0.85~100 μg/L for ICP-MS and 0.08~16 μg/L for HG-AAS, the detection limits were 0.25 μg/L and 0.02 μg/L, the precision of the two methods were 1.34% and 2.12%, respectively. The accuracy and reliability of the two methods were verified by recovery rates test and the results of the soil environment samples of certified reference materials (GSS-7). The recovery rates were 96.7~99.4% for ICP-MS and 94.9~99.5% for HG-AAS and the measure results of GSS-7 were in the range of standard values range, suggesting the two methods were accurate and reliable. Some samples have to be diluted due to the narrow linear range of HG-AAS, and the hydride generation system is needed manual injection, resulting in complex operation and longer determination period, while the assay of ICP-MS is rapid and expensive.