Determination of selenium and iodine in human thyroids

This study focuses on the determination of selenium and iodine in human thyroids. The glands were digested using nitric acid in a microwave oven. Selenium was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) using a new sample introduction system consisting of a reduction system coupled to a hydride generation nebulizer (DHGN). Iodine was determined by using the Sandell-Kolthoff procedure. The detections limits were 0.2 ng/mL and 0.3 ng/mL for the determination method of selenium and iodine, respectively. The amount of iodine in the whole gland was 3.44±1.11 μg/g. The lowest iodine level was 2.34 μg/g and the highest 5.21 μg/g. The lowest selenium concentration for a single sample was 505±51 ng/g and the highest 1495±204 ng/g depending on the fraction of the gland selected.