Determination of selenium, arsenic, iodine and bromine in fish, plant and mammalian oils by cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis

TLDR: In this paper, the concentrations of arsenic, selenium, iodine and bromine in a series of fish, plant and mammalian oils have been determined by cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis (CINAA).

Abstract: The concentrations of arsenic, selenium, iodine and bromine in a series of fish, plant and mammalian oils have been determined by cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis (CINAA). Crude fish oils contain between 0.047 and 0.151 μg Se g−1, 2.36–14.5 μg As g−1, 2.36–9.63 μg Br g−1 and 0.97–4.76 μgI g−1. Seal oil contains the same four elements, but at levels below the lower end of the fish oil ranges. Iodine, bromine and arsenic were not detected in rape-seed or soybean oils and the concentration of selenium varied from < 0.010 to 0.042 μg g−1. The levels of selenium, iodine and bromine are reduced markedly by hydrogenation of the menhaden oils. The CINAA method yielded results which were in agreement with pub-lished values obtained by other methods. The technique was rapid, requiring minimal sample manipulation, and was essentially free from interferences.