The differential pulse adsorptive stripping voltammetric behavior of selenium (IV)-p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide system at a bismuth-coated glassy carbon electrode (BiFE) has been investigated. A well-defined and sensitive stripping peak of the selenium (IV)-p-aminobenzene sulfonic acid complex was observed at -0.76V (vs. SCE) in a 0.15 mol/L acetate solution (pH 2.9) at a deposition potential of -0.40V (for 120s). The linear range was 2-30 mu g/L and the detection limit for an accumulation time of 300 s was 0.1 mu g/L This method was applied to determine the trace amount of selenium in the samples. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.