Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of urinary selenium as a biomarker of human occupational exposure to elemental and inorganic selenium

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element, which however, exhibits a narrow safe range of intake. Selenium also occurs at several workplaces, which results in an inhalative selenium exposure of the employees. Thus, an efficient exposure assessment strategy is demanded. The most established parameter, selenium in plasma, mostly consists of protein-bound selenium. This study aimed to investigate urinary total selenium (Se-U) as an additional biomarker of recent human occupational exposure to elemental and inorganic selenium.

Methods

Pre- and post-shift urine samples from employees with exposure to selenium-containing dust were analyzed to total selenium and compared with Se levels in urine samples from controls without occupational exposure to selenium as well as correlated with the recent ambient Se exposure by personal air monitoring.

Results

Se-U in post-shift samples was considerably increased compared to the levels in pre-shift samples as well as to the controls. However, Se-U in pre-shift urine was elevated compared to the Se-U in controls too. Se-U in post-shift urine and even better the shift increment in Se-U correlated with the air exposure of the present shift. A rough estimation by Se-U shift increment and external exposure accounted for an inhalative resorption rate of about 1%.

Conclusion

Our data indicate that Se-U can display the exposure. Pre-shift Se-U levels may be based on previous exposure and indicate a slow urinary elimination kinetics. The results hint for a rather low resorption rate of selenium and inorganic selenium compounds via the lung.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • ATSDR - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (2003) Toxicological profile for selenium. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp.asp?id=153&tid=28#bookmark16

  • Bleys J, Navas-Acien A, Guallar E (2007) Serum selenium and diabetes in US adults. Diabetes Care 30(4):829–834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Drexler H, Göen T, Angerer J (1995) Carbon disulphide. II. Investigations on the uptake of CS2 and the excretion of its metabolite 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid after occupational exposure. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 67:5–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) (2012) Guidance on information requirements and chemical safety assessment. Chapter R.8: Characterization of dose [concentration]-response for human health, Version 2.1. Reference: ECHA-2010-G-19-EN; European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki.   http://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/13632/information_requirements_r8_en.p

  • Forni Ogna V, Ogna A, Vuistiner P, Pruijm M, Ponte B, Ackermann D, Gabutti L, Vakilzadeh N, Mohaupt M, Martin PY, Guessous I, Péchère-Bertschi A, Paccaud F, Bochud M, Burnier M, On behalf of the Swiss Survey on Salt Group (2015) New anthropometry-based age- and sex-specific reference values for urinary 24-hour creatinine excretion based on the adult Swiss population. BMC Med 13:40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glover JR (1967) Selenium in human urine: a tentative maximum allowable concentration for industrial and rural population. Ann Occup Hyg 10:3–14

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Göen T, Greiner A (2018) Human biomonitoring of selenium exposure. In: Michalke B (ed) selenium. Springer, Weinheim. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95390-8_24

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Göen T, Schaller KH, Drexler H (2012) External quality assessment of human biomonitoring in the range of environmental exposure levels. Int J Hyg Environ Health 215:229–232. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2011.08.012

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Göen T, Schaller B, Jäger T, Bräu-Dümler C, Schaller KH, Drexler H (2015) Biological monitoring of exposure and effects in workers employed in a selenium-processing plant. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 88:623–630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greiner A, Göen T, Hildebrand J, Feltes R, Drexler H (2018) Low internal exposure and absence of adverse effects in workers exposed to high air levels of inorganic selenium. Tox Lett 298:141–149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.06.1214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths NM, Stewart RDH, Robinson MF (1976) The metabolism of [75Se]selenomethionine in four women. Br J Nutr 35:373–382

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hartwig A, MAK Commission (2017) Increased respiratory volume at the workplace – significance for the derivation of the MAK value. MAK Collect Occup Health Safe 2:2. https://doi.org/10.1002/3527600418.mbrespivole6217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hojo Y (1981) Evaluation of the expression of urinary selenium level as ng Se/mg creatinine and the use of single-void urine as a sample for urinary selenium determination. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 27:213–220

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hojo Y (1982) Single-Void urine selenium level expressed in terms of creatinine content as an effective and convenient indicator of human selenium status. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 29:37–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horng CJ, Tsai JL, Lin SR (1999) Determination of urinary arsenic, mercury, and selenium in steel production workers. Biol Trace Elem Res 70:29–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jäger T, Drexler H, Göen T (2013) Ion pairing and ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS to determine selenium species in human urine. J Anal At Spectrom 28:1402–1409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jäger T, Drexler H, Göen T (2016a) Human metabolism and renal excretion of selenium compounds after oral ingestion of sodium selenite and selenized yeast dependent on the trimethylselenium ion (TMSe) status. Arch Toxicol 90:1069–1080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jäger T, Drexler H, Göen T (2016b) Human metabolism and renal excretion of selenium compounds after oral ingestion of sodium selenate dependent on trimethylselenium ion (TMSe) status. Arch Toxicol 90:149–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Juresa D, Kuehnelt D, Francesconi K (2006) Consequences of vapor enhancement on selenium speciation analysis by HPLC/ICPMS. Anal Chem 78:8569–8574

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kohler LN, Foote J, Kelley CP, Florea A, Shelly C, Chow HS, Hsu P, Bati K, Ellis N, Saboda K, Lance P, Jacobs ET (2018) Selenium and Type 2 diabetes: systematic review. Nutrients 1:2. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10121924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laclaustra M, Navas-Acien A, Stranges S, Ordovas JM, Guallar E (2009) Serum selenium concentrations and diabetes in US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2004. Environ Health Perspect 117(9):1409–1413. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.0900704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen K (1972) Creatinine assay by a reaction-kinetic principle. Clin Chim Acta 41(1):209–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-8981(72)90513-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lippman SM, Klein EA, Goodman PJ, Lucia MS, Thompson IM, Ford LG, Parnes HL, Minasian LM, Gaziano JM, Hartline JA, Parsons JK, Bearden JD, Crawford ED, Goodman GE, Claudio J, Winquist E, Cook ED, Karp DD, Walther P, Lieber MM, Kristal AR, Darke AK, Arnold KB, Ganz PA, Santella RM, Albanes D, Taylor PR, Probstfield JL, Jagpal TJ, Crowley JJ, Meyskens FL, Baker LH, Coltman CA (2009) Effect of selenium and vitamin E on risk of prostate cancer and other cancers: the selenium and vitamin E cancer prevention trial (SELECT). JAMA 301(1):39–51. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2008.864

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin RF, Janghorbani M, Young VR (1988) Kinetics of a single administration of 74Se-selenite by oral and intravenous routes in adult humans. J Parenter Enteral Nutr 12:351–355

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Medinsky MA, Cuddihy RG, Griffith WC, McClellan RO (1981) A simulation model describing the metabolism of inhaled and ingested selenium compunds. Tox Appl Pharmacol 59:54–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Oster O, Prellwitz W (1990) The renal excretion of selenium. Biol Trace Elem Res 24:119–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rajotte BJ, P’an AY, Malick A, Robin JP (1996) Evaluation of selenium exposure in copper refinery workers. J Toxicol Environ Health 48(3):239–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rayman MP, Winther KH, Pastor-Barriuso R, Cold F, Thvilum M, Stranges S, Guallar E, Gold S (2018) Effect of long-term selenium supplementation on mortality: results from a multiple-dose, randomized controlled trial. Free Radic Biol Med 127:46–54

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rettenmeier AW (2019) Selenium and its inorganic compounds [BAT Value Documentation, 2011]. MAK Collect Occup Health Saf. https://doi.org/10.1002/3527600418.bb778249vere1819

  • Sanz Alaejos M, Diaz Romero C (1993) Urinary Selenium concentrations. Clin Chem 39(10):2040–2052

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schierling P, Oefele C, Schaller KH (1982) Bestimmung von Arsen und Selen in Harnproben mit der Hydrid-AAS-Technik. Ärztl Lab 28:21–27

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stranges S, Marshall JR, Natarajan R, Donahue RP, Trevisan M, Combs GF, Cappuccio FP, Ceriello A, Reid ME (2007) Effects of long-term selenium supplementation on the incidence of type 2 diabetes: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 147:217–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stranges S, Sieri S, Vinceti M, Grioni S, Guallar E, Laclaustra M, Muti P, Berrino F, Krogh V (2010) A prospective study of dietary selenium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes. BMC Public Health 10:564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinceti M, Filippini T, Cilloni S, Bargellini A, Vergoni AV, Tratsakis A, Ferrante M (2017) Health risk assessment of environmental selenium: emerging evidence and challenges (Review). Mol Med Rep 15:3323–3335

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vinceti M, Filippini T, Wise LA (2018a) Environmental selenium and human health: an update. Curr Environ Health Rep 5:464–485

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vinceti M, Filippini T, Rothman KJ (2018b) Selenium exposure and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Epidemiol 33(9):789–810. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-018-0422-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang X, Yang T, Wei J, Lei G, Zeng C (2016) Association between serum selenium level and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a non-linear dose-response meta-analysis of observational studies. Nutr J 15:48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • WHO (1996) Biological monitoring of chemical exposure in the workplace. Guidelines, vol 1. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang G, Wang S, Zhou R, Sun S (1983) Endemic selenium intoxication of humans in China. Am J Clin Nutr 37:872–881

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang G, Yin S, Zhou R, Gu L, Yan B, Lin Y, Liu Y (1989) Studies of safe maximum daily dietary Se-intake in a seleniferous area in China. Part II: relation between Se-intake and the manifestation of clinical signs and certain biochemical alterations in blood and urine. J Trace Elem Electrolytes Health Dis 3:123–131

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all employees who participated in this study, to the staff of the involved plants and the occupational physicians. In particular, we would like to thank Dr. Ch. Bräu-Dümler and her team of the occupational medicine center, Röthenbach. Our thanks go to the involved laboratory and staff of the Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental medicine, Erlangen. We gratefully acknowledge the financial and logistic support from the REACH Selenium and Tellurium consortium and the Franz-Koelsch Foundation. The present work was performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for obtaining the degree “Dr. rer. nat.” of Jörg Hildebrand.

Funding

This study was carried out with financial and logistic support from the REACH Selenium and Tellurium Consortium and the Franz-Koelsch-Foundation. The sponsors were not involved in the study design as well as evaluation, interpretation and publication of the results.

Author information

Author notes

  1. A. Greiner and J. Hildebrand contributed equally to the publication.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute and Outpatient Clinic of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestrasse 9-11, 91054, Erlangen, Germany

    A. Greiner, J. Hildebrand, R. Feltes, H. Drexler & T. Göen

  2. Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

    W. Uter

Authors
  1. A. Greiner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. Hildebrand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Feltes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. W. Uter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. H. Drexler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. T. Göen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Greiner.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethics approval

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the ethics committee of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (Ref. Nr. 257_16B) and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

All participants were informed both orally and in writing about the study and gave their written consent. All selenium-exposed workers of the plant were asked to participate and all but two of the available workers were willing to take part in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 157 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Greiner, A., Hildebrand, J., Feltes, R. et al. Evaluation of urinary selenium as a biomarker of human occupational exposure to elemental and inorganic selenium. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 93, 325–335 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01489-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-019-01489-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation