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Selenium status of children in Kashin–Beck disease endemic areas in Shaanxi, China: assessment with mercury

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Abstract

The causes of Kashin–Beck disease (KBD) in children are multifactorial, and particular consideration has been given to childhood selenium (Se) deficiency. In this study, dietary intake of Se and mercury (Hg) was determined at KBD areas to investigate the Se status and risks. Therefore, total Hg and Se levels were investigated in scalp hair samples and in daily intake food samples of 150 schoolchildren in Yongshou County of Shaanxi, China. The results showed that the average concentration of Se in children’s hair has risen to 302 ng g−1 and significantly increased compared to the data reported decades ago. Children at KBD endemic areas likely have improved Se status due to the Se supplementation in food at recent decades. However, all the children in the study areas still showed lower Se status compared to those in other non-KBD areas of China. The probable daily intake of Se in the study areas was still lower after stopping Se supplementation in food at KBD areas, which is 17.96 μg day−1. Food produced locally cannot satisfy the lowest demand for Se nutrition for local residents. If the interactions of Se–Hg detoxification are considered, Hg intake from food exacerbates Se deficiency at the KBD areas.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2013CB934302) and the National Science and Technology Support Plan (2015BAD05B01). The authors acknowledge the participants and D. Qian in College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China West Normal University, for the help of providing samples and the basic data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Buyun Du, Jun Zhou & Jing Zhou

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China

    Buyun Du

  3. National Engineering Research and Technology Center for Red Soil Improvement, Red Soil Ecological Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yingtan, 335211, China

    Jun Zhou & Jing Zhou

  4. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Buyun Du

  5. Institute of Biology Resource, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences, Nanchang, China

    Jing Zhou

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  1. Buyun Du
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Correspondence to Jun Zhou or Jing Zhou.

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Du, B., Zhou, J. & Zhou, J. Selenium status of children in Kashin–Beck disease endemic areas in Shaanxi, China: assessment with mercury. Environ Geochem Health 40, 903–913 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0033-4

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