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The Level of Toxic Elements in Edible Crops from Seleniferous Area (Punjab, India)

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Abstract

The primary objective of the present study was to assess the level of selenium and toxic trace elements in wheat, rice, maize, and mustard from seleniferous areas of Punjab, India. The content of selenium (Se) and toxic trace elements, including aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and tin (Sn), in crop samples was assessed using inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry after microwave digestion of the samples. The obtained data demonstrate that cultivation of crops on seleniferous soils significantly increased Se level in wheat, mustard, rice, and maize by a factor of more than 590, 111, 85, and 64, respectively. The study also showed that Se exposure affected toxic metal content in crops. In particular, Se-rich wheat was characterized by a significant decrease in Al, As, Ni, Pb, and Sn levels. The level of As, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Sn was significantly decreased in Se-rich rice, whereas As content was increased. In turn, the decrease in Al, As, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Sn levels in Se-rich maize was associated with a significant elevation of Hg content. Finally, Se-rich mustard was characterized by a significant increase in Al, As, and Hg levels, while the content of Ni, Pb, and Sn was significantly lower than the control levels. These findings should be taken into account while developing the nutritional strategies for correction of Se status. At the same time, the exact mechanisms underlying the observed differences are to be estimated.

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Funding

The current investigation is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research within project no. 17-55-45027 and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (INT/RUS/RFBR/P-252) “Localization of selenium and other trace elements in edible crops cultivated in seleniferous soils.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Yaroslavl State University, Yaroslavl, 150000, Russia

    Margarita G. Skalnaya, Andrei R. Grabeklis, Alexey A. Tinkov & Anatoly V. Skalny

  2. Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, 105064, Russia

    Margarita G. Skalnaya, Andrei R. Grabeklis, Irina V. Zhegalova, Alexey A. Tinkov & Anatoly V. Skalny

  3. Thapar University, Patiala, 147004, India

    Sumit K. Jaiswal, Ranjana Prakash & N. Tejo Prakash

  4. I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, 119992, Russia

    Irina V. Zhegalova

  5. Key Laboratory of Trace Elements and Endemic Diseases of National Health and Family Planning Commission, School of Public Health, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710000, People’s Republic of China

    Feng Zhang, Xiong Guo & Anatoly V. Skalny

  6. Institute of Cellular and Intracellular Symbiosis, Russian Academy of Sciences, Orenburg, 460008, Russia

    Alexey A. Tinkov

  7. Orenburg State University, Orenburg, 460352, Russia

    Anatoly V. Skalny

  8. Trace Element Institute for UNESCO, 69001, Lyon, France

    Anatoly V. Skalny

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  1. Margarita G. Skalnaya
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  2. Sumit K. Jaiswal
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  3. Ranjana Prakash
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  4. N. Tejo Prakash
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  5. Andrei R. Grabeklis
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  6. Irina V. Zhegalova
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  7. Feng Zhang
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  9. Alexey A. Tinkov
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  10. Anatoly V. Skalny
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Correspondence to Anatoly V. Skalny.

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Skalnaya, M.G., Jaiswal, S.K., Prakash, R. et al. The Level of Toxic Elements in Edible Crops from Seleniferous Area (Punjab, India). Biol Trace Elem Res 184, 523–528 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-017-1216-7

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