Skip to main content

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

Environmental Geochemistry and Health volume 40, pages 903–913 (2018)Cite this article

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

References

  • Afridi, H. I., Kazi, T. G., Talpur, F. N., et al. (2015). Assessment of selenium and mercury in biological samples of normal and night blindness children of age groups (3–7) and (8–12) years. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(3), 1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ATSDR, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. (1996). Toxicological profile for selenium (update). Atlanta, GA: Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Barbosa, A. C., Jardim, W., Dórea, J. G., et al. (2001). Hair mercury speciation as a function of gender, age, and body mass index in inhabitants of the Negro River Basin, Amazon, Brazil. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 40(3), 439–444.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brtková, A., Magálová, T., Béderová, A., et al. (1999). Serum selenium levels in healthy slovak children and adolescents. Biological Trace Element Research, 67(1), 49–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Z., Li, H., Yang, L., et al. (2015). Hair selenium levels of school children in Kashin–Beck disease endemic areas in Tibet, China. Biological Trace Element Research, 168(1), 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, D., Ren, S., & Li, J. (1984). Selenium in soils of Shaanxi province. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 102(2), 588–589.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinese National Standard Agency (CNSA). (1994). Tolerance limit of mercury in foods (pp. 171–173). Beijing, China: CNSA. (in Chinese).

  • Clark, N. A., Teschke, K., Rideout, K., et al. (2007). Trace element levels in adults from the west coast of Canada and associations with age, gender, diet, activities, and levels of other trace elements. Chemosphere, 70, 155–164.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • CNS. (1990). Chinese nutrition society recommended daily dietary nutrient supply. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica 12(1), 1–9.

  • Combs, G. F., Spajjholz, J. E., Levander, O. A., & Oldfield, J. E., eds. (1987). Selenium in biology and medicine. In Proceedings of the third international symposium on selenium in biology and medicine (pp. 859–876). Beijing, New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.

  • Díez, S., Esbrí, J. M., Tobias, A., et al. (2011). Determinants of exposure to mercury in hair from inhabitants of the largest mercury mine in the world. Chemosphere, 84(5), 571–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díez, S., Montuori, P., Pagano, A., et al. (2008). Hair mercury levels in an urban population from southern Italy: Fish consumption as a determinant of exposure. Environment International, 34(2), 162–167.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dorea, J. G., & Barbosa, A. C. (2005). Fish consumption and blood mercury: Proven health benefits or probable neurotoxic risk? Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 42(2), 249–250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du, B., Li, P., Feng, X., et al. (2016). Mercury exposure in children of the Wanshan mercury mining area, Guizhou, China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(11), 1107. doi:10.3390/ijerph13111107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang, T., Aronson, K. J., & Campbell, L. M. (2012). Freshwater fish–consumption relations with total hair mercury and selenium among women in eastern China. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 62(2), 323–332.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • FNB, Food and Nutrition Board USA Institute of Medicine. (2000). Dietary references intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids. Washington: National Academy Press.

  • Ganther, H. E., Goudie, C., Sunde, M. L., et al. (1972). Selenium: Relation to decreased toxicity of methylmercury added to diets containing tuna. Science, 175, 1122–1124.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, J., Liu, Y., Huang, Y., et al. (2011). Daily selenium intake in a moderate selenium deficiency area of Suzhou, China. Food Chemistry, 126(3), 1088–1093.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, K. E., Zhou, J., McMahan, W. J., et al. (2003). Deletion of selenoprotein P alters distribution of selenium in the mouse. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(16), 13640–13646.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • JECFA, (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives). (2010). Joint FAO/WHO food standards programme, committee of the codex alimentarius commission, 33rd session. Geneva, Switzerland, July 5–9.

  • Jin, L., Liang, L., Jiang, G., & Xu, Y. (2006). Methylmercury, total mercury and total selenium in four common freshwater fish species from Ya-Er Lake, China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 28, 401–407.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazi, T. G., Afridi, H. I., Kazi, N., et al. (2008). Copper, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel and zinc levels in biological samples of diabetes mellitus patients. Biological Trace Element and Research, 122(1), 1–18.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, M. A. K., & Wang, F. (2009). Mercury–selenium compounds and their toxicological significance: Toward a molecular understanding of the mercury–selenium antagonism. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 28, 1567–1577.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kobal, A. B., Horvat, M., Prezelj, M., et al. (2004). The impact of long-term past exposure to elemental mercury on antioxidative capacity and lipid peroxidation in mercury miners. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 17, 261–274.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kuklinski, B., Buchner, M., Muller, T., & Schweder, R. (1992). Anti-oxidative therapy of pancreatitis—An 18-month interim evaluation. Zeitschrift fur die Gesamte Innere Medizin und Ihre Grenzgebiete, 47(6), 239–245.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, S., Bañuelos, G. S., Wu, L., & Shi, W. (2014). The changing selenium nutritional status of Chinese residents. Nutrients, 6, 103–1114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, J., Ren, S., & Chen, D. (1982). A study of Kashin–Beck disease associated with environmental selenium in Shanxi area. Acta Scientiae Circumstantiae, 2(2), 129–134.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li, J. M., & Shah, A. M. (2004). Endothelial cell superoxide generation: Regulation and relevance for cardiovascular pathophysiology. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 287, R1014–R1030.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzo Alonso, M. J., Bermejo, B. A., Ja, C. D. J., et al. (2005). Selenium levels in related biological samples: Human placenta, maternal and umbilical cord blood, hair and nails. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 19(1), 49–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehdi, Y., Hornick, J. L., Istasse, L., & Dufrasne, I. (2013). Selenium in the environment, metabolism and involvement in body functions. Molecules, 18(3), 3292.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niu, Z., Wang, Y., & Liu, G. (2016). Investigation on hair mercury concentration of people in 8 typical regions of Anhui Province and its influence factors. Environmental Chemistry, 35(3), 533–539.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ognjanović, B. I., Djordjević, N. Z., Matić, M. M., et al. (2012). Lipid peroxidative damage on cisplatin exposure and alterations in antioxidant defense system in rat kidneys: A possible protective effect of selenium. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13(2), 1790–1803.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro, M. C. N., Muller, R. C. S., Sarkis, J. E., et al. (2005). Mercury and selenium concentrations in hair samples of women in fertile age from Amazon riverside communities. Science of the Total Environment, 349, 284–288.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qian, D. (2016). Mercury exposure and relationship between selenium and mercury at low selenium area of Yongshou, Shanxi Province. Master Thesis, China West Normal University.

  • Rocha, A. V., Almondes, K. G., Almeida, I. S., et al. (2014). Selenium nutritional status of women living in risk area of mercury contamination. Conference: Bioavailability, 39, 1–57.

  • Sakamoto, M., Yasutake, A., & Kakita, A. (2013). Selenomethionine protects against neuronal degeneration by methylmercury in the developing rat cerebrum. Environmental Science and Technology, 47(6), 2862–2868.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan, J. (1990). Chemico-geography of some life elements and endemic diseases with an emphasis on China. Environmental life elements and health (pp. 145–157). Beijing: Science Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, D., Dalton, C., Hall, A., et al. (2009). Recent developments in selenium research. British Journal of Biomedical Science, 66(2), 107–116.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, V. V., Knight, R., Haswell, S. J., et al. (2013). Maternal hair selenium levels as a possible long-term nutritional indicator of recurrent pregnancy loss. BMC Womens Health, 13(1), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomson, C. D., McLachlan, S. K., Parnell, W. R., et al. (2007). Serum selenium concentrations and dietary selenium intake of New Zealand children aged 5–14 years. British Journal of Nutrition, 97(02), 357–364.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). (1997). Mercury study report to the congress, volume V: Health effects of mercury and mercury compounds. Washington, DC, USA: USEPA.

  • USEPA. (2007). Method 7473: Mercury in solids and solutions by thermal decomposition, amalgamation, and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Washington, DC.

  • Vendeland, S. C., Deagen, J. T., Butler, J. A., & Whanger, P. D. (1994). Uptake of selenite, selenomethionine and selenate by brush border membrane vesicles isolated from rat small intestine. BioMetals, 7, 305–312.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, J., Li, H., Yang, L., et al. (2016). Distribution and translocation of selenium from soil to highland barley in the Tibetan plateau Kashin–Beck disease area. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 39(1), 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whanger, P. D. (2001). Selenium and the brain: A review. Nutritional Neuroscience, 4(2), 81–97.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu, S., Zhang, X., Lv, H., et al. (2013). Selenium levels inside and outside environment of Jinlin Province Kashin–Beck disease area. Chinese Journal of Control of Endemic Diseases, 28, 340–342. (in Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang, D. Y., Chen, Y. W., Gunn, J. M., & Belzile, N. (2008). Selenium, mercury in organisms: Interactions and mechanisms. Environmental Review, 16, 71−92.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, J., Tong, W., Wu, C., & Liu, C. (2010). Selenium level surveillance for the year 2007 of Keshan disease in endemic areas and analysis on surveillance results between 2003 and 2007. Biological Trace Element Research, 138(1–3), 53–59.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, L. (2009). Study on the human hair mercury levels in the residents living in the different function regions in Qingdao and influence factors. Journal of Safety & Environment, 9(4), 95–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H., Feng, X., Chan, H. M., & Larssen, T. (2014). New insights into traditional health risk assessments of mercury exposure: Implications of selenium. Environmental Science and Technology, 48(2), 1206–1212.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, H., Feng, X., Zhu, J., et al. (2012). Selenium in soil inhibits mercury uptake and translocation in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Environmental Science and Technology, 46, 10040–10046.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, J., Feng, X., Liu, H., et al. (2013). Examination of total mercury inputs by precipitation and litterfall in a remote upland forest of Southwestern China. Atmospheric Environment, 81, 364–372.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou, J., Wang, Z., Sun, T., et al. (2016). Mercury in terrestrial forested systems with highly elevated mercury deposition in southwestern China: The risk to insects and potential release from wildfires. Environmental Pollution, 212, 188–196.

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, J. H., Yang, J., & Xin-Ke, H. E. (2010). Investigation on selenium levels of food supplies and people in Keshan disease area of Shaanxi Province. Chinese Journal of Control of Endemic Diseases, 6, 438–440. (in Chinese with English Abstract).

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, W., Li, R., Yang, L., et al. (1995). Study on the Kashin–Beck disease and selenium in ecological environment of Ankang, Shaanxi. Chinese Journal of Endemiology, 3, 191–193.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

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.

Author information

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

Authors
  1. Buyun Du
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jun Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jing Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Jun Zhou or Jing Zhou.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 18 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

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

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0033-4

Keywords

  • Endemic diseases
  • Hair samples
  • Staple food
  • Probable daily intake
  • Se–Hg interactions