Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Selenium geochemical distribution in the environment and predicted human daily dietary intake in northeastern Qinghai, China

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ping’an is a selenium (Se)-rich region located in northeastern Qinghai Province of China. To better understand the selenium geochemical distribution and its potential ecological effects, this field study investigated the Se distribution in the local environment, soil Se bioavailability, and the daily dietary Se intake of Ping’an residents. Concentrations of total Se were determined in soil, plant, water, and food samples. Results showed that Ping’an is generally a Se-rich region in China. High-Se soil mainly distributes in the north of Hongshuiquan Town in the study region. Se concentration in 43 plant samples varied significantly from not detected (nd) to 904 μg/kg, following a descending order of pasture > grain > vegetable > fruit, which was much lower than other regions in China. The drinking water Se concentrations were also significantly lower than the European and Chinese surface water Se standards of 10 and 50 μg/L. The predicted daily dietary Se intake (48 ± 20 μg per person) in Ping’an met the demand of the WHO-recommended Se amount of 55 μg per person. The Se content is high in soil, but low in different kinds of plants and Se intake, indicating that Se that can be taken up by plants was very low. The K2HPO4–KH2PO4-extractable Se in the soil accounted for only 3 % of the total soil Se, indicating that a low soil bioavailable Se might result in low Se accumulation in plant tissues in Ping’an. This might be due to the influences of geochemistry and the inherent properties of the parent materials of these soils. Therefore, further studies need to focus on better understanding the process and influential factors to soil Se bioavailability to successfully utilize the soil Se resource in low-Se-availability areas.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Public Health Association (APHA) (1998) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater (20th edn). United Book, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Aro A, Kumpulainen J, Alfthan G, Voshchenko AV, Ivanov VN (1994) Factors affecting the selenium intake of people in Transbaikalian Russia. Biol Trace Elem Res 40(3):277–285. doi:10.1007/BF02950800

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Appleton JD, Zhang QL, Green KA (2006) Selenium in soil, grain, human hair and drinking water in relation to esophageal cancer in the Cixian area, Hebei Province, People’s Republic of China. Appl Geochem 21(4):684–700. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2005.12.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bajaj M, Eiche E, Neumann T, Winter J, Gallert C (2011) Hazardous concentrations of selenium in soil and groundwater in northwest India. J Hazard Mater 189(3):640–646. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2011.01.086

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beladel B, Nedjimi B, Mansouri A, Tahtat D, Belamri M, Tchanchane A, Khelfaoui F, Benamar MEA (2013) Selenium content in wheat and estimation of the selenium daily intake in different regions of Algeria. Appl Radiat Isot 71(1):7–10. doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2012.09.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cao ZH, Wang XC, Yao DH, Zhang XL, Wong MH (2001) Selenium geochemistry of paddy soils in Yangtze River Delta. Environ Int 26(5–6):335–339. doi:10.1016/S0160-4120(01)00009-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen DJ (2012) Geochemical characteristics of selenium in Zoige. Dissertation, Chengdu University of Technology 4:70–76 (in Chinese)

  • China Environmental Monitoring Station (1990) Soil element background values of China. Environmental Science, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinese Nutrition Society (2001) Chinese dietary reference intakes. China Light Industry, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi Y, Kim J, Lee HS, Kim C, Hwang IK, Park HK, Oh CH (2009) Selenium content in representative Korean foods. J Food Compos Anal 22(2):117–122. doi:10.1016/j.jfca.2008.11.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Temmerman L, Waegeneers N, Thiry C, Du Laing G, Tack F, Ruttens A (2014) Selenium content of Belgian cultivated soils and its uptake by field crops and vegetables. Sci Total Environ 468–469:77–82. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.08.016

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dissanayake CB, Chandrajith R (2009) Introduction to medical geology: focus on tropical environments. Springer, Berlin, pp 205–222. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-00485-8

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Dumont E, Vanhaecke F, Cornelis R (2006) Selenium speciation from food source to metabolites: a critical review. Anal Bioanal Chem 385(7):1304–1323. doi:10.1007/s00216-006-0529-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barron E, Migeot V, Séby F, Ingrand I, Potin-Gautier M, Legube B, Rabouan S (2012) Selenium exposure in subjects living in areas with high selenium concentrated drinking water: results of a French integrated exposure assessment survey. Environ Int 40:155–161. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2011.07.007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang WX, Wu PW (2004) Elevated selenium and other mineral element concentrations in soil and plant tissue in bone coal sites in Haoping area, Ziyang County, China. Plant Soil 261:135–146. doi:10.1023/B:PLSO.0000035580.32406.e3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fang WX, Wu PW, Hu RZ (2003) Environmental Se–Mo–B deficiency and its possible effects on crops and Keshan–Beck disease (KBD) in the Chousang area, Yao county, Shaanxi Province, China. Environ Geochem Health 25:267–280. doi:10.1023/A:1023271403310

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce FM (2013) Selenium deficiency and toxicity in the environment. Essentials of medical geology. Springer, Netherlands, pp 375–416. doi:10.1007/978-9 4-007-4375-5_16

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce F (2005) Selenium deficiency and toxicity in the environment. Essentials of medical geology. Academic, London, pp 373–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Fordyce FM, Guangdi Z, Green K, Xinping L (2000) Soil, grain and water chemistry in relation to human selenium-responsive diseases in Enshi District, China. Appl Geochem 15(1):117–132. doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(99)00035-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frankanberger JWT, Benson S (1994) Selenium in the environment. Marcel Dekker, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabos MB, Alleoni LRF, Abreu CA (2014) Background levels of selenium in some selected Brazilian tropical soils. J Geochem Explor 145:35–39. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2014.05.007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao J, Liu Y, Huang Y, Lin ZQ, Bañuelos GS et al (2011) Daily selenium intake in a moderate selenium deficiency area of Suzhou, China. Food Chem 126(3):1088–1093. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.11.137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes WC, Richter D, Alkan Z (2013) Dietary selenium supplementation and whole blood gene expression in healthy north American men. Biol Trace Elem Res 155(2):201–208. doi:10.1007/s12011-013-9786-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkesford MJ, Zhao FJ (2007) Strategies for increasing the selenium content of wheat. J Cereal Sci 46(3):282–292. doi:10.1016/j.jcs.2007.02.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He ZL, Zhang MK, Wang CY (1994) Studies on the status and availability of selenium in soils in Shenxian, Zhejiang Province. Acta Ecol Sin 14(1):51–56 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Hidekazu Y, Ayumi K (2009) Total selenium content of agricultural soils in Japan. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 55:616–622. doi:10.1111/j.1747-0765.2009.00397.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hira CK, Partal K, Dhillon KS (2004) Dietary selenium intake by men and women in high and low selenium areas of Punjab. Public Health Nutr 7(1):39–43. doi:10.1079/PHN2003513

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang J, Wu JL, Li TJ (2011) Effect of exposure to trace elements in the soil on the prevalence of neural tube defects in a high-risk area of China. Biomed Environ Sci 24(2):94–101. doi:10.3967/0895-3988.2011.02.002

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang SS, Hua M, Feng JS (2009) Assessment of selenium pollution in agricultural soils in the Xuzhou district, northwest Jiangsu, China. J Environ Sci 21:481–487. doi:10.1016/s1001-0742(08)62295-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Wang QX, Gao J, Lin ZQ, Bañuelos GS, Yuan LX, Yin XB (2013) Daily dietary selenium intake in a high selenium area of Enshi, China. Nutrients 5(3):700–710. doi:10.3390/nu5030700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hurst R, Siyame EWP, Young SD et al (2013) Soil-type influences human selenium status and underlies widespread selenium deficiency risks in Malawi. Sci Rep 3:1425. doi:10.1038/srep01425

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs LW (1990) Selenium in agriculture and the environment. Soil Sci 149(2):121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson CC, Fordyce FM, Rayman MP (2010) Symposium on ‘Geographical and geological influences on nutrition’: factors controlling the distribution of selenium in the environment and their impact on health and nutrition. Proc Nutr Soc 69(1):119–132. doi:10.1017/S0029665109991807

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keskinen R, Ekholm P, Yli-Halla M, Hartikainen H (2009) Efficiency of different methods in extracting selenium from agricultural soils of Finland. Geoderma 153(1–2):87–93. doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2009.07.014

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kulp TR, Pratt LM (2004) Speciation and weathering of selenium in upper cretaceous chalk and shale from South Dakota and Wyoming, USA. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 68(18):3687–3701. doi:10.1016/j.gca.2004.03.008

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen EH, Andersen NL, Møller A, Petersen A, Mortensen GK, Petersen J (2002) Monitoring the content and intake of trace elements from food in Denmark. Food Addit Contam 19(1):33–46. doi:10.1080/02652030110087447

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin XM, Yang XW, Yang DX, Guo W, Jiang NZ, Chen JX (2009) Study of soil selenium in tea garden in Fujian province. Chem Eng Equip 12:31–33 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lisk DJ (1972) Trace metals in soils, plants, and animals. Adv Agron 24:267–3259. doi:10.1016/S0065-2113(08)60637-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ma BY, Zhang XL (2000) Regional ecological risk assessment of selenium in Jilin. Sci Total Environ 262:103–110. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00588-X

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Q, Ji BY, Zhang YF, Reng WK, Dai L, Huang BX (2012) Geochemical characteristics of selenium in soils and organisms in the east of Qinghai Province. Adv Earth Sci 27(10):1148–1152 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Health of the People’s Republic of China (2010) GB 5009.93-2010, National food safety standard Determination of selenium in foods. China Standards, Beijing, in Chinese

    Google Scholar 

  • Miyazaki Y, Koyama H, Nojiri M, Suzuki S (2002) Relationship of dietary intake of fish and non-fish selenium to serum lipids in Japanese rural coastal community. J Trace Elem Med Biol 16(2):83–90. doi:10.1016/S0946-672X(02)80033-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nazemi L, Nazmara S, Eshraghyan MR, Nasseri S, Djafarian K et al (2012) Selenium status in soil, water and essential crops of Iran. Iran J Environ Health Sci Eng 9:11. doi:10.1186/1735-2746-9-11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Neal RH (1995) Selenium. Blackie Academic & Professional, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Qin HB, Zhu JM, Liang L, Wang MS, Su H (2013) The bioavailability of selenium and risk assessment for human selenium poisoning in high-Se areas, China. Environ Int 52:66–74. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2012.12.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qinghai bureau of statistics (2012) Qinghai Statistical Yearbook. China Statistics, Beijing (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Rayman MP (2012) Selenium and human health. Lancet 379(9822):1256–1268. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(11)61452-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reid ME, Duf field-Lillico AJ, Slate E, Natarajan N, Turnbull B, Jacobs E et al (2008) The nutritional prevention of cancer: 400 mcg per day selenium treatment. Nutr Cancer 60(2):155–163. doi:10.1080/01635580701684856

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryu JH, Gao SD, Tanji K (2011) Accumulation and speciation of selenium in evaporation basins in California, USA. J Geochem Explor 110(2):216–224. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2011.05.011

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shand CA, Eriksson J, Dahlin AS, Lumsdon DG (2012) Selenium concentrations in national inventory soils from Scotland and Sweden and their relationship with geochemical factors. J Geochem Explor 121:4–14. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2012.06.001

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shao SX, Zheng BS (2008) The biogeochemistry of selenium in Sunan grassland, Gansu, Northwest China, casts doubt on the belief that Marco Polo reported selenosis for the first time in history. Environ Geochem Health 30(4):307–314. doi:10.1007/s10653-008-9166-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sigrist M, Brusa L, Campagnoli D, Beldomenico H (2012) Determination of selenium in selected food samples from Argentina and estimation of their contribution to the Se dietary intake. Food Chem 134(4):1932–1937. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2012.03.116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Swaine DJ (1955) The trace element content of soils. Commonwealth Agricultural Burearux, England

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan JA, Huang YJ (1991) Selenium in geo-ecosystem and its relation to endemic diseases in China. Water Air Soil Pollut 57(1):59–68. doi:10.1007/BF00282869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tan JA, Zhu WY, Wang WY (2002) Selenium in soil and endemic diseases in China. Sci Total Environ 284(1):227–235. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(01)00889-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tan JA (1989) The atlas of endemic diseases and their environments in the People’s Republic of China. Science, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Tapiero H, Townsend DM, Tew KD (2003) The antioxidant role of selenium and seleno-compounds. Biomed Pharmacother 57(3–4):134–144. doi:10.1016/S0753-3322(03)00035-0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • US Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2000) Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids. National Academy, Washington DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Vinceti M, Crespi CM, Bonvicini F, Malagoli C et al (2013) The need for a reassessment of the safe upper limit of selenium in drinking water. Sci Total Environ 443:633–642. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.025

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Waegeneers N, Thiry C, De Temmerman L, Ruttens A (2013) Predicted dietary intake of selenium by the general adult population in Belgium. Food Addit Contam A 30(2):278–285. doi:10.1080/19440049.2012.746474

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Li H, Li Y, Yu J, Yang L, Feng F, Chen Z (2013) Speciation, distribution, and bioavailability of soil selenium in the Tibetan Plateau Kashin-Beck disease area—a case study in Songpan County, Sichuan Province, China. Biol Trace Elem Res 156(1–3):367–375. doi:10.1007/s12011-013-9822-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang SS, Liang DL, Wang D, Wei W, Fu DD, Lin ZQ (2012) Selenium fractionation and speciation in agriculture soils and accumulation in corn (Zea mays L.) under field conditions in Shaanxi Province, China. Sci Total Environ 427:159–164. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.03.091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZJ, Gao YX (2001) Biogeochemical cycling of selenium in Chinese environments. Appl Geochem 16:1345–1351. doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(01)00046-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wei DC (2005) Selenium content in food in Croatia. Foreign Med Sci (Section of Medgeography) 26(1):11–13 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (1996) Trace elements in human n nutrition and health. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Yadav SK, Singh I, Singh D, Han SD (2005) Selenium status in soils of northern districts of India. J Environ Manag 75(2):129–132. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2004.11.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang GQ, Wang SZ, Zhou RH, Sun SZ (1983) Endemic selenium intoxication of humans in China. Am J Clin Nutr 37(5):872–881

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu GH, Zhang L, He SY, Wen YM, Dong HY, Luo HP (2007) Daily selenium intake of various resident populations in Guangzhou. Acta Sci Circum Stantiae 27(6):1043–1048 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yu T, Yang ZF, Lv YY, Hou QY, Xia XQ, Feng HY, Zhang M, Jin LX, Kan ZZ (2014) The origin and geochemical cycle of soil selenium in a Se-rich area of China. J Geochem Explor 139:97–108. doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2013.09.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yuan JS, Shu SG, Liu HQ, Yan HZ (1996) Investigation and analysis on the relationship between blood selenium content and food selenium intake among people in Qinghai Province. J Environ Health 13(5):220–222 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yuan LX, Yin XB, Zhu YY, et al. (2012) Selenium in plants and soils, and selenosis in Enshi, China: implications for selenium biofortification. Phytoremediation and biofortification. SpringerBriefs in Molecular Science, pp. 7–31. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-1439-7_2

  • Zhang BJ, Yang LS, Wang WY (2011) Environmental selenium in the Kaschin–Beck disease area, Tibetan Plateau, China. Environ Geochem Health 33(5):495–501. doi:10.1007/s10653-010-9366-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang LL, Lv JG, Liao CY (2012) Dietary exposure estimates of 14 trace elements in Xuanwei and Fuyuan, two high lung cancer incidence areas in China. Biol Trace Elem Res 146(3):287–292. doi:10.1007/s12011-011-9252-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao CY (2005) Study on the relationship between soil selenium and plant selenium uptake. Plant Soil 277(1–2):197–206. doi:10.1007/s11104-005-7011-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu JM, Johnson TM, Finkelman RB, Zheng BS, Sýkorová I, Pešek J (2012) The occurrence and origin of selenium minerals in Se-rich stone coals, spoils and their adjacent soils in Yutangba, China. Chem Geol 330–331:27–38. doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.08.023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu JM, Wang N, Li SH, Li L, Su HC, Liu CX (2008) Distribution and transport of selenium in Yutangba, China: impact of human activities. Sci Total Environ 392:252–261. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.12.019

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors thank for the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41171379, to D. Liang) and the Innovative Research Team Program of Northwest A&F University. We thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, College of Resource and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Dasong Yu, Dongli Liang & Lingming Lei

  2. Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and the Agri-environment in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Dasong Yu, Dongli Liang & Lingming Lei

  3. Soil and Fertilizer Institute, Qinghai Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, 810016, China

    Rong Zhang & Xiaofeng Sun

  4. Environmental Sciences Program and Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, IL, 62026-1099, USA

    Zhiqing Lin

Authors
  1. Dasong Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dongli Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Lingming Lei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rong Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Xiaofeng Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Zhiqing Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dongli Liang.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yu, D., Liang, D., Lei, L. et al. Selenium geochemical distribution in the environment and predicted human daily dietary intake in northeastern Qinghai, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 11224–11235 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4310-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4310-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation