Distribution of Selenium in Soils and Human Health

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is essential as well as a toxic element for humans and animals if it exceeds a certain limit. Soil selenium plays an important role through the food chain. Total selenium in world soils ranges from 0.125 to 0.3 mg kg−1 and varies with the soils’ nature. High and low selenium in soils also poses serious environmental and health risks. However, in addition to selenium’s overall quantity in soil, selenium reactivity, and bioavailability also depend on its chemical structure. The amount of available selenium in the soil varies depending on its oxidation state since selenium species include selenide (Se2−), elemental selenium (Se0), selenite (Seo32−), selenate (Seo42−). The pH, soil texture, amount of organic matter, and the presence of competing ions are the four most significant soil characteristics that affect Se availability. Similarly, selenium uptake and accumulation are influenced by the crop type whether it is an accumulator or not. The selenium environmental and health risk assessment is necessary to evaluate in soils with high selenium contents and crops with higher selenium uptake. Whereas in areas where selenium deficiency is observed or vulnerable to selenium, deficiency needs to be supplemented through Se inputs. The selenium deficiency and toxicity areas should be monitored carefully from a health perspective.