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Minerals

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Minerals are essential nutrients that the human body needs in small amounts to work properly. They play a vital role in many bodily functions, such as building strong bones and transmitting nerve impulses. Some minerals are needed for hormone production or to maintain a normal heartbeat. Major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesium, while trace minerals include iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium.

Vitamins

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Vitamins, derived from the Latin word for life, are essential organic substances required in small quantities for optimal growth and overall well-being. Unlike other organic nutrients, vitamins don't act as sources of energy or building materials but rather facilitate these nutrients' utilization by the body. Vitamins are predominantly coenzymes, assisting enzymes in specific chemical actions, like the oxidation of glucose for energy involving B vitamins. Most vitamins are not produced in our...

Toxic Reactions: Overview

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When toxic substances penetrate the human body, they disseminate to various tissues, undergoing metabolic changes. This process yields reactive metabolites that may covalently bind with specific target molecules, resulting in toxicity.
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The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

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Periodic Table Provides Information...

The Periodic Table and Organismal Elements

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Drug toxicities can be stratified into pharmacological, pathological, or genotoxic based on their mechanisms. The incidence and severity of these toxicities generally increase with the drug's concentration in the body and exposure time.Pharmacological toxicity is evident when the therapeutic effects of drugs overshoot into adverse reactions in a predictable, dose-dependent manner. Central nervous system (CNS) depression from barbiturates is a classic example, with effects escalating from...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

Published on: June 21, 2015

Acute selenium toxicity associated with a dietary supplement.

Jennifer K MacFarquhar¹, Danielle L Broussard, Paul Melstrom

¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Archives of Internal Medicine

|February 10, 2010

Summary

A widespread selenium poisoning outbreak occurred due to a contaminated liquid dietary supplement. Over 200 individuals experienced toxicity symptoms, including fatigue and hair loss, from excessive selenium intake.

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Lethality Bioassay Using Artemia salina L.

Lethality Bioassay Using Artemia salina L.

Published on: October 11, 2022

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Removal of Trace Elements by Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles from Uranium In Situ Recovery Bleed Water and Its Effect on Cell Viability

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Published on: June 21, 2015

Lethality Bioassay Using Artemia salina L.

Lethality Bioassay Using Artemia salina L.

Published on: October 11, 2022

Area of Science:

Toxicology
Public Health
Nutritional Science

Background:

Selenium is an essential element with narrow therapeutic and toxic ranges.
High doses of selenium can lead to acute and chronic toxicity.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate an outbreak of acute selenium poisoning linked to a dietary supplement.
To identify the source, characteristics, and health effects of the outbreak.

Main Methods:

Case definition established for selenium toxicity symptoms post-supplement ingestion.
Case finding, questionnaires (initial and 90-day follow-up), and laboratory data collection were employed.
Analysis of supplement composition and patient serum/urine selenium levels.

Main Results:

A liquid dietary supplement was identified as the source, containing 200x the labeled selenium concentration.
201 cases were identified across 10 states, with symptoms including diarrhea, fatigue, hair loss, and joint pain.
Persistent symptoms (≥90 days) included nail discoloration/loss, fatigue, and hair loss. Elevated serum and urine selenium levels confirmed toxicity.

Conclusions:

Toxic levels of selenium in a dietary supplement caused a significant public health outbreak.
Stricter manufacturing standards, similar to pharmaceuticals, could potentially prevent such incidents.