Soil Selenium and Longevity: A Multi-scale Spatial Analysis in China

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geochemistry
• Public Health

Background:

• Selenium (Se) is a vital trace element for human health and longevity.
• The spatial relationship between soil Se content and longevity is not well understood across diverse scales.
• Understanding this link is crucial for public health and environmental management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spatial association between soil Se content and human longevity in China.
• To compare this association at national and regional scales using various statistical methods.
• To identify geographical areas with significant Se-longevity correlations.

Main Methods:

• Employed traditional statistical methods (Pearson correlation, OLS regression).
• Utilized spatial statistical methods including Moran's I, Spatial Lag Model (SLM), and Spatial Error Model (SEM).
• Analyzed data from national and six representative regional scales in China.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation between soil Se and longevity was found nationally, with spatial clustering.
• High-Se/high-longevity clusters were observed in southern China, low-Se/low-longevity in northern China.
• SEM demonstrated superior performance nationally (R² = 0.31), while SLM excelled regionally (Lianzhou/Yingde, R² = 0.87), indicating scale-dependent spatial dependencies.

Conclusions:

• Soil Se content is positively associated with human longevity, particularly in regions with suitable Se levels.
• Spatial statistical models are effective in elucidating Se-longevity relationships at different scales.
• Scale-dependent spatial dependencies (error vs. lag) influence the observed associations.