Exposure of man to environmental selenium - an exposure commitment assessment

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Toxicology
• Human Health

Background:

• Selenium occurs naturally in soil and is released by industrial activities like fossil fuel combustion.
• Both selenium deficiency and excess intake can cause adverse health effects in humans and animals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate human exposure to selenium using environmental and human concentration data.
• To perform a pathway analysis of selenium exposure using the exposure commitment method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized representative environmental and human selenium concentration data.
• Applied the exposure commitment method for pathway analysis.
• Estimated dietary and inhalation intake contributions to body burden.

Main Results:

• Estimated mean dietary selenium intake at approximately 70 micrograms per day.
• Calculated an estimated mean body selenium content of 7 mg, with 80% absorption and 90% retention.
• Determined inhalation intake contributes significantly less to the overall body burden compared to dietary intake.

Conclusions:

• Dietary intake is the dominant pathway for human selenium exposure.
• The exposure evaluation provides a framework for assessing total selenium in the environment and humans.
• Methodology allows for adjustments based on specific selenium compounds and exposure conditions.