title: Selenium level in the environment and the population of Zhoukoudian area, Beijing, China.
abstract: The objective of this study was to detect the selenium level in the environment and the population of Zhoukoudian area, Beijing, and to discuss the influence of various factors on serum selenium level. The soil, drinking water, and foodstuff samples and venous blood samples of 401 individuals were obtained to determine the selenium level by gas chromatograph equipped with a (63)Ni electron capture detector (ECD). The selenium level was 0.210+/-0.013 microg/g in soil, 0.017 microg/L+/-0.002 in drinking water, 0.034+/-0.002 microg/g in rice, and 0.034+/-0.012 microg/g in wheat flour. This index showed that the Zhoukoudian area of Beijing was a moderate or marginal level selenium ecological landscape. The mean serum selenium level of the population was 75.01+/-28.35 microg/L, ranging between 35.2 and 160.4 microg/L. A total of 279 (69.6%) individuals exhibited serum selenium level below 80 microg/L, which is the lowest threshold for the activity of glutathione peroxidases (GPx) in vivo. A total of 35 (8.5%) individuals exhibited serum selenium level below 45 microg/L. It is widely recommended that below this value (45 microg/L) there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum selenium level was positively associated with body mass index (beta=0.137; P=0.011), serum total cholesterol TC (beta=0.785; P=0.000), however, negatively associated with systolic blood pressure (beta=-0.172; P=0.023), serum triglyceride (beta=-0.170; P=0.007), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (beta=-0.121; P=0.027), and low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (beta=-0.568; P=0.027).
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083, PR China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhidong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Degang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Dafang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yonghua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D012737:Sex Factors; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D012643:Selenium