title: Effect of atmospheric mercury deposition on selenium accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.) at a mercury mining region in southwestern China.
abstract: Selenium (Se) is an important trace element for human nutrition and has an interactive effect on mercury (Hg) uptake by plants and Hg toxicity in animals. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the dominant source of dietary Se in China, however the effect of soil Hg contamination on the Se concentration in rice is unknown. We collected 29 whole rice plant samples and corresponding soils from an active artisanal mercury mining area and an abandoned commercial mercury mining area. The soil Se concentration was similar across the two mining areas and greater than the background concentration for China. However, the Se concentration in rice grain was dramatically different (artisanal area 51±3 ng g(-1); abandoned area 235±99 ng g(-1)). The total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentration in ambient air at the artisanal mining site was significantly greater than at the abandoned area (231 and 34 ng m(-3), respectively) and we found a negative correlation between TGM and the Se concentration in grain for the artisanal area. Principal component analysis indicated that the source of Se in rice was the atmosphere for the artisanal area (no contribution from soil), and both the atmosphere and soil for the abandoned area. We propose that TGM falls to soil and reacts with Se, inhibiting the translocation of Se to rice grain. Our data suggest that Se intake by the artisanal mining community is insufficient to meet Se dietary requirements, predisposing this community to greater risk from Hg poisoning.
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.|‡Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Zhang
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.
authors: Guangle
authors: G
authors: Qiu
authors: §Soil and Earth Sciences, Institute of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4474, New Zealand.
authors: Christopher W N
authors: CW
authors: Anderson
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.|∥Contaminants in Aquatic Environments, Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalleen 21, Oslo 0349, Norway.
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Zhang
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Meng
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.|‡Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
authors: Liang
authors: L
authors: Liang
authors: †State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, P.R. China.
authors: Xinbin
authors: X
authors: Feng
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008628:Mercury / Q000737:chemistry*; D008906:Mining; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry*; D012643:Selenium / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D008628:Mercury; D012643:Selenium