Selenium (Se) is an important micronutrient for living organisms, since it is involved in several physiological and metabolic processes. Se intake in humans is often low and very seldom excessive, and its bioavailability depends also on its chemical form, with organic Se as the most available after ingestion. The main dietary source of Se for humans is represented by plants, since many species are able to metabolize and accumulate organic Se in edible parts to be consumed directly (leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and sprouts) or after processing (oil, wine, etc.). Countless studies have recently investigated the Se biofortification of plants to produce Se-enriched foods and elicit the production of secondary metabolites, which may benefit human health when incorporated into the diet. Moreover, feeding animals Se-rich diets may provide Se-enriched meat. This work reviews the most recent literature on the nutraceutical profile of Se-enriched foods from plant and animal sources.

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A study was undertaken to assess the level of selected trace elements namely, As, Bi, Sb and Se in airborne particulate matter collected on ash-free glass-fibre filters from urban and industrial areas of Argentina. For sample digestion, a simple acid treatment with HCl + HF is proposed with the aim to minimize contamination and reduce sample treatment steps. A flow injection-hydride generation system in combination with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was used. While, Se and Bi could be determined directly from the digest, As and Sb needed a pre-reduction with KI, and H 3 BO 3 to avoid the interference of F À ions that may cause losses via volatile compounds such as AsF 3 and Sb(V) complexes. Limits of detection (3s) of 0.3 ng m À3 for As; 0.09 ng m À3 for Bi, and 0.1 ng m À3 for Sb and Se were achieved. Precision resulted in better than 6.1% accuracy for all the elements determined. Accuracy test was assessed by means of the certified reference material, NIST 1648 (urban particulate matter).

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