Selenium status of urban residents on the territory of the Crimean peninsula

Abstract

Introduction. Considering the essential biological role of selenium, including its role in preventing cardiovascular diseases and its widespread deficit in soils, assessing selenium status for Crimean region inhabitants is an actual task. Material and methods. Determination of selenium content in hair as index the of long-term element’s intake into the human body by all pathways were determined by the fluorometric method in 46 inhabitants (18-20 years old) from city Simferopol. Additionally, the selenium was determined in water and food products in Simferopol and nearby residential territories. Results. Selenium content in most residents’ hair varied from 210 to 309 mcg/kg and 12-40% less than the normal range’s lower limit. These results show the selenium deficiency in urban residents from the Crimean region, mainly due to the low content of this element in cereal products and, to a less degree, - in water. However, most food products, which are the primary source of selenium in Crimean inhabitants’ diet, are delivered from other Russian regions. So it’s possible to assess the selenium supply of inhabitants, but it is not possible to make a total conclusion about the selenium status of the region. Conclusion. The revealed deficiency of selenium in Crimean region inhabitants and the literature data about the positive and close relationship between hyposelenosis and the quality of public health requires the extensive monitoring of the selenium content in soils and crop production the Crimean peninsula territory.