Enshi is a high selenium (Se) region in Hubei, China, where human selenosis was observed between 1958 and 1963. This study investigated the daily dietary Se intake of residents in Shadi, a town located 72 km northeast of Enshi City, to assess the risk of human selenosis in the high Se area. Foods consumed typically by the local residents and their hair samples were analyzed for total Se concentration. Concentrations of Se in different diet categories were as follows: cereals: 0.96 ± 0.90 mg kg⁻¹ DW in rice and 0.43 ± 0.55 mg kg⁻¹ DW in corn; tuber: 0.28 ± 0.56 mg kg⁻¹ in potato and 0.36 ± 0.12 mg kg⁻¹ in sweet potato; vegetables: ranging from 0.23 ± 1.00 mg kg⁻¹ in carrot to 1.57 ± 1.06 mg kg⁻¹ in kidney bean; animal proteins: 1.99 ± 1.11 mg kg⁻¹ in chicken and egg. Based on the food Se concentrations and the daily per-capita consumption, the estimated daily Se intake in Shadi was 550 ± 307 µg per capita. Moreover, the Se concentrations in the hairs of local adult residents were 3.13 ± 1.91 mg kg⁻¹ (n = 122) and 2.21 ± 1.14 mg kg⁻¹ (n = 122) for females and males, respectively, suggesting that females might be exposed to higher levels of Se from daily cooking. Although there was no human selenosis occurrence in recent years, the high level of the daily Se intake suggested that the potential risk of selenosis for local residents, especially females, might be a matter of concern.

Cereals and soybeans are the main food sources for the majority of Chinese. This study evaluated the effects of four common cooking methods including steaming, boiling, frying, and milking on selenium (Se) content and speciation in seven selenium bio-fortified cereals and soybeans samples. The Se concentrations in the selected samples ranged from 0.91 to 110.8 mg/kg and selenomethionine (SeMet) was detected to be the main Se species. Total Se loss was less than 8.1% during the processes of cooking except milking, while 49.1% of the total Se was lost in milking soybean for soy milk due to high level of Se in residuals. It was estimated that about 13.5, 24.0, 3.1, and 46.9% of SeMet were lost during the processes of steaming, boiling, frying, and milking, respectively. Meanwhile, selenocystine (SeCys₂) and methylselenocysteine (SeMeCys) were lost completely from the boiled cereals. Hence, steaming and frying were recommended to cook Se-biofortified cereals in order to minimize the loss of Se.

This greenhouse study evaluated the use of drinking-water-treatment residuals (WTRs) to reduce the bioavailability of metals in the biosolid-amended agricultural alkaline soils. Results showed that increasing the application rate of biosolids increased the accumulation of lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and cadmium (Cd) in corn (Zea mays cv. single hybride 10), with greater metal concentrations in roots than in shoots. However, the addition of WTRs (1–4%, w/w) to the soil amended with 3% biosolids significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the concentrations of soil diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable metals. The accumulation of Pb, Ni, Cu, and Cd in corn significantly correlated with the DTPA-extractable metal concentrations in the soils. Plant metal concentrations were significantly affected by the soil type, application rates of biosolids and WTRs, and the ratio of WTRs to biosolids in the soils. The 1:1 application ratio of WTRs to biosolids at the 3% application rate effectively reduced the accumulation of metals in corn tissues.