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Sample records for selenium tellurium silver

  1. Polarographic determination of selenium and tellurium in silver-gold alloys

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gornostaeva, T.D.; Shmargun, S.V.

    1986-01-01

    The determination of selenium and tellurium is of importance in monitoring the composition of silver-gold alloys (SGA) since these elements are harmful impurities in the pure metals. Tellurium is determined in silver alloys by atomic absorption and atomic emmission methods; selenium determination is made by atomic absorption methods. This paper examines the polarographic determination of silver and tellurium in SGA containing platinum metals and copper. Copper and the bulk of the platinum and palladium were removed by precipitating selenium and tellurium with potassium hypophosphite in the elementary state from 6 M HC1. The results of an analysis of samples of SGA according to the proposed method were compared with the results obtained by the atomic absorption method. the relative deviation in the determination of 0.02-1.0% by weight selenium and tellurium does not exceed 0.12 (n = 5)

  2. Selenium and tellurium reagents in organic synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Comasseto, J.V.

    1984-01-01

    A review of the contribution of the University of Sao Paulo (SP, Brazil) to the organic synthesis of selenium and tellurium reagents is made. Major reactions amoung selenium compounds and insaturated substrates, phosphorus, ester enolates as well as the use of phase transference catalysed reactions to produce arylselenolate are described. For tellurium, interactions of its compounds with organic substrates and reactive intermediates (e.g. benzino diazomethane) are reported. (C.L.B.) [pt

  3. Comparison between selenium and tellurium clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benamar, A.; Rayane, D.; Tribollet, B.; Broyer, M.; Melinon, P.

    1991-01-01

    Selenium and tellurium clusters are produced by the inert gas condensation technique. The mass spectra of both species are completely different and reveal different properties. In selenium, a periodicity of 6-7 is observed and may be interpreted by the binding energy between small cyclic molecules. Moreover, it was very difficult to obtained large clusters probably because the binding energy between these molecules is very small. In tellurium, these periodic structures do not exist and large clusters are easily obtained in nucleation conditions where only small selenium clusters are present. These results are discussed and a simple nucleation model is used to illustrate this different behavior. Finally these clusters properties are correlated to the bulk structure of both materials. (orig.)

  4. Sulfur, selenium, tellurium and polonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berry, F.J.

    1987-01-01

    This chapter on the coordination compounds of sulfur, selenium, tellurium and polonium starts with an introduction to the bonding, valence and geometry of the elements. Complexes of the group VIB elements are discussed with particular reference to the halo and pseudohalide complexes, oxo acid complexes, oxygen and nitrogen donor complexes and sulfur and selenium donor complexes. There is a section on the biological properties of the complexes discussed. (UK)

  5. Selenium and tellurium as carbon substitutes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knapp, F.F. Jr.

    1980-01-01

    This review has summarized structure-activity studies with 75 Se- and /sup 123m/Te-labeled radiopharmaceuticals in which the selenium or tellurium heteroatom has been inserted between carbon-carbon bonds. The agents that have been investigated in most detail include steroids for adrenal imaging and long-chain fatty acids, and a variety of other unique agents have also been studied. Because of the great versatility of the organic chemistry of selenium and tellurium, there is continuing interest in the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals labeled with 75 Se, 73 Se, and /sup 123m/Te. There are two important factors which will determine the extent of future interest in such agents. These include the necessity of a decrease in the cost of highly enriched 122 Te to make the reactor production of /sup 123m/Te cost effective. In addition, the potential preparation of large amounts of 73 Se should stimulate the development of 73 Se-labeled radiopharmaceuticals

  6. Determining arsenic in elemental antimony containing selenium and tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mogileva, M.G.; Kozlova, E.L.

    1986-01-01

    The authors have developed a method of determining arsenic in metallic antimony containing selenium, tellurium, and mercury, in which they isolated it in elementary form for separation from the antimony and the associated elements (silicon and phosphorus), followed by colorimetric determination of the arsenic from arsenic-molbdenum blue. The reducing agents to reduce the arsenic were sodium hypophosphite and tin(II) chloride, which do not reduce antimony and which do not interfere with the determination. This method of determining arsenic in metallic antimony without preliminary separation of the selenium and tellurium is in no way inferior in accuracy to the method given in All-Union State Standard (GOST) 1367.4-83

  7. Simultaneous determination of selenium and tellurium in native sulfur by atomic absorption spectrophotometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arikawa, Yoshiko; Hirai, Shoji; Ozawa, Takejiro.

    1979-01-01

    A method for the determination of selenium and tellurium in native sulfur has been investigated by means of atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Native sulfur collected from around fumarole or volcanic crater is ground down into powder, a portion of which weighing 1 g is subjected to analysis. A 2.6% (w/v) sodium hydroxide solution is added by 10 ml to the sample in a teflon beaker, and the mixture is then heated on a hot plate. Sulfur is decomposed and dissolved in the form of disulfide and thiosulfate. A 30% hydrogenperoxide solution is added by 10 ml to oxidize them to sulfate. At the same time selenium and tellurium contained in the sulfur sample are also thought to be oxidized to Se(VI) and Te(VI) states. The solution is neutralized with hydrochloric acid and diluted with distilled water to 100 ml. The sample solution thus prepared is sprayed into the air-acetylene flame of the atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The absorbance is measured at 195.9 nm for selenium and 214.2 nm for tellurium. Calibration curve is prepared by measuring the absorbances of the solutions prepared as follows. One gram portions of pure sulfur (99.9999%) are decomposed as for the samples. After neutralization, standard solutions containing each same amount of selenium and tellurium (0 -- 1000 μg) are added to the sulfur solution and then diluted with water to 100 ml. The standard deviations were estimated to be 50.4 ppm for selenium at 756 ppm and 16.6 ppm for tellurium at 587 ppm. For the check of the reliability of the method, results were compared with those obtained by neutron activation analysis. Results obtained by both methods showed good agreement. (author)

  8. Selenium- or tellurium- containing bile acids and derivatives thereof

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monks, R.; Riley, A.L.M.

    1981-01-01

    This invention relates to the preparation of selenium and tellurium derivatives, particularly γ-emitting radioactive derivatives of bile acids and bile salts. Such compounds are valuable in the examination of body function, especially small bowel function. (author)

  9. The mineralogical characterization of tellurium in copper anodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, T. T.; Dutrizac, J. E.

    1993-12-01

    A mineralogical study of a «normal» commercial copper anode and six tellurium-rich copper anodes from the CCR Refinery of the Noranda Copper Smelting and Refining Company was carried out to identify the tellurium carriers and their relative abundances. In all the anodes, the major tellurium carrier is the Cu2Se-Cu2Te phase which occurs as a constituent of complex inclusions at the copper grain boundaries. In tellurium-rich anodes, the molar tellurium content of the Cu2Se-Cu2Te phase can exceed that of selenium. Although >85 pct of the tellurium occurs as the Cu2Se-Cu2Te phase, minor amounts are present in Cu-Pb-As-Bi-Sb oxide, Cu-Bi-As oxide, and Cu-Te-As oxide phases which form part of the grain-boundary inclusions. About 1 pct of the tellurium content of silver-rich anodes occurs in various silver alloys, but gold tellurides were never detected. Surprising is the fact that 2 to 8 pct of the total tellurium content of the anodes occurs in solid solution in the copper-metal matrix, and presumably, this form of tellurium dissolves at the anode interface during electrorefining.

  10. Liquid-liquid extraction of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium by zinc diethyldithiocarbamate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bajo, S.; Wyttenbach, A.

    1978-03-01

    The authors report the solvent extraction, oxidation, reduction, extraction in the presence of iron, and reextraction of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium. These processes were studied using radioactive tracers. (G.T.H.)

  11. Vaporization studies on elemental tellurium and selenium by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Viswanathan, R., E-mail: rvis1953@gmail.com; Balasubramanian, R., E-mail: rbs@igcar.gov.in; Darwin Albert Raj, D., E-mail: darwinalbertraj1953@gmail.com; Sai Baba, M., E-mail: msb@igcar.gov.in; Lakshmi Narasimhan, T.S., E-mail: tslak@igcar.gov.in

    2014-08-01

    Highlights: • A detailed KEMS study of vaporization of elemental tellurium and selenium systems. • Clusters Te{sub i}(g) (i = 2 to 7) and Se{sub i}(g) (i = 2 to 9) identified over Te(s) and Se(s). • p–T relations for Te{sub i}(g) (590 to 690 K) and Se{sub i}(g) (380 to 480 K). • Vapor phase of Te dominated by Te{sub 2}(g) (∼95%) while that of Se by Se{sub 6}(g) (∼50%) and Se{sub 5}(g) (∼25%). • Sublimation and atomization enthalpies deduced for Te{sub i}(g) and Se{sub i}(g). - Abstract: Vaporization studies on elemental tellurium and selenium were conducted by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry in the temperature range of 590–690 K and 380–480 K, respectively. The ionic species Te{sub i}{sup +} (i = 1–7) and Se{sub i}{sup +}(g) (i = 1–9) were detected in the mass spectra over these two condensed phases. Measurement of ion intensities were performed as a function of electron impact energy and as a function of temperature (at different electron impact energies) for identifying the gaseous precursor species as well as for determining the partial pressure–temperature relations and sublimation enthalpies for these species. While the major species over elemental tellurium was confirmed to be Te{sub 2}(g) (with all other gaseous species Te{sub 3}–Te{sub 7} put together constituting less than 5%), the major species over elemental selenium was found to be Se{sub 6}(g), closely followed by Se{sub 5}(g) (with other gaseous species Se{sub 2}–Se{sub 4} and Se{sub 7}–Se{sub 9} put together also moderately constituting ∼25%). From the partial pressures, the thermodynamic data for the sublimation reactions i Te(s) = Te{sub i}(g) and i Se(s) = Se{sub i}(g) were deduced by second- and third-law methods. The atomization enthalpies of tellurium and selenium clusters were also deduced by using the recommended enthalpies of formation of monomeric species. Comparison of the findings obtained in the present study with those in previous studies revealed

  12. Selenium and tellurium nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piacenza, Elena; Presentato, Alessandro; Zonaro, Emanuele; Lampis, Silvia; Vallini, Giovanni; Turner, Raymond J.

    2018-04-01

    Over the last 40 years, the rapid and exponential growth of nanotechnology led to the development of various synthesis methodologies to generate nanomaterials different in size, shape and composition to be applied in various fields. In particular, nanostructures composed of Selenium (Se) or Tellurium (Te) have attracted increasing interest, due to their intermediate nature between metallic and non-metallic elements, being defined as metalloids. Indeed, this key shared feature of Se and Te allows us the use of their compounds in a variety of applications fields, such as for manufacturing photocells, photographic exposure meters, piezoelectric devices, and thermoelectric materials, to name a few. Considering also that the chemical-physical properties of elements result to be much more emphasized when they are assembled at the nanoscale range, huge efforts have been made to develop highly effective synthesis methods to generate Se- or Te-nanomaterials. In this context, the present book chapter will explore the most used chemical and/or physical methods exploited to generate different morphologies of metalloid-nanostructures, focusing also the attention on the major advantages, drawbacks as well as the safety related to these synthetic procedures.

  13. Ecological aspects of selenium and tellurium in human and animal health

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Frost, D V; Ingvoldstad, D

    1975-01-01

    Animal and human studies indicate that selenium inadequacy, in part, underlies various chronic diseases. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that cancer and heart disease are most common where ambient Se availability is low. Plant Se uptake and Se blood levels are inverse to human cancer mortality. As the active group in glutathione peroxidase, Se/sup -2/ inhibits aberrant oxidations which lead to chronic diseases. It binds heavy metals, and with tocopherol maintains tissue integrity. Sulfur dioxide fallout from the atmosphere, resulting from fossil fuel burning, may diminish the nutritional availability of selenium by diminishing plant uptake. Intensive ruminant grazing returns unavailable Se/sup 0/ to soils. Trimethyl selenium ion, as excreted by animals, also appears to be unavailable to plants. Modern fertilization practices and the effect of buildup of sulfates in the soil, due to acid rains, both appear to lessen the availability of Se to plants. SeO/sub 2/ added to the atmosphere from combustion and volcanic activity react with SO/sub 2/ to yield Se/sup 0/. This is presumed to fall out as particles from the air. How traces of Se are otherwise carried in air, explaining its enrichment in some areas, is unknown. The New Zealand experience with Se inadequacy in animals and man may be repeated in other parts of the world. Se inadequacy is far more of a human health problem than Se toxicity. There are no known adverse health effects from tellurium, other than tellurium breath. 164 references, 5 figures, 3 tables.

  14. Selenium Se and tellurium Te

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Busev, A.I.; Tiptsova, V.G.; Ivanov, V.M.

    1978-01-01

    The basic methods for determining selenium and tellurium in various objects are presented. The bichromatometric determination of Te in cadmium, zinc and mercury tellurides is based on oxidation of Te(4) to (6) in H 2 SO 4 with potassium bichromate. In steels, Te is determined photometrically with the aid of KI. The determination is hindered by Fe(3), Cu(2), Bi(3) and Se(4) ions, which must be separated. The extraction-photometric determination of Te in native sulfur is carried out with the aid of 5-mercapto-3-(naphthyl-2)-1,3,4-thiadiazolthione-2 (pH=4.8-5.0). The dyed complex is readily extracted with chloroform and benzene. The spectrophotometric determination of Te in selenium is performed with the aid of 3,5-diphenylpyrazoline-1-dithiocarbamate of sodium. Te is determined in commercial indium, arsenic and their semiconductor compounds photometrically with the aid of copper diethyldithiocarbamate. The method permits determining 5x10 -5 % Te in a weighed amount of 0.5 g. The chloride complex of Te(4) with diantipyriodolpropylmethane is quantitatively extracted with dichloroethane from hydrochloric acid solutions. Thus, any amounts of Te can be separated from Se and determined photometrically. The extraction-photometric determination of Te in commercial lead and bismuth is carried out with the aid of pyrazolone derivatives, in commercial copper with the aid of diantipyridolpropylmethane, and in ores (more than 0.01% Te) with the aid of bismuthol 2. Also described is the extraction-polarographic determination of Te in sulfide ores

  15. Simultaneous analysis of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium in environmental samples using hydride generation ICPMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jankowski, L.M.; Breidenbach, R.; Bakker, I.J.I.; Epema, O.J.

    2009-01-01

    Full text: A quantitative method for simultaneous analysis of arsenic, antimony, selenium and tellurium in environmental samples is being developed using hydride generation ICPMS. These elements must be first transformed into hydride-forming oxidation states. This is particularly challenging for selenium and antimony because selenium is susceptible to reduction to the non-hydride-forming elemental state and antimony requires strong reducing conditions. The effectiveness of three reducing agents (KI, thiourea, cysteine) is studied. A comparison is made between addition of reducing agent to the sample and addition of KI to the NaBH 4 solution. Best results were obtained with the latter approach. (author)

  16. The use of masking agents in the determination, by hydride generation and atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, of arsenic, antimony, selenium, tellurium, and bismuth in the presence of noble metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kellerman, S.P.

    1982-01-01

    The effectiveness of thiosemicarbazide, tellurium, and potassium iodide as masking agents to eliminate interferences was assessed. Thiosemicarbazide was found to be effective in eliminating or reducing the interferences on arsenic, antimony, and bismuth, and tellurium reduced the interferences on selenium. The interferences on tellurium could not be eliminated. Arsenic, antimony, selenium, and bismuth were determined in metal sulphide concentrates that were spiked with the noble metals (defined here as gold plus all the platinum-group metals except osmium). The relative standard deviations for arsenic, antimony, bismuth, and selenium were 0,061, 0,017, 0,029, and 0,145 respectively. The values obtained for all the analytes agreed favourably with the preferred values for two in-house reference samples. The laboratory method is detailed in an appendix

  17. Investigation of evaporation characteristics of polonium and its lighter homologues selenium and tellurium from liquid Pb-Bi-eutecticum

    CERN Document Server

    Neuhausen, J; Eichler, B

    2004-01-01

    The evaporation behaviour of polonium and its lighter homologues selenium and tellurium dissolved in liquid Pb-Bi-eutecticum (LBE) has been studied at various temperatures in the range from 482 K up to 1330 K under Ar/H2 and Ar/H2O-atmospheres using γ-ray spectroscopy. Polonium release in the temperature range of interest for technical applications is slow. Within short term (1h) experiments measurable amounts of polonium are evaporated only at temperatures above 973 K. Long term experiments reveal that a slow evaporation of polonium occurs at temperatures around 873 K resulting in a fractional polonium loss of the melt around 1% per day. Evaporation rates of selenium and tellurium are smaller than those of polonium. The presence of H2O does not enhance the evaporation within the error limits of our experiments. The thermodynamics and possible reaction pathways involved in polonium release from LBE are discussed.

  18. Stability studies of arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium species in water, urine, fish and soil extracts using HPLC/ICP-MS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lindemann, T.; Prange, A.; Neidhart, B. [GKSS Research Centre, Geesthacht (Germany). Inst. of Physical and Chemical Analysis; Dannecker, W. [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Anorganische und Angewandte Chemie

    2000-10-01

    The stability of arsenic, selenium, antimony and tellurium species in water and urine (NIST SRM 2670n) as well as in extracts of fish and soil certified reference materials (DORM-2 and NIST SRM 2710) has been investigated. Stability studies were carried out with As(III), As(V), arsenobetaine, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), phenylarsonic acid (PAA), Se(IV), Se(VI), selenomethionine, Sb(III), Sb(V) and Te(VI). Speciation analysis was performed by on-line coupling of anion exchange high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Best storage of aqueous mixtures of the examined species was achieved at 3 C whereas at -20 C species transformation especially of selenomethionine and Sb(V) took place and a new selenium species appeared within a period of 30 days. Losses and species transformations during extraction processes were investigated. Extraction of the spiked fish material with methanol/water led to partial conversion of Sb(III), Sb(V) and selenomethionine to two new antimony and one new selenium species. The other arsenic, selenium and tellurium species were almost quantitatively extracted. For soil spiked with MMA, PAA, Se(IV) and Sb(III), recoveries after extraction with water and sulfuric acid (0.01 mol/L) were below 20%. (orig.)

  19. Matrix modification with silver for the electrothermal atomization of arsenic and selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanzolone, R.F.; Chao, T.T.

    1981-01-01

    Silver as a matrix modifier is shown to improve the carbon-rod atomization of both arsenic and selenium for atomic absorption spectrometry. Compared to nickel, the efficiency of silver is greater for arsenic and about the same for selenium. Silver fulfils two functions in its reaction, namely stabilization during the ashing stage and enhancement of absorbance in the final atomization. ?? 1981.

  20. Evaluation of the Content of Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Selenium, Tellurium and Their Inorganic Forms in Commercially Baby Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruiz-de-Cenzano, M; Rochina-Marco, A; Cervera, M L; de la Guardia, M

    2017-12-01

    Baby foods, from the Spanish market and prepared from meat, fish, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fruits, were analyzed to obtain the concentration of antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi), and tellurium (Te) as toxic elements and selenium (Se) as essential element. An analytical procedure was employed based on atomic fluorescence spectroscopy which allowed to obtain accurate data at low levels of concentration. Values of 14 commercial samples, expressed in nanograms per gram fresh weight, ranged for Sb 0.66-6.9, As 4.5-242, Te 1.35-2.94, Bi 2.18-4.79, and Se 5.4-109. Additionally, speciation studies were performed based on data from a non-chromatographic screening method. It was concluded that tellurium and bismuth were mainly present as inorganic forms and selenium as organic form, and antimony and arsenic species depend on the ingredients of each baby food. Risk assessment considerations were made by comparing dietary intake of the aforementioned elements through the consumption of one baby food portion a day and recommended or tolerable guideline values.

  1. Exploratory studies of element substitutions in synthetic tetrahedrite. Part II. Selenium and tellurium as anions in Zn-Fe tetrahedrites

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Karup-Møller, Sven; Makovicky, E.

    1999-01-01

    -free) compositons do not materialize. The substituted Se tetrahedrite coexists with Cu3SbSe3, (iron-bearing) Cu2-xSe, Cu3SbSe4 plus/minus low Zn-sulfide melt. Selenium does not adopt the role of cation and tellurium that of anion in the tetrahedrite structure. The explanation of the severely restricted composition...

  2. NMR spectroscopy of organic compounds of selenium and tellurium. Communication 8. Constants of spin-spin interaction of /sup 125/Te-/sup 1/o/sup 3/C in nmr spectra of unsaturated organtellurides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kalabin, G.A.; Kushnarev, D.F.; Valeev, R.B. (Irkutskij Gosudarstvennyj Univ. (USSR))

    1981-06-01

    On the basis of /sup 13/C NMR spectra of a series of unsaturated and aromatic tellurium compounds the constants of spin-spin interaction (SSIC) (sup(1.2)J(Te, C)) are measured. A reliable linear relation between /sup 1/J(Te, C) and s-character of a carbon orbitale forming bond with tellurium is found. Correlation of straight SSIC of carbon with selenium and tellurium in isological compounds is established.

  3. Tellurium: providing a bright future for solar energy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfarb, Richard J.

    2015-01-01

    Tellurium is one of the least common elements on Earth. Most rocks contain an average of about 3 parts per billion tellurium, making it rarer than the rare earth elements and eight times less abundant than gold. Grains of native tellurium appear in rocks as a brittle, silvery-white material, but tellurium more commonly occurs in telluride minerals that include varied quantities of gold, silver, or platinum. Tellurium is a metalloid, meaning it possesses the properties of both metals and nonmetals.

  4. Melt-gas phase equilibria and state diagrams of the selenium-tellurium system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volodin, V. N.; Trebukhov, S. A.; Burabaeva, N. M.; Nitsenko, A. V.

    2017-05-01

    The partial pressures of saturated vapor of the components in the Se-Te system are determined and presented in the form of temperature-concentration dependences from which the boundaries of the melt-gas phase transition are calculated at atmospheric pressure and vacuums of 2000 and 100 Pa. The existence of azeotropic mixtures is revealed. It is found that the points of inseparably boiling melts correspond to 7.5 at % of Se and 995°C at 101325 Pa, 10.9 at % at 673°C and 19.5 at % at 522°C in vacuums of 2000 and 100 Pa, respectively. A complete state diagram is constructed, including the fields of gas-liquid equilibria at atmospheric and low pressures, the boundaries of which allow us to assess the behavior of selenium and tellurium upon distillation fractionation.

  5. Electrophilic addition of selenium and tellurium halides to methyldiethynylsilane

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amosova, S.V.; Penzik, M.V.; Martynov, A.V.; Zhilitskaya, L.V.; Voronkov, M.G.

    2009-01-01

    Reaction of TeCl 4 with methyldiethynylsilane (MDES) proceeds with the predominant formation of E-isomer 1,1,3,6-tetrachlorine-1-methyl-1-(methyldiethynylsiloxy)-1,4-tellurium(IV) silafulvic due to the interaction of intermediate E-isomer 4-methyl-1,1,3,6-tetrachlorine-1,4-tellurium(IV)silafulvic with MDES. TeCl 4 Reacts with MDES without reduction of Te(IV) in Te(II). Tetracoordination of tellurium atom in heterocycle was established by NMR 125 Te. Mass spectrum of heterocycle shows the presence of fragmentary ions [M-Cl 2 ] + . According elemental analysis Te:Cl=1:4 ratio proves composition of heterocycle

  6. Iron-tellurium-selenium mixed oxide catalysts for the selective oxidation of propylene to acrolein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patel, B.M.; Price, G.L.

    1990-01-01

    This paper reports on iron-tellurium-selenium mixed oxide catalysts prepared by coprecipitation from aqueous solution investigated for the propylene to acrolein reaction in the temperature range 543-773 K. Infrared spectroscopy, electron dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, and isotopic tracer techniques have also been employed to characterize this catalytic system. Properties of the Fe-Te-Se mixed oxide catalysts have been compared with Fe-Te mixed oxides in an effort to deduce the functionality of Se. The selenium in the Fe-Te-Se-O catalyst has been found to be the hydrocarbon activating site. The activation energies for the acrolein and carbon dioxide formation are 71 and 54 kJ/mol, respectively. Reactions carried out with 18 O 2 have shown lattice oxygen to be primarily responsible for the formation of both acrolein and carbon dioxide. The initial and rate-determining step for acrolein formation is hydrogen abstraction as determined by an isotope effect associated with the C 3 D 6 reaction. No isotope effect is observed for carbon dioxide formation from C 3 D 6 suggesting that CO 2 is formed by parallel, not consecutive, oxidation of propylene

  7. Improved selectivity for Pb(II) by sulfur, selenium and tellurium analogues of 1,8-anthraquinone-18-crown-5: synthesis, spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and computational studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariappan, Kadarkaraisamy; Alaparthi, Madhubabu; Hoffman, Mariah; Rama, Myriam Alcantar; Balasubramanian, Vinothini; John, Danielle M; Sykes, Andrew G

    2015-07-14

    We report here a series of heteroatom-substituted macrocycles containing an anthraquinone moiety as a fluorescent signaling unit and a cyclic polyheteroether chain as the receptor. Sulfur, selenium, and tellurium derivatives of 1,8-anthraquinone-18-crown-5 (1) were synthesized by reacting sodium sulfide (Na2S), sodium selenide (Na2Se) and sodium telluride (Na2Te) with 1,8-bis(2-bromoethylethyleneoxy)anthracene-9,10-dione in a 1 : 1 ratio. The optical properties of the new compounds are examined and the sulfur and selenium analogues produce an intense green emission enhancement upon association with Pb(II) in acetonitrile. Selectivity for Pb(II) is markedly improved as compared to the oxygen analogue 1 which was also competitive for Ca(II) ion. UV-Visible and luminescence titrations reveal that 2 and 3 form 1 : 1 complexes with Pb(II), confirmed by single-crystal X-ray studies where Pb(II) is complexed within the macrocycle through coordinate covalent bonds to neighboring carbonyl, ether and heteroether donor atoms. Cyclic voltammetry of 2-8 showed classical, irreversible oxidation potentials for sulfur, selenium and tellurium heteroethers in addition to two one-electron reductions for the anthraquinone carbonyl groups. DFT calculations were also conducted on 1, 2, 3, 6, 6 + Pb(II) and 6 + Mg(II) to determine the trend in energies of the HOMO and the LUMO levels along the series.

  8. From Selenium- to Tellurium-Based Glass Optical Fibers for Infrared Spectroscopies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jacques Lucas

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Chalcogenide glasses are based on sulfur, selenium and tellurium elements, and have been studied for several decades regarding different applications. Among them, selenide glasses exhibit excellent infrared transmission in the 1 to 15 µm region. Due to their good thermo-mechanical properties, these glasses could be easily shaped into optical devices such as lenses and optical fibers. During the past decade of research, selenide glass fibers have been proved to be suitable for infrared sensing in an original spectroscopic method named Fiber Evanescent Wave Spectroscopy (FEWS. FEWS has provided very nice and promising results, for example for medical diagnosis. Then, some sophisticated fibers, also based on selenide glasses, were developed: rare-earth doped fibers and microstructured fibers. In parallel, the study of telluride glasses, which can have transmission up to 28 µm due to its atom heaviness, has been intensified thanks to the DARWIN mission led by the European Space Agency (ESA. The development of telluride glass fiber enables a successful observation of CO2 absorption band located around 15 µm. In this paper we review recent results obtained in the Glass and Ceramics Laboratory at Rennes on the development of selenide to telluride glass optical fibers, and their use for spectroscopy from the mid to the far infrared ranges.

  9. Structural Modeling of Djenkolic Acid with Sulfur Replaced by Selenium and Tellurium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petr Melnikov

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The comparative structural modeling of djenkolic acid and its derivatives containing selenium and tellurium in chalcogen sites (Ch = Se, Te has provided detailed information about the bond lengths and bond angles, filling the gap in what we know about the structural characteristics of these aminoacids. The investigation using the molecular mechanics technique with good approximation confirmed the available information on X-ray refinements for the related compounds methionine and selenomethionine, as well as for an estimate made earlier for telluromethionine. It was shown that the Ch-C(3 and Ch-C(4 bond lengths grow in parallel with the increasing anionic radii. Although the distances C-C, C-O, and C-N are very similar, the geometry of conformers is quite different owing to the possibility of rotation about four carbon atoms, hence the remarkable variability observed in dihedral angles. It was shown that the compounds contain a rigid block with two Ch atoms connected through a methylene group. The standard program Gaussian 03 with graphical interface Gaussview 4.1.2 has proved to be satisfactory tool for the structural description of less-common bioactive compositions when direct X-ray results are absent.

  10. Methods of selenium and tellurium determination in geological and enviromental materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nazarenko, I.I.; Kislova, I.V.

    1988-01-01

    Atomic-absorption and atomic-emission methods of tellurium determination in ores and products of their processing are described. Flame variant with extractional concentration permits to determine tellurium with the concentration up to 6x10 -6 %, the use of graphite cuvette after preliminary concentration-up to 1x10 -6 %. Atomic-emissional method permits to determine 3x10 -4 % Te from sample of 0.5 g

  11. Atomic absorption determination of ultratrace tellurium in rocks utilizing high sensitivity sampling systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beaty, R.D.

    1973-01-01

    The sampling boat and the graphite furnace were shown to possess the required sensitivity to detect tellurium at ultratrace levels, in a variety of sample types, by atomic absorption. In the sampling boat approach, tellurium in sample solutions is chemically separated and concentrated by extraction into methyl isobutyl ketone before measurement. For samples exhibiting extraction interferences or excessively high background absorption, a preliminary separation of tellurium by coprecipitation with selenium is described. Using this technique, tellurium can be quantitatively detected down to 5 nanograms and linear response is observed to 100 nanograms. Relative standard deviations of better than 7 percent are achieved for 50 nanograms of tellurium. For samples that have a tellurium content below the detection limits of the sampling boat, the graphite furnace is used for atomization. By this method, as little as 0.07 nanograms of tellurium can be detected, and a precision of 1 percent relative standard deviation is achievable at the 5 nanogram level. A routinely applicable procedure was developed for determining tellurium in rocks, using the graphite furnace, after a hydrofluoric acid decomposition of the sample. Using this procedure, tellurium data were obtained on 20 different rocks, and the significance of this new information is discussed. (Diss. Abstr. Int., B)

  12. Quantitative analysis of tellurium in simple substance sulfur

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arikawa, Yoshiko

    1976-01-01

    The MIBK extraction-bismuthiol-2 absorptiometric method for the quantitative analysis of tellurium was studied. The method and its limitation were compared with the atomic absorption method. The period of time required to boil the solution in order to decompose excess hydrogen peroxide and to reduce tellurium from 6 valance to 4 valance was examined. As a result of experiment, the decomposition was fast in the alkaline solution. It takes 30 minutes with alkaline solution and 40 minutes with acid solution to indicate constant absorption. A method of analyzing the sample containing tellurium less than 5 ppm was studied. The experiment revealed that the sample containing a very small amount of tellurium can be analyzed when concentration by extraction is carried out for the sample solutions which are divided into one gram each because it is difficult to treat several grams of the sample at one time. This method also is suitable for the quantitative analysis of selenium. This method showed good addition effect and reproducibility within the relative error of 5%. The comparison between the calibration curve of the standard solution of tellurium 4 subjected to the reaction with bismuthiol-2 and the calibration curve obtained from the extraction of tellurium 4 with MIBK indicated that the extraction is perfect. The result by bismuthiol-2 method and that by atom absorption method coincided quite well on the same sample. (Iwakiri, K.)

  13. Aspects of a Distinct Cytotoxicity of Selenium Salts and Organic Selenides in Living Cells with Possible Implications for Drug Design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ethiene Castellucci Estevam

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is traditionally considered as an antioxidant element and selenium compounds are often discussed in the context of chemoprevention and therapy. Recent studies, however, have revealed a rather more colorful and diverse biological action of selenium-based compounds, including the modulation of the intracellular redox homeostasis and an often selective interference with regulatory cellular pathways. Our basic activity and mode of action studies with simple selenium and tellurium salts in different strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicate that such compounds are sometimes not particularly toxic on their own, yet enhance the antibacterial potential of known antibiotics, possibly via the bioreductive formation of insoluble elemental deposits. Whilst the selenium and tellurium compounds tested do not necessarily act via the generation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS, they seem to interfere with various cellular pathways, including a possible inhibition of the proteasome and hindrance of DNA repair. Here, organic selenides are considerably more active compared to simple salts. The interference of selenium (and tellurium compounds with multiple targets could provide new avenues for the development of effective antibiotic and anticancer agents which may go well beyond the traditional notion of selenium as a simple antioxidant.

  14. A new tellurium-containing amphiphilic molecule induces apoptosis in HCT116 colon cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Peng; Saidu, Nathaniel Edward Bennett; Intemann, Johanna; Jacob, Claus; Montenarh, Mathias

    2014-06-01

    Chalcogen-based redox modulators over the years have attracted considerable attention as anti-cancer agents. New selenium- and tellurium-containing compounds with a polar head group and aryl-groups of various lengths have recently been reported as biologically active in several organisms. In the present study, we used the most active of the tellurium compound DP41, and its selenium counterpart DP31 to investigate their effects on the human cancer cell line HCT116. Cells were treated with DP41 or DP31 and the formation of superoxide radicals was determined using dihydroethidium. Cell cycle analysis and apoptosis was determined by cytofluorimetry. Proteins involved in ER signaling and apoptosis were determined by Western blot analysis and fluorescence microscopy. With 50μM of DP41, we observed an increase in O2(-) formation. There was, however, no such increase in O2(-) after treatment with the corresponding selenium compound under the same conditions. In the case of DP41, the production of O2(-) radicals was followed by an up-regulation of Nrf2, HO-1, phospho-eIF2α and ATF4. CHOP was also induced and cells entered apoptosis. Unlike the cancer cells, normal retinal epithelial ARPE-19 cells did not produce elevated levels of O2(-) radicals nor did they induce the ER signaling pathway or apoptosis. The tellurium-containing compound DP41, in contrast to the corresponding selenium compound, induces O2(-) radical formation and oxidative and ER stress responses, including CHOP activation and finally apoptosis. These results indicate that DP41 is a redox modulating agent with promising anti-cancer potentials. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Agglomeration during wet milling of LAST (lead-antimony-silver-tellurium) powders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hall, B.D.; Case, E.D.; Ren, F.; Johnson, J.R.; Timm, E.J.

    2009-01-01

    LAST (lead-antimony-silver-tellurium) compounds comprise a family of semiconducting materials with good thermoelectric properties. However, the as-cast form of LAST exhibits large grain size and hence low mechanical strength. Powder processing can produce a fine powder particle size that enhances fracture strength, however the powders tend to agglomerate if the individual powder diameters are less than a few microns across. Dry milling or wet milling (hexane additions of 0 cm 3 and 10 cm 3 ) produced hard agglomerates roughly 40 μm in diameter while wet milling with hexane additions of 25 cm 3 , 30 cm 3 or 50 cm 3 resulted in small, porous agglomerates roughly 20 μm in diameter. Thus, by adjusting the amount of milling liquid used while milling LAST powders, one can shift from hard to soft agglomerates, where the literature shows that soft agglomerates are less harmful to the final, sintered product. Also, in agreement with the results from the literature on other materials, wet milling of LAST powders produced smaller particle sizes but required longer times to reach the grindability limit

  16. Neutron activation analysis of high purity tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gil'bert, Eh.N.; Verevkin, G.V.; Obrazovskij, E.G.; Shatskaya, S.S.

    1980-01-01

    A scheme of neutron activation analysis of high purity tellurium is developed. Weighed amount of Te (0.5 g) is irradiated for 20-40 hr in the flux of 2x10 13 neutron/(cm 2 xs). After decomposition of the sample impurities of gold and palladium are determined by the extraction with organic sulphides. Tellurium separation from the remaining impurities is carried out by the extraction with monothiobenzoic acid from weakly acidic HCl solutions in the presence of iodide-ions, suppressing silver extraction. Remaining impurity elements in the refined product are determined γ-spectrometrically. The method allows to determine 34 impurities with determination limits 10 -6 -10 -11 g

  17. Tellurium adsorption on tungsten and molybdenum field emitters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Collins, R.A.; Kiwanga, C.A.

    1977-01-01

    Studies of the adsorption of tellurium onto tungsten and molybdenum field emitters are described and the results obtained are compared with those obtained in previous work on the adsorption of silicon and selenium. The adsorption of Te onto W was found to be much more uniform than in the case of Se. Although Te is metallic in many of its properties its adsorptive behavior on field emitters is found to be similar to that of selenium and these adsorptive properties are basically common to all semiconductors. The most evident property of these adsorbates is that the work function and emission current decrease simultaneously at coverages of less than half a monolayer and the work function subsequently increases. (B.D.)

  18. Antibacterial and DNA cleavage activity of carbonyl functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene-silver(I) and selenium compounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Rosenani A.; Iqbal, Muhammad Adnan; Mohamad, Faisal; Razali, Mohd R.

    2018-03-01

    The article describes syntheses and characterizations of carbonyl functionalized benzimidazolium salts, I-IV. While salts I-III are unstable at room temperature, salt IV remained stable and was further utilised to form N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compounds of silver(I), V and VI, and selenium compound, VII respectively. Compounds IV-VII were tested for their antibacterial potential against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Salt IV shows a very low inhibition potential (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC 500 μg/mL) compared to the respective silver(I)-NHC, V and VI (MIC 31.25 μg/mL against both, E. coli and S. aureus) and selenium compound, VII (MIC 125 μg/mL against E. coli and 62.50 μg/mL against S. aureus). In DNA cleavage abilities, all the test compounds cleave DNA in which the VII cleaves the DNA at the faster rate. Meanwhile, the silver(I)-NHC complexes V and VI act at the same mode and pattern of DNA cleavage while VII is similar to IV.

  19. Optimization of wet digestion procedure of blood and tissue for selenium determination by means of 75Se tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holynska, B.; Lipinska, K.

    1977-01-01

    Selenium-75 tracer has been used for optimization of analytical procedure of selenium determination in blood and tissue. Wet digestion procedure and reduction of selenium to its elemental form with tellurium as coprecipitant have been tested. Recovery of selenium obtained with the use of optimized analytical procedure amounts up 95% and precision is equal to 4.2%. (author)

  20. Tellurium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldfarb, Richard J.; Berger, Byron R.; George, Micheal W.; Seal, Robert R.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

    2017-12-19

    Tellurium (Te) is a very rare element that averages only 3 parts per billion in Earth’s upper crust. It shows a close association with gold and may be present in orebodies of most gold deposit types at levels of tens to hundreds of parts per million. In large-tonnage mineral deposits, such as porphyry copper and seafloor volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits, sulfide minerals may contain hundreds of parts per million tellurium, although the orebodies likely have overall concentrations of 0.1 to 1.0 parts per million tellurium. Tellurium is presently recovered as a primary ore from only two districts in the world; these are the gold-tellurium epithermal vein deposits located adjacent to one another at Dashuigou and Majiagou (Sichuan Province) in southwestern China, and the epithermal-like mineralization at the Kankberg deposit in the Skellefteå VMS district of Västerbotten County, Sweden. Combined, these two groups of deposits account for about 15 percent (about 70 metric tons) of the annual global production of between 450 and 470 metric tons of tellurium. Most of the world’s tellurium, however, is produced as a byproduct of the mining of porphyry copper deposits. These deposits typically yield concentrations of 1 to 4 percent tellurium in the anode slimes recovered during copper refining. Present production of tellurium from the United States is solely from the anode slimes at ASARCO LLC’s copper refinery in Amarillo, Texas, and may total about 50 metric tons per year. The main uses of tellurium are in photovoltaic solar cells and as an additive to copper, lead, and steel alloys in various types of machinery. The environmental data available regarding the mining of tellurium are limited; most concerns to date have focused on the more-abundant metals present in the large-tonnage deposits from which tellurium is recovered as a byproduct. Global reserves of tellurium are estimated to be 24,000 metric tons, based on the amount of tellurium likely contained in

  1. Antioxidant and hepatoprotective role of selenium against silver nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ansar S

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Sabah Ansar,1 Saad M Alshehri,2 Manal Abudawood,1 Sherifa S Hamed,3,4 Tansir Ahamad2 1Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 3Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 4Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Alexandria, Moharram Bey, Alexandria, Egypt Abstract: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs have attracted the most interest in terms of their potential biomedical and industrial applications. However, these nanoparticles have shown their toxic behavior toward environment, living tissues, and organisms. Selenium (Se, an essential trace element, is necessary for various metabolic processes, including protection against ­oxidative stress and immune function. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of Se against AgNP-induced hepatic oxidative stress. AgNPs were synthesized and then prepared nanoparticles were characterized using various analytical techniques such as UV-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. Rats were administered AgNPs intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg/day and Se (0.2 mg/kg was given by gavage. AgNP administration induced hepatic damage as indicated by the serum marker enzymes with reduction in levels of glutathione, and decrease in activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-peroxidase (P<0.05. Decrease in levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC and increase in level of C-reactive protein (CRP was also observed in AgNP-treated group compared to control group. However, Se markedly attenuated AgNP-induced biochemical alterations, levels of TAC, CRP, and serum transaminases (AST, ALT (P<0.05. Taken together, these findings suggest that administration of AgNPs produces hepatotoxicity in rats, whereas Se supplementation attenuates these effects. Keywords: silver nanoparticles, selenium, antioxidant

  2. Principles for prevention of toxic effects from metals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Landrigan, Philip J.; Kotelchuk, David; Grandjean, Philippe

    2007-01-01

    of the Toxic Effects of Metals Aluminum Antimony Arsenic Barium Beryllium Bismuth Cadmium Chromium Cobalt Copper Gallium and Semiconductor Compounds Germanium Indium Iron Lead Manganese Mercury Molybdenum Nickel Palladium Platinum Selenium Silver Tellurium Thallium Tin Titanium Tungsten Uranium Vanadium Zinc...

  3. Optimization of wet digestion procedure of blood and tissue for selenium determination by means of 75Se tracer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holynska, B.; Lipinska-Kalita, K.

    1977-01-01

    Selenium-75 tracer has been used for optimization of analytical procedure of selenium determination in blood and tissue. Wet digestion procedure and reduction of selenium to its elemental form with tellurium as coprecipitant have been tested. It is seen that the use of a mixture of perchloric and sulphuric acid with sodium molybdenate for the wet digestion of organic matter followed by the reduction of selenium to its elementary form by a mixture of stannous chloride and hydroxylamine hydrochloride results in very good recovery of selenium. Recovery of selenium obtained with the use of optimized analytical procedure amounts to 95% and precision is equal to 4.2%. (T.I.)

  4. Tellurium chemistry, tellurium release and deposition during the TMI-2 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinjamuri, K.; Sallach, R.A.; Osetek, D.J.; Hobbins, R.R.; Akers, D.W.

    1985-01-01

    This paper presents the chemistry and estimated behavior of tellurium during and after the accident at Three Mile Island Unit-2. The discussion of tellurium behavior is based on all available measurement data for /sup 129m/Te, 132 Te, stable tellurium ( 126 Te, 128 Te, and 130 Te), and best estimate calculations of tellurium release and transport. Results from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) tests, Power Burst Facility (PBF) Severe Fuel Damage Tests at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and SASCHA tests from Karlsruhe, W. Germany are compared with calculated release fractions and samples taken from TMI Unit-2. It is concluded that very little tellurium was released and transported from the TMI-2 core, probably as a result of holdup by zircaloy cladding and other structural materials. 37 refs., 12 figs., 4 tabs

  5. Tellurium chemistry, tellurium release and deposition during the TMI-2 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinjamuri, K.; Sallach, R.A.; Osetek, D.J.; Hobbins, R.R.; Akers, D.W.

    1985-08-01

    This report presents the chemistry and estimated behavior of tellurium during and after the accident at Three Mile Island Unit-2. The discussion of tellurium behavior is based on all available measurement data for /sup 129 m/Te, 132 Te, stable tellurium ( 126 Te, 128 Te, and 130 Te), and best estimate calculations of tellurium release and transport. Results from Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) tests, Power Burst Facility (PBF) Severe Fuel Damage Tests at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and SASCHA tests from Karlsruhe, W. Germany are compared with calculated release fractions and samples taken from TMI Unit-2. It is concluded that very little tellurium was released and transported from the TMI-2 core, probably as a result of holdup by zircaloy cladding and other structural materials. 39 refs., 24 figs., 17 tabs

  6. On the resistivity of metal-tellurium alloys for low concentrations of tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorecki, J.

    1982-04-01

    The resistivity and thermoelectric power of metal-tellurium liquid alloys have been discussed for the case of small tellurium concentration. Nearly free electron model of conduction band has been used. The rapid increase of resistivity in transition metal-tellurium alloys has been predicted. (author)

  7. ThP05 Biogeneration of Volatile Selenium Compounds in Biosolids/Biofuels and Quantification by VD/GC/ICPMS

    Science.gov (United States)

    A noval analytical approach that uses VD/GC/ICPMS for the on-line extraction and quantificationof volatile organopmetalloids is described. Several species of arsenic, selenium, antimony, bismuth and tellurium are amenable to this technique. Preliminary results of a study on the...

  8. Celebrating Two Centuries of Research in Selenium Chemistry: State of the Art and New Prospective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Santi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In 2017, the 200th anniversary of the discovery of selenium was celebrated. In 1817, the Swedish chemists, Berzelius and Gahn, on roasting 200 kg of sulfur from a pyrite from the Falun mine, obtained about 3 g of a precipitate that they first wrongly identified as tellurium. Berzelius doubted this result and repeated the analysis some months later realizing that a new element was in his hands and he named this element Selenium (Greek: Selene, moon in consideration of its resemblance to Tellurium (Latin: Tellus, earth. Several events were organized in the year for this special celebration and this Special Issue would like to be an additional contribution to the success of a research that, especially during the last decades, rapidly grew in different fields: synthesis, medicinal chemistry, biology, material, and environment. These studies are strongly characterized by multi- and interdisciplinary connections, and, for this reason, we collected here contributions coming from different areas and disciplines, not exclusively synthetic organic chemistry.

  9. Reaction of tellurium with Zircaloy-4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boer, R. de; Cordfunke, E.H.P.

    1994-09-01

    Interaction of tellurium vapour with Zircaloy during the initial stage of an accident will lead to retention of tellurium in the core. For reliable estimation of the release behaviour of tellurium, it is necessary to know which zirconium tellurides are formed during this interaction. In this work the reaction of tellurium with Zircaloy-4 has been studied, using various reaction temperatures and tellurium vapour pressures. The compound ZrTe 2-x is formed on the surface of the Zircaloy in a broad range of reaction temperatures and vapour pressures. It is found that the formation of the more zirconium-rich compound Zr 5 Te 4 is favoured at high reaction temperatures is combination with low tellurium vapour pressures. (orig.)

  10. Evaluated phase diagrams of binary metal-tellurium systems of the D-block transition elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chattopadhyay, G.; Bharadwaj, S.R.

    1989-01-01

    The binary phase diagrams of metal-tellurium systems for twenty seven d-block transition elements have been critically evaluated. Complete phase diagrams are presented for the elements, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, molybdenum, palladium, silver, lanthanum, platinum and gold, whereas, for scandium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, zirconium, niobium, technitium, ruthenium, rhodium, hafnium, tantalum, tungsten , rhenium, osmium and iridium, the phase diagrams are incomplete and tentative. (author). 20 refs., 27 tabs., 27 figs

  11. Electrowinning Of Tellurium From Acidic Solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kowalik R.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The process of electrochemical deposition of tellurium was studied. Preliminary researches embrace the voltammetry and microgravimetric measurements. According to the results the electrolysis of tellurium was conducted under potentiostatic conditions. There was no deposition of tellurium above potential −0.1 vs. Ag/AgCl electrode in 25°C. The process of deposition is observed in the range of potentials −0.1 to −0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The presence of tellurium was confirmed by XRF and XRD. The obtained deposits were homogenous and compact. Below potential −0.3 V vs. Ag/AgCl the Faradaic efficiency of the tellurium deposition decreased due to reduction of Te to H2Te and hydrogen evolution.

  12. Tellurium Enrichment in Jurassic Coal, Brora, Scotland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liam Bullock

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Mid-Jurassic pyritic coals exposed at the village of Brora, northern Scotland, UK, contain a marked enrichment of tellurium (Te relative to crustal mean, average world coal compositions and British Isles Carboniferous coals. The Te content of Brora coal pyrite is more than one order of magnitude higher than in sampled pyrite of Carboniferous coals. The Te enrichment coincides with selenium (Se and mercury (Hg enrichment in the rims of pyrite, and Se/Te is much lower than in pyrites of Carboniferous coals. Initial pyrite formation is attributed to early burial (syn-diagenesis, with incorporation of Te, Se, Hg and lead (Pb during later pyrite formation. The source of Te may have been a local hydrothermal system which was responsible for alluvial gold (Au in the region, with some Au in Brora headwaters occurring as tellurides. Anomalous Te is not ubiquitous in coal, but may occur locally, and is detectable by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS.

  13. Thermodynamic behaviour of tellurium at high temperatures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garisto, F.

    1992-09-01

    Thermodynamic calculations are used to determine the chemical speciation of tellurium in the primary heat transport system under postulated reactor accident conditions. The speciation of tellurium is determined for various values of the temperature, oxygen partial pressure, tellurium concentration and Cs/Te ratio. The effects of the Zircaloy cladding and/or cesium on tellurium speciation and volatility are of particular interest in this report. (Author) (37 refs., 14 figs., 4 tabs.)

  14. New radiohalogenated alkenyl tellurium fatty acids

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srivastava, P.C.; Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Kabalka, G.W.

    1987-01-01

    Radiolabeled long-chain fatty acids have diagnostic value as radiopharmaceutical tools in myocardial imaging. Some applications of these fatty acids are limited due to their natural metabolic degradation in vivo with subsequent washout of the radioactivity from the myocardium. The identification of structural features that will increase the myocardial residence time without decreasing the heart uptake of long-chain fatty acids is of interest. Fatty acids containing the tellurium heteroatom were the first modified fatty acids developed that show unique prolonged myocardial retention and low blood levels. Our detailed studies with radioiodinated vinyliodide substituted tellurium fatty acids demonstrate that heart uptake is a function of the tellurium position. New techniques of tellurium and organoborane chemistry have been developed for the synthesis of a variety of radioiodinated iodoalkenyl tellurium fatty acids. 9 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs

  15. Tellurium in active volcanic environments: Preliminary results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milazzo, Silvia; Calabrese, Sergio; D'Alessandro, Walter; Brusca, Lorenzo; Bellomo, Sergio; Parello, Francesco

    2014-05-01

    Tellurium is a toxic metalloid and, according to the Goldschmidt classification, a chalcophile element. In the last years its commercial importance has considerably increased because of its wide use in solar cells, thermoelectric and electronic devices of the last generation. Despite such large use, scientific knowledge about volcanogenic tellurium is very poor. Few previous authors report result of tellurium concentrations in volcanic plume, among with other trace metals. They recognize this element as volatile, concluding that volcanic gases and sulfur deposits are usually enriched with tellurium. Here, we present some results on tellurium concentrations in volcanic emissions (plume, fumaroles, ash leachates) and in environmental matrices (soils and plants) affected by volcanic emissions and/or deposition. Samples were collected at Etna and Vulcano (Italy), Turrialba (Costa Rica), Miyakejima, Aso, Asama (Japan), Mutnovsky (Kamchatka) at the crater rims by using common filtration techniques for aerosols (polytetrafluoroethylene filters). Filters were both eluted with Millipore water and acid microwave digested, and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Volcanic ashes emitted during explosive events on Etna and Copahue (Argentina) were analyzed for tellurium bulk composition and after leaching experiments to evaluate the soluble fraction of tellurium. Soils and leaves of vegetation were also sampled close to active volcanic vents (Etna, Vulcano, Nisyros, Nyiragongo, Turrialba, Gorely and Masaya) and investigated for tellurium contents. Preliminary results showed very high enrichments of tellurium in volcanic emissions comparing with other volatile elements like mercury, arsenic, thallium and bismuth. This suggests a primary transport in the volatile phase, probably in gaseous form (as also suggested by recent studies) and/or as soluble salts (halides and/or sulfates) adsorbed on the surface of particulate particles and ashes. First

  16. Selenium. Role of the Essential Metalloid in Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurokawa, Suguru; Berry, Marla J.

    2015-01-01

    Selenium is an essential micronutrient in mammals, but is also recognized as toxic in excess. It is a non-metal with properties that are intermediate between the chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium. Selenium exerts its biological functions through selenoproteins. Selenoproteins contain selenium in the form of the 21st amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec), which is an analog of cysteine with the sulfur-containing side chain replaced by a Se-containing side chain. Sec is encoded by the codon UGA, which is one of three termination codons for mRNA translation in non-selenoprotein genes. Recognition of the UGA codon as a Sec insertion site instead of stop requires a Sec insertion sequence (SECIS) element in selenoprotein mRNAs and a unique selenocysteyl-tRNA, both of which are recognized by specialized protein factors. Unlike the 20 standard amino acids, Sec is biosynthesized from serine on its tRNA. Twenty-five selenoproteins are encoded in the human genome. Most of the selenoprotein genes were discovered by bioinformatics approaches, searching for SECIS elements downstream of in-frame UGA codons. Sec has been described as having stronger nucleophilic and electrophilic properties than cysteine, and Sec is present in the catalytic site of all selenoenzymes. Most selenoproteins, whose functions are known, are involved in redox systems and signaling pathways. However, several selenoproteins are not well characterized in terms of their function. The selenium field has grown dramatically in the last few decades, and research on selenium biology is providing extensive new information regarding its importance for human health. PMID:24470102

  17. Extractive separation of tellurium(4)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gawali, S.B.; Shinde, V.M.

    1977-01-01

    A method is described for the extraction of tellurium (4) from hydrobromic acid media using 4-methyl-2-pentanol as an extractant. The method affords the determination of tellurium after its separation from Se, Au, Cu, Pb, Fe, Os, V and Al. (author)

  18. Tellurium self-diffusion and point defects in lead telluride

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simirskij, Yu.N.; Firsova, L.P.

    1982-01-01

    Method of radioactive indicators was used to determine factors of tellurium self-diffusion in lead telluride with different deviation of the composition from stoichiometric in the range of enrichment by tellurium. It was found that at 973 K factors of tellurium self-diffusion in lead telluride depend slightly on the vapor pressure of tellurium equilibrium with solid phase

  19. Microgravimetric Studies of Selenium Electrodeposition Onto Different Substrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kowalik R.

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism of selenium electrodeposition from sulfuric acid solution on different substrates was studied with the electrochemical techniques. The cyclic voltammetry was combined with the quartz crystal microbalance technique to analyze selenium deposition process. The electrochemical reduction of selenous acid on gold, silver and copper electrodes was investigated. It was found that reduction of selenous acid is a very complex process and it strongly depends from the applied substrate. The voltammetric measurements indicate the range of potentials in which the process of reduction of selenous acids on the applied substrate is possible. Additionally, the microgravimetric data confirm the deposition of selenium and they reveal the mechanism of the deposition process.

  20. Interaction of tellurium and tellurium-containing semiconductor compounds with solutions of HI-HNO3-H2O system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomashik, V.N.; Sava, A.A.; Tomashik, Z.F.

    1994-01-01

    As a result of experimental investigations and physical-chemical simulation are established regularities of solution of semiconducting tellurium-containing compounds in HI-HNO 3 -H 2 O systems. In HNO 3 -HI system solutions enriched by HNO 3 are not used for CdTe treatment but HI enriched solution are similar in composition with I 2 -HI solutions. Solution of the given tellurium-containing materials proceeds by a chemical mechanism and is determined by tellurium oxidation with iodine

  1. Analysis of metals with luster: Roman brass and silver

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fajfar, H., E-mail: helena.fajfar@ijs.si [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Rupnik, Z. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Šmit, Ž. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2015-11-01

    Non-destructive PIXE analysis using in-air proton beam was used for the studies of earliest brass coins issued during the 1st century BC by Greek cities in Asia Minor, Romans and Celts, and for the studies of plated low grade silver coins of the 3rd century AD. The analysis determined the levels of zinc and important trace elements, notably selenium, which confirms spread of selenium-marked copper from the east. For plating, combined tinning and silvering was identified by the mapping technique for the mid 3rd century AD, which evolved into mere plating by 270 AD.

  2. Analysis of metals with luster: Roman brass and silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fajfar, H.; Rupnik, Z.; Šmit, Ž.

    2015-01-01

    Non-destructive PIXE analysis using in-air proton beam was used for the studies of earliest brass coins issued during the 1st century BC by Greek cities in Asia Minor, Romans and Celts, and for the studies of plated low grade silver coins of the 3rd century AD. The analysis determined the levels of zinc and important trace elements, notably selenium, which confirms spread of selenium-marked copper from the east. For plating, combined tinning and silvering was identified by the mapping technique for the mid 3rd century AD, which evolved into mere plating by 270 AD.

  3. Tellurium release and deposition during the TMI-2 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinjamuri, K.; Osetek, D.J.; Hobbins, R.R.; Jessup, J.S.

    1984-09-01

    The estimated behavior of tellurium during and after the accident at the Three Mile Island Unit-2 is presented. The behavior is based on all available measurement data for /sup 129m/Te, 132 Te, stable tellurium ( 126 Te, 128 Te and 130 Te), and best estimate calculations of tellurium release and transport. The predicted release was calculated using current techniques that relate release rate to fuel temperature and holdup of tellurium in zircaloy until significant oxidation occurs. The calculated release fraction was low, approx. 7%, but the total measured release for samples analyzed to date is about 5.8%. Of the measured tellurium about 2.4, 1.8, 0.88, 0.42, 0.17 and 0.086% of core inventory were in the containment sump water, upper plenum assembly surfaces, containment solids in the sump water, makeup and purification demineralizer, containment inside surface, and the reactor primary coolant, respectively. A significant fraction (54%) of the tellurium calculated to be retained on the upper plenum surfaces (4.61% of the core inventory) was deposited during the high pressure injection of coolant at about 200 min after the reactor scram. Comparison of tellurium behavior with in-pile and out-of-pile tests strongly suggests that zircaloy holds tellurium until significant cladding oxidation occurs

  4. Tellurium behavior during and after the TMI-2 accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vinjamuri, K.; Osetek, D.J.; Hobbins, R.R.

    1984-01-01

    The estimated behavior of tellurium during and after the accident at the Three Mile Island Unit-2 is presented. The behavior is based on all available measurement data for /sup 129m/Te, 132 Te and stable tellurium ( 126 Te, 128 Te and 130 Te), and best estimate calculations of tellurium release and transport. The predicted release was calculated using current techniques that relate release rate to fuel temperature and holdup of tellurium in zircaloy until significant oxidation occurs. The calculated release fraction was low, approximately 7%, but the total measured release for samples analyzed to date is about 4.0%. Of the measured tellurium about 2.4, 0.88, 0.42, 0.17 and 0.086% of core inventory were in the containment sump water, containment solids in water, makeup and purification demineralizer, containment inside surface, and the reactor primary coolant, respectively. A significant fraction (54%) of the calculated tellurium retained on the upper plenum surfaces (4.61% of the core inventory) was deposited during the high pressure injection of coolant at about 200 minutes after the reactor scram. Comparison of tellurium behavior with inpile and out-of-pile tests strongly suggests that zircaloy holds tellurium until significant cladding oxidation occurs

  5. Fission product tellurium chemistry from fuel to containment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McFarlane, J.

    1996-01-01

    Chemical equilibrium calculations were performed on the speciation of tellurium in-core and inside the primary heat transport system (PHTS) under loss-of-coolant accident conditions. Data from recent Knudsen-cell experiments on the volatilization of Cs 2 Te were incorporated into the calculation. These data were used to recalculate thermodynamic quantities for Cs 2 Te(g), including Δ f G o (298 K)= -118±9 kJ.mol -1 . The description of the condensed high-temperature cesium-tellurium phase was expanded to include Cs 2 Te 3 (c) in addition to Cs 2 Te(c). These modifications were incorporated into the database used in the equilibrium calculations; the net effect was to stabilize the condensed cesium-tellurium phase and reduce the vapour pressure of Cs 2 Te(g) between 1200 and 1600 K. The impact of tellurium speciation in containment, after release from the PHTS, is discussed along with the possible effect of tellurium on iodine chemistry. (author) 10 figs., 5 tabs., 21 refs

  6. Fission product tellurium chemistry from fuel to containment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McFarlane, J [Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., Pinawa, MB (Canada). Whiteshell Labs.

    1996-12-01

    Chemical equilibrium calculations were performed on the speciation of tellurium in-core and inside the primary heat transport system (PHTS) under loss-of-coolant accident conditions. Data from recent Knudsen-cell experiments on the volatilization of Cs{sub 2}Te were incorporated into the calculation. These data were used to recalculate thermodynamic quantities for Cs{sub 2}Te(g), including {Delta}{sub f}G{sup o}(298 K)= -118{+-}9 kJ.mol{sup -1}. The description of the condensed high-temperature cesium-tellurium phase was expanded to include Cs{sub 2}Te{sub 3}(c) in addition to Cs{sub 2}Te(c). These modifications were incorporated into the database used in the equilibrium calculations; the net effect was to stabilize the condensed cesium-tellurium phase and reduce the vapour pressure of Cs{sub 2}Te(g) between 1200 and 1600 K. The impact of tellurium speciation in containment, after release from the PHTS, is discussed along with the possible effect of tellurium on iodine chemistry. (author) 10 figs., 5 tabs., 21 refs.

  7. Facile electrochemical synthesis of tellurium nanorods and their photoconductive properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, H.H. [Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang - 212013 (China); Zhang, P. [Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan-523808 (China); School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou - 510275 (China); Liang, C.L. [Instrumental Analysis and Research Center, SunYat-sen University, Guangzhou - 510275 (China); Yang, J. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang - 212013 (China); Zhou, M. [Center for Photon Manufacturing Science and Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang - 212013 (China); The State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing - 10084 (China); Lu, X.H. [School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou - 510275 (China); Hope, G.A. [School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan - Qld 4111 (Australia)

    2012-10-15

    Tellurium nanorods have been successfully fabricated by template and surfactant-free electrochemical technique from an aqueous solution at room temperature. The as-prepared tellurium nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectrometry, UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Films based on tellurium nanorods were constructed to study the photoresponse and I-V curves. These photoresponse measurements demonstrate that tellurium nanorods exhibited enhanced conductivity under illumination compared to in the dark measurement. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  8. Analysis of tellurium thin films electrodeposition from acidic citric bath

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kowalik, Remigiusz; Kutyła, Dawid [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Mech, Krzysztof [AGH University of Science and Technology, Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, Krakow (Poland); Żabiński, Piotr, E-mail: rkowalik@agh.edu.pl [AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Non-Ferrous Metals, al. A. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow (Poland)

    2016-12-01

    This work presents the description of the electrochemical process of formation thin tellurium layers from citrate acidic solution. The suggested methodology consists in the preparation of stable acidic baths with high content of tellurium, and with the addition of citrate acid. In order to analyse the mechanism of the process of tellurium deposition, the electroanalytical tests were conducted. The tests of cyclic voltammetry and hydrodynamic ones were performed with the use of polycrystalline gold disk electrode. The range of potentials in which deposition of tellurium in direct four-electron process is possible was determined as well as the reduction of deposited Te° to Te{sup 2−} and its re-deposition as a result of the comproportionation reaction. On the basis of the obtained results, the deposition of tellurium was conducted by the potentiostatic method. The influence of a deposition potential and a concentration of TeO{sub 2} in the solution on the rate of tellurium coatings deposition was examined. The presence of tellurium was confirmed by X-ray spectrofluorometry and electron probe microanalysis. In order to determine the phase composition and the morphology, the obtained coatings were analysed with the use of x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.

  9. Properties of low-alloy steel with tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popova, L.V.; Lebedev, D.V.; Litvinenko, D.A.; Nasibov, A.G.

    1983-01-01

    The results of investigations into 09G2 and 09G2F steels alloyed with tellurium after controlled rolling are presented. 0.002-0.011% tellurium additions did not change strength and plastic properties of the steels after controlled rolling. Tellurium additions results in 40-50% increase of the steel impact strength on samples With circular and sharp cuts in brittle-viscous region. 0.002-0.003% of tellurium is considered to be the optimum content from the view point of increa=. sing steel strength. Increase of impact strength takes place at the expense of growth of both work function of crack formation and work function of crack propagation but in different temperature ranges: at the expense of firstone at 80-40 deg C, at the expense of second one at 20-40 deg C. 0.002-0.011% teilurium additions mainly at the expense of sulphide globularization bring about decrease of anisotropy of steet properties by impact strength reducing anisotropy factor from 2 to 1.5

  10. Local order in molten Sesub(1-x)Tesub(x)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellissent, R.; Tourand, G.

    1980-04-01

    In this paper a study of the short range order and of the coordination number in liquid Selenium-Tellurium systems is presented. The first part deals with neutron diffraction measurements of the structure factors of liquid Sesub(1-x)Tesub(x) in the whole concentration range, at 475 C, performed at EL3 reactor in Saclay using a 640 cell multidetector. From these data the radial distribution functions have been calculated. In a second part a structural model based on random chains for Selenium and on a quasicrystalline behavior of Tellurium is presented. For Se-rich melts it is assumed that Tellurium enters the Selenium chains by substitution. In the Te-rich range it is assumed that the local order is represented by substituted SeTe chains in a Tellurium matrix. This model provides with a good representation of the various structure factors. Moreover the coordination number for each concentration in the model has been calculated and the results are consistent with the experimental data. The 2 fold coordination of Se and the 3 valency of Te in the liquid state are emphasized and they can be associated with the metallisation of liquid Tellurium whereas Selenium remains a semiconductor

  11. Growth and fruit body formation of Pleurotus ostreatus on media supplemented with inorganic selenium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Savić Milena D.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is a trace mineral chemically related to sulfur and tellurium. In the body selenium combines with protein molecules to form selenoproteins and it is distributed in low concentrations and unequally in air, soil and water all over the world. Edible mushrooms are known to be selenium accumulators. Since mushrooms contain relatively high protein levels, and they can accumulate large amounts of selenium, it is reasonable to expect that selenium could be incorporated into proteins. The growth of mycelia and fruit body formation of different medicinal mushroom strains of Pleurotus ostreatus (Hk-35 and P70 over the wide range of concentrations of inorganic form of selenium were examined. Mushrooms were cultivated on agar base media and on substrates based on sawdust. Vegetative growths of mycelium were measured as colony diameter in pure cultures supplemented with inorganic form of Se supplements, prepared as Na2SeO4 and Na2SeO3 in concentrations of: 1, 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 150 mg/l. Inorganic form of Se supplements, showed stimulation effects (in concentration of 1-50 mg/l and toxic effects in higher concentration. On the standard industrial sawdust based substrate, supplemented with 100 mg/kg Na2SeO4 and Na2SeO3, accumulation of Se in fruit bodies was determined by the method of flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The readings were performed on Varian SpectrAA-10 spectrophotometer equipped with VGA-76. Se as Na2SeO4 and Na2SeO3 was effectively taken up from substrates and accumulated in fruit bodies. Mushrooms accumulated selenium between 120 and 250 mg/kg dry weight. In mushrooms cultivated without Se supplement, Se contents were only about 1 mg/kg and in substrate about 0.1 mg/kg.

  12. Selenium-induced autometallographic demonstration of endogenous zinc in organs of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E

    1989-01-01

    of selenium obtained by each organ was determined by gamma-spectrometry, and compared with the autometallographic deposition of silver grains. The relative accumulation of selenium in the organs was: liver greater than spleen greater than kidney greater than intestine greater than gills greater than brain......, the intestine, and the gills, whereas, no such grains were found in preparations from fish having received 1 ppm Se. The use of selenium for the histochemical demonstration of endogenous zinc versus exogenous metals is discussed. Also, consideration is given to the question of which part of the total tissue...

  13. Analysis of tellurium-silicon alloys. Part 1. Determination of tellurium by the reduction from perchloric acid solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teperek, J.

    1977-01-01

    When 100-150 mg of tellurium is dissolved in the solution containing 20 cm 3 72 wt.% of perchloric acid, the reduction of tellurium to elementary form is possible only after adding 60-100 milimoles of HCl. The reduction is performed by adding 1 cm 3 of saturated sodium pyrosulphite solution (Na 2 S 2 O 5 ) and 10 cm 3 of 10 wt.% hydrazine hydrochloride solution (N 2 H 4 .2HCl) to 80-90 cm 3 of cold solution of Te in HClO 4 -HCl mixture. The reduction is completed after 3-5 min. of boiling. When 150-200 mg sample of Te-Si alloy is dissolved in 20 cm 3 of hot 72% per chloric acid, the separation of components is reached. Tellurium can be determinated in filtrate by proposed procedure with high accuracy and precision. (author)

  14. Biosynthesis and recovery of rod-shaped tellurium nanoparticles and their bactericidal activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zare, Bijan; Faramarzi, Mohammad Ali; Sepehrizadeh, Zargham [Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shakibaie, Mojtaba [Department of Pharmacognosy and Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutics Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 76175-493 Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rezaie, Sassan [Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shahverdi, Ahmad Reza, E-mail: shahverd@sina.tums.ac.ir [Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 14155-6451 Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2012-11-15

    Highlights: ► Biosynthesis of rod shape tellurium nanoparticles with a hexagonal crystal structure. ► Extraction procedure for isolation of tellurium nanoparticles from Bacillus sp. BZ. ► Extracted tellurium nanoparticles have good bactericidal activity against some bacteria. -- Abstract: In this study, a tellurium-transforming Bacillus sp. BZ was isolated from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. The isolate was identified by various tests and 16S rDNA analysis, and then used to prepare elemental tellurium nanoparticles. The isolate was subsequently used for the intracellular biosynthesis of elemental tellurium nanoparticles. The biogenic nanoparticles were released by liquid nitrogen and purified by an n-octyl alcohol water extraction system. The shape, size, and composition of the extracted nanoparticles were characterized. The transmission electron micrograph showed rod-shaped nanoparticles with dimensions of about 20 nm × 180 nm. The energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction spectra respectively demonstrated that the extracted nanoparticles consisted of only tellurium and have a hexagonal crystal structure. This is the first study to demonstrate a biological method for synthesizing rod-shaped elemental tellurium by a Bacillus sp., its extraction and its antibacterial activity against different clinical isolates.

  15. Biosynthesis and recovery of rod-shaped tellurium nanoparticles and their bactericidal activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zare, Bijan; Faramarzi, Mohammad Ali; Sepehrizadeh, Zargham; Shakibaie, Mojtaba; Rezaie, Sassan; Shahverdi, Ahmad Reza

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Biosynthesis of rod shape tellurium nanoparticles with a hexagonal crystal structure. ► Extraction procedure for isolation of tellurium nanoparticles from Bacillus sp. BZ. ► Extracted tellurium nanoparticles have good bactericidal activity against some bacteria. -- Abstract: In this study, a tellurium-transforming Bacillus sp. BZ was isolated from the Caspian Sea in northern Iran. The isolate was identified by various tests and 16S rDNA analysis, and then used to prepare elemental tellurium nanoparticles. The isolate was subsequently used for the intracellular biosynthesis of elemental tellurium nanoparticles. The biogenic nanoparticles were released by liquid nitrogen and purified by an n-octyl alcohol water extraction system. The shape, size, and composition of the extracted nanoparticles were characterized. The transmission electron micrograph showed rod-shaped nanoparticles with dimensions of about 20 nm × 180 nm. The energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray diffraction spectra respectively demonstrated that the extracted nanoparticles consisted of only tellurium and have a hexagonal crystal structure. This is the first study to demonstrate a biological method for synthesizing rod-shaped elemental tellurium by a Bacillus sp., its extraction and its antibacterial activity against different clinical isolates.

  16. Structure and activity of tellurium-cerium oxide acrylonitrile catalysts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bart, J.C.J.; Giordano, N.

    1982-01-01

    Ammoxidation of propylene to acrylonitrile (ACN) was investigated over various silica-supported (Te,Ce)O catalysts at 360 and 440 0 C. The binary oxide system used consists of a single nonstoichiometric fluorite-type phase α-(Ce,Te)O 2 up to about 80 mole% TeO 2 and a tellurium-saturated solid solution β-(Ce,Te)O 2 at higher tellurium concentrations. The ACN yield varies almost linearly with the tellurium content of (Ce,Te)O 2 . The β-(Ce,Te)O 2 phase is the most active component of the system (propylene conversion and ACN selectivity at 440 C of 76.7 and 74%, respectively) and is slightly more selective to ACN than α-Te0 2 . Tellurium reduces the overoxidation properties of cerium and selective oxidation occurs through Te(IV)-bonded oxygen

  17. Ab-initio study of pure sup 7 sup 7 Se and sup 1 sup 2 sup 5 Te systems and of the sup 7 sup 7 Se nuclear quadrupole interaction in tellurium

    CERN Document Server

    Oh, Y K; Cho, H S

    1999-01-01

    Using the Hartree-Fock cluster procedure, we have studied the electric-field gradient tensors at the nuclear sites of sup 7 sup 7 Se and sup 1 sup 2 sup 5 Te in pure sup 1 sup 2 sup 5 Te systems and in tellurium crystalline system's with a sup 7 sup 7 Se impurity. From the results for the pure systems, sup 7 sup 7 Se in selenium and sup 1 sup 2 sup 5 Te in tellurium, using the observed quadrupole moments: Q( sup 7 sup 7 Se) 0.75 +- 0.07 barns and Q( sup 1 sup 2 sup 5 Te) = 0.35 +- 0.04 barns. Comparison is made with earlier values obtained by different methods. Using our calculated values of Q and the results of a study of the field-gradient tensors for sup 7 sup 7 Se in tellurium, the theoretical values of the quadrupole coupling constants are found to agree, within about 7 percent, with experiment. The calculated asymmetry parameters are also found to be in reasonable agreement with the experiment values, although the agreement not as close as in the case of the quadrupole -coupling constants. Directions fo...

  18. A recycling model of the biokinetics of systemic tellurium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giussani, Augusto

    2014-11-01

    To develop a compartmental model of the systemic biokinetics of tellurium required for calculating the internal dose and interpreting bioassay measurements after incorporation of radioactive tellurium. The compartmental model for tellurium was developed with the software SAAM II v. 2.0 (©The Epsilon Group, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA). Model parameters were determined on the basis of published retention and excretion data in humans and animals. The model consists of two blood compartments, one compartment each for liver, kidneys, thyroid, four compartments for bone tissues and a generic compartment for the soft tissues. The model predicts a rapid urinary excretion of systemic tellurium: 45% in the first 24 h and 84% after 50 d. Faecal excretion amounts to 0.4% after 3 d and 9% after 50 d. Whole body retention is 55% after one day, and 2.8% after 100 d. These values as well as the retained fractions in the single organs are reasonably consistent with the available human and animal data (studies with swine and guinea pigs). The proposed model gives a realistic description of the available biokinetic data for tellurium and will be adopted by the International Commission on Radiological Protection for applications in internal dosimetry.

  19. Monitoring of selenium in oral cavity argyria - a clinical and microscopic study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Venclíková, Z.; Benada, Oldřich; Joska, L.

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 32, č. 3 (2011), s. 286-291 ISSN 0172-780X R&D Projects: GA MZd NT12206 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : argyria * silver * selenium Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 1.296, year: 2011

  20. Autometallography: tissue metals demonstrated by a silver enhancement kit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danscher, G; Nørgaard, J O; Baatrup, E

    1987-01-01

    , primarily intended for the amplification of colloidal gold particles, has been used to demonstrate these catalytic tissue metals. Sections from animals exposed intravitally to aurothiomalatate, silver lactate, mercury chloride, sodium selenite or perfused with sodium sulphide were subjected to a commercial......In biological tissue, minute accumulations of gold, silver, mercury and zinc can be visualized by a technique whereby metallic silver is precipitated on tiny accumulations of the two noble metals, or on selenites or sulphides of all four metals. In the present study a silver enhancement kit...... silver enhancement kit (IntenSE, Janssen Pharmaceutica). It was found that the kit performs adequately to the silver lactate gum arabic developer and to the photographic emulsion technique. The kit can be used as a silver enhancement medium for the demonstration of zinc by the Neo-Timm and selenium...

  1. METHODS OF SYNTHESIS EIGHT-TELLURIUM-CONTAINING HETEROCYCLES WITH MORE HETEROATOMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. M. Abakarov

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article systematized and summarized data on the synthesis of neweight-embered tellurium-containing heterocycles and new preparative methods described above produce heterocyclic tellurium.

  2. Inclusion free cadmium zinc tellurium and cadmium tellurium crystals and associated growth method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bolotnikov, Aleskey E [South Setauket, NY; James, Ralph B [Ridge, NY

    2010-07-20

    The present disclosure provides systems and methods for crystal growth of cadmium zinc tellurium (CZT) and cadmium tellurium (CdTe) crystals with an inverted growth reactor chamber. The inverted growth reactor chamber enables growth of single, large, high purity CZT and CdTe crystals that can be used, for example, in X-ray and gamma detection, substrates for infrared detectors, or the like. The inverted growth reactor chamber enables reductions in the presence of Te inclusions, which are recognized as an important limiting factor in using CZT or CdTe as radiation detectors. The inverted growth reactor chamber can be utilized with existing crystal growth techniques such as the Bridgman crystal growth mechanism and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the inverted growth reactor chamber is a U-shaped ampoule.

  3. Tracing Tellurium and Its Nanostructures in Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zare, Bijan; Nami, Mohammad; Shahverdi, Ahmad-Reza

    2017-12-01

    Tellurium (Te) is a semimetal rare element in nature. Together with oxygen, sulfur (S), and selenium (Se), Te is considered a member of chalcogen group. Over recent decades, Te applications continued to emerge in different fields including metallurgy, glass industry, electronics, and applied chemical industries. Along these lines, Te has recently attracted research attention in various fields. Though Te exists in biologic organisms such as microbes, yeast, and human body, its importance and role and some of its potential implications have long been ignored. Some promising applications of Te using its inorganic and organic derivatives including novel Te nanostructures are being introduced. Before discovery and straightforward availability of antibiotics, Te had considered and had been used as an antibacterial element. Antilishmaniasis, antiinflammatory, antiatherosclerotic, and immuno-modulating properties of Te have been described for many years, while the innovative applications of Te have started to emerge along with nanotechnological advances over the recent years. Te quantum dots (QDs) and related nanostructures have proposed novel applications in the biological detection systems such as biosensors. In addition, Te nanostructures are used in labeling, imaging, and targeted drug delivery systems and are tested for antibacterial or antifungal properties. In addition, Te nanoparticles show novel lipid-lowering, antioxidant, and free radical scavenging properties. This review presents an overview on the novel forms of Te, their potential applications, as well as related toxicity profiles.

  4. Rapid radiochemical ion-exchange separation of iodine from tellurium: a novel radioiodine-132 generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abrao, A

    1975-01-01

    Tellurium ions form a soluble cationic complex with thiourea in acid medium. The cationic tellurium-thiourea species is strongly absorbed on a cationic ion exchanger. The retention of tellurium on the resin enables many interesting separation schemes for tellurium from various ions. With special interest, the separation of iodine from tellurium was studied. An efficient and convenient iodine-132 generator is described, in which the radio-iodine is eluted with water or 9 g/1 NaCl, when desired.

  5. Purification and in vitro antioxidant activities of tellurium-containing phycobiliproteins from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yang F

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Fang Yang,1 Ka-Hing Wong,2 Yufeng Yang,3 Xiaoling Li,1 Jie Jiang,1 Wenjie Zheng,1 Hualian Wu,1 Tianfeng Chen1 1Department of Chemistry, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; 3Institute of Hydrobiology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Tellurium-containing phycocyanin (Te-PC and allophycocyanin (Te-APC, two organic tellurium (Te species, were purified from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis by a fast protein liquid chromatographic method. It was found that the incorporation of Te into the peptides enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins. With fractionation by ammonium sulfate precipitation and hydroxylapatite chromatography, Te-PC and Te-APC could be effectively separated with high purity, and Te concentrations were 611.1 and 625.3 µg g-1 protein in Te-PC and Te-APC, respectively. The subunits in the proteins were identified by using MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Te incorporation enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins, as examined by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid assay. Moreover, Te-PC and Te-APC showed dose-dependent protection on erythrocytes against the water-soluble free radical initiator 2,2'-azo(2-asmidinopropanedihydrochloride-induced hemolysis. In the hepatoprotective model, apoptotic cell death and nuclear condensation induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in HepG2 cells was significantly attenuated by Te-PC and Te-APC. Taken together, these results suggest that Te-PC and Te-APC are promising Te-containing proteins with application potential for treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress. Keywords: tellurium, phycocyanin, allophycocyanin, purification, antioxidant activity

  6. Purification and in vitro antioxidant activities of tellurium-containing phycobiliproteins from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Fang; Wong, Ka-Hing; Yang, Yufeng; Li, Xiaoling; Jiang, Jie; Zheng, Wenjie; Wu, Hualian; Chen, Tianfeng

    2014-01-01

    Tellurium-containing phycocyanin (Te-PC) and allophycocyanin (Te-APC), two organic tellurium (Te) species, were purified from tellurium-enriched Spirulina platensis by a fast protein liquid chromatographic method. It was found that the incorporation of Te into the peptides enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins. With fractionation by ammonium sulfate precipitation and hydroxylapatite chromatography, Te-PC and Te-APC could be effectively separated with high purity, and Te concentrations were 611.1 and 625.3 μg g(-1) protein in Te-PC and Te-APC, respectively. The subunits in the proteins were identified by using MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Te incorporation enhanced the antioxidant activities of both phycobiliproteins, as examined by 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid assay. Moreover, Te-PC and Te-APC showed dose-dependent protection on erythrocytes against the water-soluble free radical initiator 2,2'-azo(2-asmidinopropane)dihydrochloride-induced hemolysis. In the hepatoprotective model, apoptotic cell death and nuclear condensation induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in HepG2 cells was significantly attenuated by Te-PC and Te-APC. Taken together, these results suggest that Te-PC and Te-APC are promising Te-containing proteins with application potential for treatment of diseases related to oxidative stress.

  7. Flame and flameless atomic-absorption determination of tellurium in geological materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, T.T.; Sanzolone, R.F.; Hubert, A.E.

    1978-01-01

    The sample is digested with a solution of hydrobromic acid and bromine and the excess of bromine is expelled. After dilution of the solution to approximately 3 M in hydrobromic acid, ascorbic acid is added to reduce iron(III) before extraction of tellurium into methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK). An oxidizing air-acetylene flame is used to determine tellurium in the 0.1-20 ppm range. For samples containing 4-200 ppb of tellurium, a carbon-rod atomizer is used after the MIBK extract has been washed with 0.5 M hydrobromic acid to remove the residual iron. The flame procedure is useful for rapid preliminary monitoring, and the flameless procedure can determine tellurium at very low concentrations. ?? 1978.

  8. A rapid radiochemical ion-exchange separation of iodine from tellurium: a novel radioiodine-132 generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrao, A.

    1975-01-01

    Tellurium ions form a soluble cationic complex with thiourea in acid medium. The cationic tellurium-thiourea species is strongly absorbed on a cationic ion exchanger. The retention of tellurium on the resin enables many interesting separation schemes for tellurium from various ions. With special interest, the separation of iodine from tellurium was studied. An efficient and convenient iodine-132 generator is described, in which the radio-iodine is eluted with water or 9 g/1 NaCL, when desired

  9. Study of distribution coefficients of admixtures in tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuchar, L.; Drapala, J.; Kuchar, L. jr.

    1986-01-01

    Limit areas of tellurium-admixture binary systems were studied and the values determined of steady-state distribution coefficients of admixtures. A second order polynomial was used to express equations of solidus and liquidus curves for Te-Se, Te-S, Te-Hg systems; the curves are graphically represented. The most effective method for preparing high-purity tellurium is zonal melting with material removal. (M.D.). 4 figs., 4 tabs., 16 refs

  10. Effects of tellurium concentration on the structure of melt-grown ZnSe crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Atroshchenko, Lyubov V.; Galkin, Sergey N.; Rybalka, Irina A.; Voronkin, Evgeniy F.; Lalayants, Alexandr I.; Ryzhikov, Vladimir D.; Fedorov, Alexandr G.

    2005-01-01

    It has been shown that isovalent doping by tellurium positively affects the structural perfection of ZnSe crystals related to the completeness of the wurtzite-sphalerite phase transition. The optimum concentration range of tellurium in ZnSe crystals is 0.3-0.6 mass %. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that in ZnSe 1-x Te x crystals at tellurium concentrations below 0.3 mass % twinning and packing defects occur, while tellurium concentrations above 0.6 mass % lead to formation of tetragonal crystal lattice

  11. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; Egidy, T. von; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2003-01-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122 Te, 124 Te, 125 Te, 126 Te, 128 Te, and 130 Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial γ-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and γ intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given

  12. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; Egidy, T. von; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2004-01-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122Te, 124Te, 125Te, 126Te, 128Te, and 130Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial g-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and gamma intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given

  13. Thermal neutron capture cross sections of tellurium isotopes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tomandl, I.; Honzatko, J.; von Egidy, T.; Wirth, H.-F.; Belgya, T.; Lakatos, M.; Szentmiklosi, L.; Revay, Zs.; Molnar, G.L.; Firestone, R.B.; Bondarenko, V.

    2004-03-01

    New values for thermal neutron capture cross sections of the tellurium isotopes 122Te, 124Te, 125Te, 126Te, 128Te, and 130Te are reported. These values are based on a combination of newly determined partial g-ray cross sections obtained from experiments on targets contained natural Te and gamma intensities per capture of individual Te isotopes. Isomeric ratios for the thermal neutron capture on the even tellurium isotopes are also given.

  14. Selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stillings, Lisa L.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

    2017-12-19

    Selenium (Se) was discovered in 1817 in pyrite from copper mines in Sweden. It is a trace element in Earth’s crust, with an abundance of three to seven orders of magnitude less than the major rock-forming elements. Commercial use of selenium began in the United States in 1910, when it was used as a pigment for paints, ceramic glazes, and red glass. Since that time, it has had many other economic uses—notably, in the 1930s and 1940s, when it was used in rectifiers (which change alternating current to direct current), and in the 1960s, when it began to be used in the liner of photocopier drums. In the 21st century, other compounds have replaced selenium in these older products; modern uses for selenium include energy-efficient windows that limit heat transfer and thin-film photovoltaic cells that convert solar energy into electricity.In Earth’s crust, selenium is found as selenide minerals, selenate and selenite salts, and as substitution for sulfur in sulfide minerals. It is the sulfide minerals, most commonly those in porphyry copper deposits, that provide the bulk of the selenium produced for the international commodity market. Selenium is obtained as a byproduct of copper refining and recovered from the anode slimes generated in electrolytic production of copper. Because of this, the countries that have the largest resources and (or) reserves of copper also have the largest resources and (or) reserves of selenium.Because selenium occurs naturally in Earth’s crust, its presence in air, water, and soil results from both geologic reactions and human activity. Selenium is found concentrated naturally in soils that overlie bedrock with high selenium concentrations. Selenium mining, processing, use in industrial and agricultural applications, and disposal may all contribute selenium to the environment. A well-known case of selenium contamination from agricultural practices was discovered in 1983 in the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in California. There

  15. Van der Waals epitaxy and photoresponse of hexagonal tellurium nanoplates on flexible mica sheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qisheng; Safdar, Muhammad; Xu, Kai; Mirza, Misbah; Wang, Zhenxing; He, Jun

    2014-07-22

    Van der Waals epitaxy (vdWE) is of great interest due to its extensive applications in the synthesis of ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. However, vdWE of nonlayered functional materials is still not very well documented. Here, although tellurium has a strong tendency to grow into one-dimensional nanoarchitecture due to its chain-like structure, we successfully realize 2D hexagonal tellurium nanoplates on flexible mica sheets via vdWE. Chemically inert mica surface is found to be crucial for the lateral growth of hexagonal tellurium nanoplates since it (1) facilitates the migration of tellurium adatoms along mica surface and (2) allows a large lattice mismatch. Furthermore, 2D tellurium hexagonal nanoplates-based photodetectors are in situ fabricated on flexible mica sheets. Efficient photoresponse is obtained even after bending the device for 100 times, indicating 2D tellurium hexagonal nanoplates-based photodetectors on mica sheets have a great application potential in flexible and wearable optoelectronic devices. We believe the fundamental understanding of vdWE effect on the growth of 2D tellurium hexagonal nanoplate can pave the way toward leveraging vdWE as a useful channel to realize the 2D geometry of other nonlayered materials.

  16. Investigation of γ-irradiation influence on the DLTS spectra in silicon diluted by tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sultanov, N.A.; Tadzhibaev, M.; Mirzabadalov, Zh

    1997-01-01

    The influence of gamma-radiation on deep level transient spectroscopy(DLTS) spectra for silicon crystals doped with tellurium was studied. The DLTS spectra have shown that tellurium in silicon formed two deep levels with fixed ionization energy. It was shown that the presence of tellurium prevents the formation of radiation defects

  17. Status of tellurium--hastelloy N studies in molten fluoride salts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keiser, J.R.

    1977-10-01

    Tellurium, which is a fission product in nuclear reactor fuels, can embrittle the surface grain boundaries of nickel-base structural materials. This report summarizes results of an experimental investigation conducted to understand the mechanism and to develop a means of controlling this embrittlement in the alloy Hastelloy N. The addition of a chromium telluride to salt can be used to provide small partial pressures of tellurium simulating a reactor environment where tellurium appears as a fission product. The intergranular embrittlement produced in Hastelloy N when exposed to this chromium telluride-salt mixture can be reduced by adding niobium to the Hastelloy N or by controlling the oxidation potential of the salt in the reducing range

  18. Seasonal study on Bothriocephalus as indicator of metal pollution in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, molybdenum, cadmium, tin, antimony, tellurium, barium, mercury, thallium, lead and uranium) were determined with an ICP-MS. Bioconcentration of metals (selenium, mercury, and lead during autumn; copper, zinc, selenium, cadmium, ...

  19. Electrodeposition of antimony, tellurium and their alloys from molten acetamide mixtures

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nguyen, H.P.; Peng, X.; Murugan, G.; Vullers, R.J.M.; Vereecken, P.M.; Fransaer, J.

    2013-01-01

    We examine the electrodeposition of antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te) and their alloys from molten mixtures of acetamide - antimony chloride and tellurium chloride. The binary mixtures of acetamide with SbCl3 and TeCl 4 exhibit eutectic formation with large depressions of freezing points to below room

  20. The defects produced by electron irradiation in tellurium-doped germanium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukuoka, Noboru; Saito, Haruo

    1989-01-01

    The nature of the irradiation induced defects in a germanium single crystal doped with tellurium was studied by DLTS and electrical measurements. The E c -0.21 eV level produced by irradiation with 1.5 MeV electrons was studied using the DLTS technique. It was found that the defect associated with this level is a divacancy. The E-center like defect (group V impurity-vacancy pair) introduces the E c -0.20 eV level in samples doped with a group V impurity. The level introduced by a tellurium (group VI impurity)-vacancy pair is deeper. The E c -0.16 eV level was generated by annealing at 430 K. A tellurium-vacancies complex is proposed as the defect associated with this level. (author)

  1. DETECTION OF THE SECOND r-PROCESS PEAK ELEMENT TELLURIUM IN METAL-POOR STARS ,

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roederer, Ian U.; Lawler, James E.; Cowan, John J.; Beers, Timothy C.; Frebel, Anna; Ivans, Inese I.; Schatz, Hendrik; Sobeck, Jennifer S.; Sneden, Christopher

    2012-01-01

    Using near-ultraviolet spectra obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we detect neutral tellurium in three metal-poor stars enriched by products of r-process nucleosynthesis, BD +17 3248, HD 108317, and HD 128279. Tellurium (Te, Z = 52) is found at the second r-process peak (A ≈ 130) associated with the N = 82 neutron shell closure, and it has not been detected previously in Galactic halo stars. The derived tellurium abundances match the scaled solar system r-process distribution within the uncertainties, confirming the predicted second peak r-process residuals. These results suggest that tellurium is predominantly produced in the main component of the r-process, along with the rare earth elements.

  2. Review of tellurium release rates from LWR fuel elements under accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lorenz, R.A.; Beahm, E.C.; Wichner, R.P.

    1983-01-01

    Although fission product tellurium presents a potentially significant radiohazard, its release and transport in source-term experiments is frequently overlooked because it does not possess a readily measurable, gamma emission; moreover, a recent study emphasized noble gas, iodine and cesium release from LWR fuel elements because of the large data base that exists for these materials. Some new tests show that in some cases tellurium may be held up in core material to a greater degree than previously assumed - an observation that prompts a careful reappraisal of the existing tellurium-release data and its chemical foundation

  3. Optimization of scintillator loading with the tellurium-130 isotope for long-term stability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duhamel, Lauren; Song, Xiaoya; Goutnik, Michael; Kaptanoglu, Tanner; Klein, Joshua; SNO+ Collaboration

    2017-09-01

    Tellurium-130 was selected as the isotope for the SNO + neutrinoless double beta decay search, as 130Te decays to 130Xe via double beta decay. Linear alkyl benzene(LAB) is the liquid scintillator for the SNO + experiment. To load tellurium into scintillator, it is combined with 1,2-butanediol to form an organometallic complex, commonly called tellurium butanediol (TeBD). This study focuses on maximizing the percentage of tellurium loaded into scintillator and evaluates the complex's long-term stability. Studies on the effect of nucleation due to imperfections in the detector's surface and external particulates were employed by filtration and induced nucleation. The impact of water on the stability of TeBD complex was evaluated by liquid-nitrogen sparging, variability in pH and induced humidity. Alternative loading methods were evaluated, including the addition of stability-inducing organic compounds. Samples of tellurium-loaded scintillator were synthesized, treated, and consistently monitored in a controlled environment. It was found that the hydronium ions cause precipitation in the loaded scintillator, demonstrating that water has a detrimental effect on long-term stability. Optimization of loaded scintillator stability can contribute to the SNO + double beta decay search.

  4. Radionuclides in diffusion probing of inorganic materials based on chalcogenides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Firsova, L.P.

    1994-01-01

    Migration of tellurium-125m, selenium-75, sulfur-35 radionuclides in solid solutions Pb 1-y (Se 0.08 Te 0.92 ) y and (Pb 1-x Sn x ) y Te 1-y , where x=0.1 and 0.2, has been studied, the results are presented. Data on dependence of selenium and tellurium self-diffusion coefficients on temperature in the range of 600-750 deg C are given. The results of the study of self-diffusion coefficient isothermal dependences on lead and tellurium vapour pressure in equilibrium with solid phases have been considered. It is ascertained that a change in the temperature and p-n transitions initiate the change in self-diffusion mechanisms of chalcogenide atoms. 8 refs., 3 tabs

  5. Comparative study on the bioactivation mechanisms and cytotoxicity of Te-phenyl-L-tellurocysteine, Se-phenyl-L-selenocysteine, and S-phenyl-L-cysteine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rooseboom, Martijn; Vermeulen, Nico P E; Durgut, Fatma; Commandeur, Jan N M

    2002-01-01

    Tellurium compounds are effective antioxidants and chemoprotectors, even more active than their selenium and sulfur analogues. In addition to these properties, some selenium compounds, such as selenocysteine Se-conjugates, possess significant chemopreventive and antitumor activities, and selenol

  6. Methods of Selenium Supplementation: Bioavailability and Determination of Selenium Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodnar, Malgorzata; Szczyglowska, Marzena; Konieczka, Piotr; Namiesnik, Jacek

    2016-01-01

    Selenium, a "dual-surface" element, maintains a very thin line between a level of necessity and harmfulness. Because of this, a deficiency or excess of this element in an organism is dangerous and causes health-related problems, both physically and mentally. The main source of selenium is a balanced diet, with a proper selection of meat and plant products. Meanwhile, the proper assimilation of selenium into these products depends on their bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and/or bioactivity of a given selenium compound. From the time when it was discovered that selenium and its compounds have a significant influence on metabolic processes and in many countries throughout the world, a low quantity of selenium was found in different parts of the environment, pressure was put upon an effective and fast method of supplementing the environment with the help of selenium. This work describes supplementation methods applied with the use of selenium, as well as new ideas for increasing the level of this element in various organisms. Based on the fact that selenium appears in the environment at trace levels, the determination of total amount of selenium or selenium speciation in a given sample demands the selection of appropriate measurement methods. These methods are most often comprised of a sample preparation technique and/or a separation technique as well as a detection system. The work presents information on the subject of analytical methods used for determining selenium and its compounds as well as examples in literature of their application.

  7. Selective floatation-spectrophotometric determination of tellurium (4) with papaverine and butyl rhodamine B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skripchuk, V.G.

    1981-01-01

    It is shown, that papaverine reacts with a bromide complex of tellurium (4) to form a compound readily floated by toluene. The floatation is carried out from an aqueous solution, 5.2 M in H 2 SO 4 , 0.2 M in KBr and 5.4x10 -3 M in papaverine. The absorbance is a function of tellurium (4) concentration over a range of 5-100 μg Te/5 ml. Such a highly sensitive reagent as butylrhodamine B can be effectively substituted for papaverine. The floatation results in better selectivity. The method makes it possible to determine tellurium in blister, anodic and cathodic copper without matrix preseparation [ru

  8. Selenium Sulfide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selenium sulfide, an anti-infective agent, relieves itching and flaking of the scalp and removes the dry, ... Selenium sulfide comes in a lotion and is usually applied as a shampoo. As a shampoo, selenium ...

  9. Investigation of biomethylation of arsenic and tellurium during composting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diaz-Bone, Roland A.; Raabe, Maren; Awissus, Simone; Keuter, Bianca; Menzel, Bernd; Kueppers, Klaus; Widmann, Renatus; Hirner, Alfred V.

    2011-01-01

    Though the process of composting features a high microbiological activity, its potential to methylate metals and metalloids has been little investigated so far in spite of the high impact of this process on metal(loid) toxicity and mobility. Here, we studied the biotransformation of arsenic, tellurium, antimony, tin and germanium during composting. Time resolved investigation revealed a highly dynamic process during self-heated composting with markedly differing time patterns for arsenic and tellurium species. Extraordinary high concentrations of up to 150 mg kg -1 methylated arsenic species as well as conversion rates up to 50% for arsenic and 5% for tellurium were observed. In contrast, little to no conversion was observed for antimony, tin and germanium. In addition to experiments with metal(loid) salts, composting of arsenic hyperaccumulating ferns Pteris vittata and P. cretica grown on As-amended soils was studied. Arsenic accumulated in the fronds was efficiently methylated resulting in up to 8 mg kg -1 methylated arsenic species. Overall, these studies indicate that metal(loid)s can undergo intensive biomethylation during composting. Due to the high mobility of methylated species this process needs to be considered in organic waste treatment of metal(loid) contaminated waste materials.

  10. Release of tellurium and cesium from UO2 in LWR fuel rods during irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malen, K.A.

    1983-01-01

    In this paper the release of tellurium (Te-132) and cesium (Cs-134 and Cs-137) from UO 2 -fuel is analyzed. The basis for the analysis is the experimental results from the S176 series of experiments performed at Studsvik. It seems that the model developed earlier for release of iodine applies also to tellurium and cesium. This model assumes sweeping up of the species in question by moving grain boundaries and subsequent release through grain boundary porosity. An interesting extra feature is deposition of tellurium at temperatures in the range 1500-2000 K believed to be due to condensation. (author)

  11. METALCOMPLEXES OF TELLURIUM-CONTAINING AMINES AND AZOMETINES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. M. Abakarov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this article methods of synthesis and reactionary ability of metalcomplexes of tellurium-containing amines, azometines, of a problem of competitive coordination with use of the principle of "soft" and "rigid" acids and the bases (R. Pearson.

  12. The characterisation of vapour-phase alkali metal-tellurium-oxygen species

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gomme, R.A.; Ogden, J.S.; Bowsher, B.R.

    1986-10-01

    Detailed assessments of hypothetical severe accidents in light water reactors require the identification of the chemical forms of the radionuclides in order to determine their transport characteristics. Caesium and tellurium are important volatile fission products in accident scenarios. This report describes detailed studies to characterise the chemical species that vaporise from heated mixtures of various alkali metal-tellurium-oxygen systems. The molecular species were characterised by a combination of quadrupole mass spectrometry and matrix isolation-infrared spectroscopy undertaken in conjunction with experiments involving oxygen-18 substitution. The resulting spectra were interpreted in terms of a vapour-phase molecule with the stoichiometry M 2 TeO 3 (M = K,Rb,Cs) for M/Te molecular ratios of ∼ 2, and polymeric species for ratios < 2. This work has demonstrated the stability of caesium tellurite. The formation of this relatively low-volatility, water-soluble species could significantly modify the transport and release of caesium and tellurium. The data presented in this report should allow more comprehensive thermodynamic calculations to be undertaken that assist in the quantification of fission product behaviour during severe reactor accidents. (author)

  13. Double beta decay of tellurium-130

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Richardson, J.F.; Manuel, O.K.; Sinha, B.; Thorpe, R.I.

    1986-01-01

    The isotopic composition of xenon is reported in four, neutron-irradiated tellurium minerals - tellurobismuthite from Boliden, Sweden, native tellurium from the Good Hope Mine of Gunnison County, Colorado, altaite from the Kirkland Lake area, Ontario, and altaite from the Mattagami Lake area, Quebec. From the amount of radiogenic 130 Xe and pile-produced 131 Xe in these samples, it is concluded that the half-life of 130 Te for ββ-decay is 21 y based on measured values of (1.0+-0.3) . 10 21 y and higher. Our results demonstrate that there has been no significant partial leakage of radiogenic 130 Xe from these minerals over geologic time. Larger values of Tsub(1/2), as indicated from some of the analysis reported here and in other studies, are attributed to recrystallization of the soft telluride minerals and complete resetting of the Te-Xe system after mineralization. The value obtained here for the half-life of 130 Te is substantiated by recent measurements on xenon in tellurides from Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. (orig.)

  14. RILIS-ionized mercury and tellurium beams at ISOLDE CERN

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Day Goodacre, T., E-mail: thomas.day.goodacre@cern.ch [CERN (Switzerland); Billowes, J. [The University of Manchester, School of Physics and Astronomy (United Kingdom); Chrysalidis, K. [CERN (Switzerland); Fedorov, D. V. [Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (Russian Federation); Fedosseev, V. N.; Marsh, B. A. [CERN (Switzerland); Molkanov, P. L. [Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (Russian Federation); Rossel, R. E.; Rothe, S.; Seiffert, C. [CERN (Switzerland); Wendt, K. D. A. [Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Institut für Physik (Germany)

    2017-11-15

    This paper presents the results of ionization scheme development for application at the ISOLDE Resonance Ionization Laser Ion Source (RILIS). Two new ionization schemes for mercury are presented: a three-step three-resonance ionization scheme, ionizing via an excitation to a Rydberg level and a three-step two-resonance ionization scheme, with a non-resonant final step to the ionization continuum that corresponded to a factor of four higher ionization efficiency. The efficiency of the optimal mercury ionization scheme was measured, together with the efficiency of a new three-step three resonance ionization scheme for tellurium. The efficiencies of the mercury and tellurium ionization schemes were determined to be 6 % and >18 % respectively.

  15. Nano-Structured Crystalline Te Films by Laser Gas-Phase Pyrolysis of Dimethyl Tellurium

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pola, Josef; Pokorná, Veronika; Boháček, Jaroslav; Bastl, Zdeněk; Ouchi, A.

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 71, č. 2 (2004), s. 739-746 ISSN 0165-2370 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4072107; GA MŠk OC 523.60 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4072921; CEZ:AV0Z4032918; CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : dimethyl tellurium * tellurium films * laser Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.352, year: 2004

  16. Production and characterization Te-peptide by induced autolysis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morya, V K; Dong, Shin Jae; Kim, Eun-ki

    2014-04-01

    Recently, the interest in mimicking functions of chalcogen-based catalytic antioxidants like selenoenzymes, has been increased. Various attempts had been done with selenium, but very few attempts were carried out with tellurium. Bio-complex formation and characterization of tellurium was not tried earlier by using any organism. The present study was focused on tellurium peptide production, characterization, and bioactivity assessment especially Mimetic to glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The production was achieved by the autolysis of total proteins obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 7752 grown with inorganic tellurium. The GPx-like activity of the hydrolyzed tellurium peptide was increased when prepared by autolysis, but decreased when prepared by acid hydrolysis. Tellurium peptide produced by autolysis of the yeast cell showed increased GPx-like activity as well as tellurium content. Tellurium peptide showed little toxicity, compared to highly toxic inorganic tellurium. The results showed the potential of tellurium peptide as an antioxidant that can be produced by simple autolysis of yeast cells.

  17. [Selenium treatment in thyreopathies].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sotak, Štefan

    Selenium (latin Selenium) is a micronutrient embedded in several proteins. In adults, the thyroid is the organ with the highest amount of selenium per gram of tissue. Selenium levels in the body depend on the characteristics of the population and its diet and geographic area. In the thyroid, selenium is required for the antioxidant function and for the metabolism of thyroid hormones. The literature suggests that selenium supplementation of patients with Hashimotos thyroiditis is associated with a reduction in antithyroperoxidase antibody levels. Selenium supplementation also in mild Graves orbitopathy is associated with delayed progression of ocular disorders. As a consequence of this observation The European Group on Graves Orbitopathy recommend six months selenium preparates supportive therapy for patients with mild form of Graves orbitopathy.Key words: Graves-Basedows disease - Hashimotos thyroiditis - selenium - supplementation.

  18. Thermoelectric properties of electrodeposited tellurium films and the sodium lignosulfonate effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abad, Begoña; Rull-Bravo, Marta; Hodson, Stephen L.; Xu, Xianfan; Martin-Gonzalez, Marisol

    2015-01-01

    The effect of the addition of a surfactant, sodium lignosulfonate (SLS), on the thermoelectric properties of tellurium films prepared by electrochemical deposition is studied. The growth mechanism is found to have an important role in the thermoelectric properties since the grain size of the films is sharply reduced when the surfactant is added to the solution. For this reason, the electrical resistivity of the tellurium films when the surfactant is not added is 229 μΩ·m, which is lower than 798 μΩ·m with SLS. The Seebeck coefficient values are not influenced, with values in the vicinity of 285 μV/K for both solutions. The power factor resulted higher values than previous works, reaching values of 280 μW/m·K 2 (without SLS) and 82 μW/m·K 2 (with SLS) at room temperature. Finally, the thermal conductivity was measured by means of the Photoacoustic technique, which showed values of the order of 1 W/m·K for both solutions, which is a factor of 3 less than the bulk value of tellurium. A notable observation is that the power factor and the thermal conductivity of electrodeposited tellurium films have the same order of magnitude of bismuth telluride films grown by electrodeposition. The figure of merit is estimated to be approximately one order of magnitude higher than the bulk value, 0.09 without SLS and 0.03 with SLS, both at room temperature

  19. Selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Health Information Supplement Fact Sheets Frequently Asked Questions Making Decisions What you Need To Know About Supplements Dietary ... understand how selenium in food and dietary supplements affects heart health. Cognitive decline Blood selenium levels decrease as people age, ...

  20. Influence of ion beam irradiation induced defects on the structural, optical and electrical properties of tellurium nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kumar, Narinder [Department of Physics, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, 125055 (India); Department of Physics, Haryana College of Technology & Management, Kaithal, 136027 (India); Kumar, Rajesh [Department of Physics, RN College of Engineering & Technology, Madlauda, 132104 (India); Kumar, Sushil, E-mail: sushil_phys@rediffmail.com [Department of Physics, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, 125055 (India); Chakarvarti, S.K. [Research and Development, Manav Rachana International University, Faridabad, 121001 (India)

    2016-11-01

    In this study, tellurium nanowires were electrodeposited into the polymer membranes from aqueous acidic bath containing HTeO{sub 2}{sup +} ions. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images confirmed the formation of uniform and straight nanowires. The influence of 110 MeV Ni{sup 8+} ion irradiation induced defects on the structural, optical and electrical properties of as–deposited tellurium nanowires were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–visible absorption spectroscopy and current–voltage (I–V) measurements. The XRD data depicted the hexagonal phase of tellurium nanowires and further revealed a variation in the intensity of diffraction peaks of ion irradiated nanowires. Williamson–Hall (WH) analysis is used for convoluting the size and microstrain contributions to the width of diffraction peaks. Tellurium nanowires exhibited a distinct absorbance band in the visible region at 686 nm, while this was absent in bulk tellurium. Electrical properties of nanowires are explored on the basis of I–V curves, which revealed a significant increase in the electrical conductivity of irradiated nanowires. A possible mechanism for the enhanced electrical conductivity is the increase in carrier concentration due to thermally excited defects. The defects produced by ion irradiation play a vital role in modifying the properties of semiconducting nanowires. - Highlights: • 110 MeV Ni{sup 8+} ion beam induced changes in tellurium nanowires have been examined. • Nanowires were prepared using template electrodeposition method. • Irradiation improved the electrical conductivity of tellurium nanowires. • Mechanism for enhanced electrical conductivity of irradiated nanowires was discussed.

  1. Nanosized Selenium: A Novel Platform Technology to Prevent Bacterial Infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi

    As an important category of bacterial infections, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are considered an increasing threat to the safety and health of patients worldwide. HAIs lead to extended hospital stays, contribute to increased medical costs, and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. In the United States, infections encountered in the hospital or a health care facility affect more than 1.7 million patients, cost 35.7 billion to 45 billion, and contribute to 88,000 deaths in hospitals annually. The most conventional and widely accepted method to fight against bacterial infections is using antibiotics. However, because of the widespread and sometimes inappropriate use of antibiotics, many strains of bacteria have rapidly developed antibiotic resistance. Those new, stronger bacteria pose serious, worldwide threats to public health and welfare. In 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported antibiotic resistance as a global serious threat that is no longer a prediction for the future but is now reality. It has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country. The most effective strategy to prevent antibiotic resistance is minimizing the use of antibiotics. In recent years, nanomaterials have been investigated as one of the potential substitutes of antibiotics. As a result of their vastly increased ratio of surface area to volume, nanomaterials will likely exert a stronger interaction with bacteria which may affect bacterial growth and propagation. A major concern of most existing antibacterial nanomaterials, like silver nanoparticles, is their potential toxicity. But selenium is a non-metallic material and a required nutrition for the human body, which is recommended by the FDA at a 53 to 60 μg daily intake. Nanosized selenium is considered to be healthier and less toxic compared with many metal-based nanomaterials due to the generation of reactive oxygen species from metals, especially heavy metals. Therefore, the objectives of

  2. Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of tellurium (IV) by periodate in alkaline medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivas, K.; Vani, P.; Dikshitulu, L.S.A.

    1995-01-01

    Detailed kinetic study of the oxidation of tellurium (IV) by periodate in alkaline medium has been carried out to compare the mechanisms of oxidation in the acid and alkaline media. It is interesting to note that the rate step involves a two-electron transfer from tellurium (IV) to periodate in alkaline medium although the kinetic pattern is somewhat different from that in the acid medium. 7 refs., 1 tab

  3. Selenium and Human Health

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Abedi

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Selenium is an essential element for human health and it is toxic at high concentrations. Selenium is a constituent component of selenoproteins that have enzymatic and structural roles in human biochemistry. Selenium is a best antioxidant and catalyst for production of thyroid hormone. This element has the key role in the immune function; prevention of AIDS progression and the deactivity of toxins. Furthermore, selenium is essential for sperm motility and can reduce abortions. Selenium deficiency was also associated with adverse mood states. The findings regarding cardiovascular disease risk related to selenium deficiency is unclear, though other conditions such as vascular inflammation, oxidative stress and selenium deficiency can cause this disease too. Moreover, consuming of 60 mg of selenium per day may be associated with reduction of cancer risk. In this study, a review of studies has been performed on the biochemical function of selenium toxicity, and its effects on human health. Furthermore, certain identified cancers associated with selenium have been discussed to absorb more attention to the status of this element and also as a guide for further studies. Selenium plays the dual character (useful and harmful in human health, and then it is necessary to determine the concentration of this element in body fluids and tissues. An appropriate method for routine measurement of selenium in clinical laboratories is electro thermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS with very low detection limit and good precision.

  4. Chemical Process for Treatment of Tellurium and Chromium Liquid Waste from I-131 Radioisotope Production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zainus-Salimin; Gunandjar; Dedy-Harsono; Hendro; Sugeng-Purnomo; Mohammad-Faruq; Zulfakhri

    2000-01-01

    The I-131 radioisotope is used in nuclear medicine for diagnosis and therapy. The I-131 radioisotope is produced by wet distillation at Bandung Nuclear Research Center and generated about 4,875 Itr of liquid waste containing 2,532.8 ppm of tellurium and 1,451.8 ppm chromium at pH 1. Considering its negative impact to the environment caused by toxic behaviour of tellurium and chromium, it is necessary to treat chemically that's liquid waste. The research of chemical treatment of tellurium and chromium liquid waste from I-131 radioisotope production has been done. The steps of process are involved of neutralisation with NaOH, coagulation-flocculation process for step I using Ca(OH) 2 coagulant for precipitation of sulphate, sulphite, oxalic, chrome Cr 3+ , and coagulation-flocculation process for step II using BaCI 2 coagulant for precipitation of chrome Cr 6+ and tellurium from the supernatant of coagulation in step I. The best result of experiment was achieved at 0.0161 ppm of chromium concentration on the supernatant from coagulation-flocculation of step I using 3.5 g Ca(OH) 2 for 100 ml of liquid waste, and 0.95 ppm of tellurium concentration on the final supernatant from coagulation-flocculation by of step II using 0.7 g BaCI 2 for supernatant from coagulation of step I. (author)

  5. Selenium Content, Influential Factors Within the Plant and the Transformation of Different Selenium Specification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIU Yuan-yuan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper collected relevant literatures on selenium and explored the function to plant, selenium content, influential factors and selenium specification and transformation. We believed that there should be more deep researches on function of selenium to plant. Approaches of molecular, genetic engineering and isotope could be employed to breed selenium rich crops and possibilities in practice. More efforts should be spent on the technologies research for improving selenium level in crops under natural soil conditions to sustainably utilize the selenium resources.

  6. Enhancement of Au-Ag-Te contents in tellurium-bearing ore minerals via bioleaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Nag-Choul; Cho, Kang Hee; Kim, Bong Ju; Lee, Soonjae; Park, Cheon Young

    2018-03-01

    The purpose of this study was to enhance the content of valuable metals, such as Au, Ag, and Te, in tellurium-bearing minerals via bioleaching. The ore samples composed of invisible Au and Au paragenesis minerals (such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena) in combination with tellurium-bearing minerals (hessite, sylvanite and Tellurobismuthite) were studied. Indigenous microbes from mine drainage were isolated and identified as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, which were used in bioleaching after adaption to copper. The effect of the microbial adaption on the bioleaching performance was then compared with the results produced by the non-adaptive process. The microbial adaption enhanced the Au-Ag-Te contents in biological leaching of tellurium-bearing ore minerals. This suggests that bioleaching with adapted microbes can be used both as a pretreatment and in the main recovery processes of valuable metals.

  7. Peroxide coordination of tellurium in aqueous solutions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikhaylov, Alexey A.; Medvedev, Alexander G. [Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); The Casali Center of Applied Chemistry, The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel); Churakov, Andrei V.; Grishanov, Dmitry A.; Prikhodchenko, Petr V. [Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Lev, Ovadia [The Casali Center of Applied Chemistry, The Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)

    2016-02-15

    Tellurium-peroxo complexes in aqueous solutions have never been reported. In this work, ammonium peroxotellurates (NH{sub 4}){sub 4}Te{sub 2}(μ-OO){sub 2}(μ-O)O{sub 4}(OH){sub 2} (1) and (NH{sub 4}){sub 5}Te{sub 2}(μ-OO){sub 2}(μ-O)O{sub 5}(OH).1.28 H{sub 2}O.0.72 H{sub 2}O{sub 2} (2) were isolated from 5 % hydrogen peroxide aqueous solutions of ammonium tellurate and characterized by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction analysis, by Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The crystal structure of 1 comprises ammonium cations and a symmetric binuclear peroxotellurate anion [Te{sub 2}(μ-OO){sub 2}(μ-O)O{sub 4}(OH){sub 2}]{sup 4-}. The structure of 2 consists of an unsymmetrical [Te{sub 2}(μ-OO){sub 2}(μ-O)O{sub 5}(OH)]{sup 5-} anion, ammonium cations, hydrogen peroxide, and water. Peroxotellurate anions in both 1 and 2 contain a binuclear Te{sub 2}(μ-OO){sub 2}(μ-O) fragment with one μ-oxo- and two μ-peroxo bridging groups. {sup 125}Te NMR spectroscopic analysis shows that the peroxo bridged bitellurate anions are the dominant species in solution, with 3-40 %wt H{sub 2}O{sub 2} and for pH values above 9. DFT calculations of the peroxotellurate anion confirm its higher thermodynamic stability compared with those of the oxotellurate analogues. This is the first direct evidence for tellurium-peroxide coordination in any aqueous system and the first report of inorganic tellurium-peroxo complexes. General features common to all reported p-block element peroxides could be discerned by the characterization of aqueous and crystalline peroxotellurates. (copyright 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  8. Selenium content of mushrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stijve, T

    1977-07-29

    The selenium contents of 83 species of wild mushrooms were determined by oxygen combustion of the sample, followed by conversion of selenite to bromopiazselenol and final estimation by electron capture gas-liquid chromatography. Selenium concentration were found to range from 0.012-20.0 mg/kg dry weight. Selenium content was species-dependent. High concentrations were found in Agaricaceae and in certain Boletaceae of the genus Tubiporus, whereas in Russulaceae, Amanitaceae and Cantharellaceae selenium-rich species were absent or rare. Ascomycetes and all mushrooms growing on wood had a very low selenium content. The highest selenium concentrations (up to 20 ppm) were found in Boletus (Tubiporus) edulis, a most popular edible mushroom. Analyses of various parts of carpophores of B. edulis, Suillus luteus and Amanita muscaria indicate that in all three species the stalk contains less selenium than the fleshy part of the cap. In Boletus and Suillus the highest selenium content was found in the tubes.

  9. Rutherford backscatter measurements on tellurium and cadmium implanted gallium arsenide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bell, E.C.

    1979-10-01

    The primary aim of the work described in this thesis was to examine implanted layers of the dopant impurities cadmium and tellurium in gallium arsenide and to experimentally assess their potential for producing electrically active layers. 1.5 MeV Rutherford backscattering measurements of lattice disorder and atom site location have been used to assess post implantation thermal annealing and elevated temperature implantations to site the dopant impurities on either gallium or arsenic lattice positions in an otherwise undisordered lattice. Pyrolitically deposited silicon dioxide was used as an encapsulant to prevent thermal dissociation of the gallium arsenide during annealing. It has been shown that high doses of cadmium and tellurium can be implanted without forming amorphous lattice disorder by heating the gallium arsenide during implantation to relatively low temperatures. Atom site location measurements have shown that a large fraction of a tellurium dose implanted at 180 0 C is located on or near lattice sites. Channeled backscatter measurements have shown that there is residual disorder or lattice strain in gallium arsenide implanted at elevated temperatures. The extent of this disorder has been shown to depend on the implanted dose and implantation temperature. The channeling effect has been used to measure annealing of the disorder. (author)

  10. Phenylethynyl-butyltellurium inhibits the sulfhydryl enzyme Na+, K+ -ATPase: an effect dependent on the tellurium atom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quines, Caroline B; Rosa, Suzan G; Neto, José S S; Zeni, Gilson; Nogueira, Cristina W

    2013-11-01

    Organotellurium compounds are known for their toxicological effects. These effects may be associated with the chemical structure of these compounds and the oxidation state of the tellurium atom. In this context, 2-phenylethynyl-butyltellurium (PEBT) inhibits the activity of the sulfhydryl enzyme, δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase. The present study investigated on the importance of the tellurium atom in the PEBT ability to oxidize mono- and dithiols of low molecular weight and sulfhydryl enzymes in vitro. PEBT, at high micromolar concentrations, oxidized dithiothreitol (DTT) and inhibited cerebral Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, but did not alter the lactate dehydrogenase activity. The inhibition of cerebral Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity was completely restored by DTT. By contrast, 2-phenylethynyl-butyl, a molecule without the tellurium atom, neither oxidized DTT nor altered the Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity. In conclusion, the tellurium atom of PEBT is crucial for the catalytic oxidation of sulfhydryl groups from thiols of low molecular weight and from Na(+), K(+)-ATPase.

  11. Study On Analytical Methods Of Tellurium Content In Natriiodide (Na131I) Radiopharmaceutical Solution Produced In The Dalat Nuclear Reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vo Thi Cam Hoa; Duong Van Dong; Nguyen Thi Thu; Chu Van Khoa

    2007-01-01

    This report describes the practical methods for analyzing of Tellurium content in Na 131 I solution produced at the Dalat Nuclear Research Institute. We studied analytical methods to control Tellurium content in final Na 131 I solution product used in medical purposes by three methods such as: spot test, gamma spectrometric and spectrophotometric methods. These investigation results are shown that the spot test method is suitable for controlling Tellurium trace in the final product. This spot test can be determinate Tellurium trace less than 10 ppm and are used to quality control of Na 131 I solution using in medical application. (author)

  12. Selenium in edible mushrooms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falandysz, Jerzy

    2008-01-01

    Selenium is vital to human health. This article is a compendium of virtually all the published data on total selenium concentrations, its distribution in fruitbody, bioconcentration factors, and chemical forms in wild-grown, cultivated, and selenium-enriched mushrooms worldwide. Of the 190 species reviewed (belonging to 21 families and 56 genera), most are considered edible, and a few selected data relate to inedible mushrooms. Most of edible mushroom species examined until now are selenium-poor (cesarea, A. campestris, A. edulis, A. macrosporus, and A. silvaticus. A particularly rich source of selenium could be obtained from selenium-enriched mushrooms that are cultivated on a substrate fortified with selenium (as inorganic salt or selenized-yeast). The Se-enriched Champignon Mushroom could contain up to 30 or 110 microg Se/g dw, while the Varnished Polypore (Ganoderma lucidum) could contain up to 72 microg Se/g dw. An increasingly growing database on chemical forms of selenium of mushrooms indicates that the seleno-compounds identified in carpophore include selenocysteine, selenomethionine, Se-methylselenocysteine, selenite, and several unidentified seleno-compounds; their proportions vary widely. Some aspects of environmental selenium occurrence and human body pharmacokinetics and nutritional needs will also be briefly discussed in this review.

  13. Simple and effective method for nuclear tellurium isomers separation from antimony cyclotron targets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bondarevskij, S.I.; Eremin, V.V.

    1999-01-01

    Simple and effective method of generation of tellurium nuclear isomers from irradiated on cyclotron metallic antimony is suggested. Basically this method consists in consideration of the big difference in volatilities of metallic forms of antimony, tin and tellurium. Heating of the tin-antimony alloy at 1200 K permits to separate about 90 % of produced quantity of 121m Te and 123m Te (in this case impurity of antimony radionuclides is not more than 1 % on activity) [ru

  14. Electrochemical characterization of the underpotential deposition of tellurium on Au electrode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, W.; Yang, J.Y.; Zhou, D.X.; Bao, S.Q.; Fan, X.A.; Duan, X.K.

    2007-01-01

    Electrochemical characterization of the underpotential deposition (UPD) of tellurium on Au substrate has been performed in this paper. The mechanism of Te deposition and its voltammetry dependence on the Te ion concentration were studied, and it suggests that variations in the metal ion concentration may affect the UPD process kinetics. The effect of tellurium adsorbates on UPD behavior of Te has also been investigated. The results show that the tellurium adsorbates could be irreversibly adsorbed upon the Au substrate surface under the open-circuit conditions. Subsequent removal of the Te adsorbates was also proved to be very difficult within the Au double-layer region, and a standard electrochemical cleaning procedure is necessary to remove the Te adsorbates completely. When the potential was cycled into the Au oxidation region, a substantial loss of Te adsobates was observed, which occurs simultaneously with the Au oxidation features. Scan rate dependent cyclic voltammetry experiments reveal that the peak current in the Te UPD peak is not a linear function of the scan rate, ν, but of a 2/3 power of the scan rate, ν 2/3 . It is in good consistent with a two-dimension nucleation and growth mechanism

  15. Speciation analysis of tellurium by solid-phase extraction in the presence of ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, Chunhai; Cai, Qiantao; Guo, Zhong-Xian; Yang, Zhaoguang [Centre for Advanced Water Technology, Innovation Centre (NTU), Singapore (Singapore); Khoo, Soo Beng [Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore (Singapore)

    2003-05-01

    Under acidic conditions tellurium(IV) formed a complex with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC). The tellurium(IV) complex was completely retained on a non-polar Isolute silica-based octadecyl (C{sub 18}) sorbent-containing solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, while the uncomplexed Te(VI) passed through the cartridge and remained as a free species in the solution. Only partial Te(IV) was retained on the SPE cartridge for samples without addition of APDC. On the basis of different retention behaviours of the complexed Te(IV) and uncomplexed Te(VI), a simple and highly sensitive method is proposed for the determination of total tellurium and Te(VI) by SPE separation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection. The Te(IV) concentration was calculated as the difference between total tellurium and Te(VI) concentrations. The detection limit (3{sigma}) is 3 ng L{sup -1} tellurium. Factors affecting the separation and detection of tellurium species were investigated. Coexisting ions did not show significant interferences with the Te(IV)-APDC complex retention and the subsequent ICP-MS detection of Te. The method has been successfully applied to the tellurium speciation analysis in waters with spiked recoveries for Te(IV) and Te(VI) of 86.0-108% and 87.1-97.4%, respectively. (orig.)

  16. Intergranular tellurium cracking of nickel-based alloys in molten Li, Be, Th, U/F salt mixture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ignatiev, Victor; Surenkov, Alexander; Gnidoy, Ivan; Kulakov, Alexander; Uglov, Vadim; Vasiliev, Alexander; Presniakov, Mikhail

    2013-09-01

    In Russia, R&D on Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) are concentrated now on fast/intermediate spectrum concepts which were recognized as long term alternative to solid fueled fast reactors due to their attractive features: strong negative feedback coefficients, easy in-service inspection, and simplified fuel cycle. For high-temperature MSR corrosion of the metallic container alloy in primary circuit is the primary concern. Key problem receiving current attention include surface fissures in Ni-based alloys probably arising from fission product tellurium attack. This paper summarizes results of corrosion tests conducted recently to study effect of oxidation state in selected fuel salt on tellurium attack and to develop means of controlling tellurium cracking in the special Ni-based alloys recently developed for molten salt actinide recycler and tranforming (MOSART) system. Tellurium corrosion of Ni-based alloys was tested at temperatures up to 750 °C in stressed and unloaded conditions in molten LiF-BeF2 salt mixture fueled by about 20 mol% of ThF4 and 2 mol% of UF4 at different [U(IV)]/[U(III)] ratios: 0.7, 4, 20, 100 and 500. Following Ni-based alloys (in mass%): HN80М-VI (Mo—12, Cr—7.6, Nb—1.5), HN80МТY (Mo—13, Cr—6.8, Al—1.1, Ti—0.9), HN80МТW (Mo—9.4, Cr—7.0, Ti—1.7, W—5.5) and ЕМ-721 (W—25.2, Cr—5.7, Ti—0.17) were used for the study in the corrosion facility. If the redox state the fuel salt is characterized by uranium ratio [U(IV)]/[U(III)] uranium intermetallic compounds and alloys with nickel and molybdenum. This leads to spontaneous behavior of alloy formation processes on the specimens' surface and further diffusion of uranium deep into the metallic phase. As consequence of this films of intermetallic compounds and alloys of nickel, molybdenum, tungsten with uranium are formed on the alloys specimens' surface, and intergranular corrosion does not take place. In the fuel salt with [U(IV)]/[U(III)] = 4-20 the potentials of uranium

  17. Binary mixtures of mercury/ selenium, and lead/selenium

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Physiologically-based biokinetic models have been developed for predicting simultaneously the Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism and Elimination (ADME) properties of lead (Pb) and selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg) and selenium in a number of target tissues of humans. This was done for three population groups, ...

  18. Chemical Form of Selenium in Naturally Selenium-Rich Lentils (Lens Culinaris L.) From Saskatchewan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thavarajah, D.; Vandenberg, A.; George, G.N.; Pickering, I.J.

    2009-06-04

    Lentils (Lens culinaris L.) are a source of many essential dietary components and trace elements for human health. In this study we show that lentils grown in the Canadian prairies are additionally enriched in selenium, an essential micronutrient needed for general well-being, including a healthy immune system and protection against cancer. Selenium K near-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to examine the selenium biochemistry of two lentil cultivars grown in various locations in Saskatchewan, Canada. We observe significant variations in total selenium concentration with geographic location and cultivar; however, almost all the selenium (86--95%) in these field-grown lentils is present as organic selenium modeled as selenomethionine with a small component (5--14%) as selenate. As the toxicities of certain forms of arsenic and selenium are antagonistic, selenium-rich lentils may have a pivotal role to play in alleviating the chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh.

  19. The analysis, by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry, of matte-leach residues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallett, R.C.; Ring, E.J.; Middleton, H.R.; Dubois, M.

    1973-01-01

    Alternative methods for the analysis of matte-leach residues by atomic-absorption spectrophotometry were investigated. For the determination of the platinum-group metals, gold, and certain of the base metals, a fusion with sodium peroxide, followed by the separation of gold by reverse-phase chromatography and of the platinum-group metals by ion-exchange, is proposed. The noble metals are then determined in a solution that is free of most base metals including the sodium present as a result of the fusion. Copper, nickel, iron, calcium, magnesium, and aluminium can be determined after they have been removed from the ion-exchange column. Arsenic, selenium, tellurium, bismuth, tin, silver, lead, manganese, zinc, and cobalt can be determined in a separate sample after dissolution by a sealed-tube method. This is also an alternative method for the determination of copper, nickel, and iron. Chromium is determined separately after fusion with sodium peroxide, and silver can also be determined in this way. The laboratory method for these procedures is given as an appendix [af

  20. Enrichment of meat products with selenium by its introduction to mixed feed compounds for birds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    А. Sobolev

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is a biologically active microelement, contained in a number of hormones and enzymes. In a bird or animal organism selenium performs the following functions: strengthens the immune system, stimulates formation of antibodies, macrophages and interferons. Also, it is a powerful antioxidant agent. It stimulates processes of metabolism in the organism, protects the organism against toxic manifestations of cadmium, lead, thalium and silver; stimulates reproductive function, decreases acute development of inflammatory processes; stabilizes functioning of the nervous system; normalizes functioning of the endocrine system. Furthermore, it stimulates synthesis of hemoglobin, takes part in secretion of erythrocutes, neutralizes toxins, prevents and stops development of malignant tumors. It also has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system of an animal organism: prevents myocardosis and decreases the risk of development of cardiovascular diseases. Deficiency of selenium in the organism causes (depending upon the extent of deficiency either physiological changes within the regulatory norm, significant disorders of the metabolism, or specific diseases. Around 75 different diseases and symptoms of pain are related to selenium deficiency. In most countries, the level of selenium consumption remains low (20–40 µg/day. There are several ways of improving of the selenium consumption of a population: consumption of selenium as a medication or dietary supplement, producing selenium-enriched bread, growing greens and vegetables rich in selenium, producing selenium-enriched beverages, products of animal origin, which would be rich in selenium. In the scientific-agricultural sphere studies have been made on the influence of adding different doses (0.2–0.6 mg/kg of selenium in mixed feeds and peculiarities of its depositing and distribution in the muscle tissues of young growth of different species of poultry. It has been found that feeding broiler

  1. Determination of tellurium in coal samples by means of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after coprecipitation with iron(III) hydroxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oda, S.; Arikawa, Y. [Japan Womens University, Tokyo (Japan)

    2005-11-01

    A simple and accurate method for the determination of tellurium in coal samples was investigated by the combustion of samples under a high pressure of oxygen and coprecipitation with Fe(OH){sub 3}, followed by a measurement by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). About 0.5 g of an accurately weighed ground coal sample and 0.5 g of starch were combusted in an oxygen combustion bomb filled with oxygen to 3 MPa and added with 3 ml of water as an absorbing solution. The formed tellurium trioxide TeOs dissolved in water as TeO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, which was in turn reduced to TeO{sub 3}{sup 2-} by heating. After diluting the above-mentioned solution up to about 50 ml with water, Fe(OH){sub 3} is formed upon adding Fe(NO{sub 3}){sub 3} and sodium hydroxide solutions at pH 8-9 and left standing overnight. After dissolving the precipitate by HCl, the solution was diluted to 10 ml with water and the concentration of tellurium was measured by GF-AAS at a wavelength of 214.3 nm. The standard addition method was employed for the determination of tellurium in real coal samples, because those processes for the formation of tellurium(VI) oxide and coprecipitation with Fe(OH)3 were interfered by matrices. For NIST SRM 1632c, the standard coal sample tellurium content of 0.057 {+-} 0.004 mg kg{sup -1} was in good agreement with the information value of 0.05 mg kg{sup -1} with 7% of RSD in five replicate analyses. The tellurium contents in 20 real coal samples given by Center for Coal Utilization, Japan were also determined. The tellurium contents in these samples were scattered over the narrow range between 0.032 and 0.100 mg kg{sup -1}.

  2. Selenium essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Sams, Prashanth

    2015-01-01

    If you are a developer who wants to migrate from Selenium RC or any other automation tool to Selenium WebDriver, then this book is for you. Knowledge of automation tools is necessary to follow the examples in this book.

  3. Site-specific nucleation and controlled growth of a vertical tellurium nanowire array for high performance field emitters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Safdar, Muhammad; Zhan Xueying; Mirza, Misbah; Wang Zhenxing; Sun Lianfeng; He Jun; Niu Mutong; Zhang Jinping; Zhao Qing

    2013-01-01

    We report the controlled growth of highly ordered and well aligned one-dimensional tellurium nanostructure arrays via a one-step catalyst-free physical vapor deposition method. The density, size and fine structures of tellurium nanowires are systematically studied and optimized. Field emission measurement was performed to display notable dependence on nanostructure morphologies. The ordered nanowire array based field emitter has a turn-on field as low as 3.27 V μm −1 and a higher field enhancement factor of 3270. Our finding offers the possibility of controlling the growth of tellurium nanowire arrays and opens up new means for their potential applications in electronic devices and displays. (paper)

  4. Exploring molecular and spin interactions of Tellurium adatom in reduced graphene oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alegaonkar, Ashwini [Department of Chemistry, Savitribai Phule Pune University (Formerly University of Pune), Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411 007, MS (India); Alegaonkar, Prashant [Department of Applied Physics, Defence Institute of Advance Technology, Girinagar, Pune, 411 025, MS (India); Pardeshi, Satish, E-mail: skpar@chem.unipune.ac.in [Department of Chemistry, Savitribai Phule Pune University (Formerly University of Pune), Ganeshkhind, Pune, 411 007, MS (India)

    2017-07-01

    The transport of spin information fundamentally requires favourable molecular architecture and tunable spin moments to make the medium pertinent for spintronic. We report on achieving coherent molecular-spin parameters for rGO due to Tellurium (Te) adatom. Initially, GO prepared using graphite, was modified into rGO by in situ incorporation of 1 (w/w)% of Te. Both the systems were subjected to ESCA, FTIR, Raman dispersion, ESR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Analysis revealed that, Te substantially reacted with epoxides, carbonyl, and carboxylate groups that improved C-to-O ratio by twice. However, the spin splitting character, between Te and C, seems to be quenched. Moreover, Te altered the dynamical force constant between C-C and C=C that generated the mechanical stress within rGO network. The layer conjugation, nature of folding, symmetry, and electronic states of the edges were also affected by precipitation and entrapment of Te. The calculated dynamic molecular Raman and ESR spin parameters indicated that, Te acted as a bridging element for long range spin transport. This is particularly due to, the p-orbital moments of Te contributing, vectorially, to spin relaxation process operative at broken inversion symmetry sites. Our study suggests that, facile addition of Te in rGO is useful to achieve favourable spintronic properties. - Highlights: • Spin interactions and molecular dynamics modification due to Tellurium adatom in rGO. • Molecular level manipulation of Tellurium adatom for favourable spintronic properties. • Bychocov-Rashaba coupling are the operative channels in rGO. • Extrinsic coupling component get added vectorially by Tellurium. • Te-rGO is a viable medium for molecular spintronics.

  5. Selenium for preventing cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriele Dennert

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Selenium is a trace element essential to humans. Higher selenium exposure and selenium supplements have been suggested to protect against several types of cancers. OBJECTIVE: Two research questions were addressed in this review: What is the evidence for: 1. an aetiological relationship between selenium exposure and cancer risk in women and men?; 2. the efficacy of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in women and men? SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched electronic databases and bibliographies of reviews and included publications. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included prospective observational studies to answer research question (a and randomised controlled trials (RCTs to answer research question (b. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We conducted random effects meta-analyses of epidemiological data when five or more studies were retrieved for a specific outcome. We made a narrative summary of data from RCTs. MAIN RESULTS: We included 49 prospective observational studies and six RCTs. In epidemiologic data, we found a reduced cancer incidence (summary odds ratio, OR, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.53 to 0.91 and mortality (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.83 with higher selenium exposure. Cancer risk was more pronouncedly reduced in men (incidence: OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.42 to 1.05 than in women (incidence: OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.45 to 1.77. These findings have potential limitations due to study design, quality and heterogeneity of the data, which complicated the interpretation of the summary statistics. The RCTs found no protective efficacy of selenium yeast supplementation against non-melanoma skin cancer or L-selenomethionine supplementation against prostate cancer. Study results for the prevention of liver cancer with selenium supplements were inconsistent and studies had an unclear risk of bias. The results of the Nutritional Prevention of Cancer Trial (NPCT and SELECT raised concerns about possible harmful effects of selenium supplements. AUTHORS

  6. Review on Nano SeleniumProduced by Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LI Ji-xiang

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Selenium (Se is a kind of essential trace element for people and animal, while ionic state of selenium is toxic with high concentrations and will cause the selenium pollution. Nano-selenium is stable, nontoxic with higher biological activity. Application of bacteria reducing selenite or selenate to biological nano-selenium has great potential in selenium pollution control and nano-selenium production. This review summarizes the research progress of the red elemental nano-selenium reduced by bacteria including characteristics and application of nano-selenium, effects of carbon and nitrogen source, oxygen, temperature and pH in bacteria nano-selenium production, and molecular mechanisms of nano-selenium reduced by bacteria.

  7. Why Nature Chose Selenium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, Hans J; Hondal, Robert J

    2016-04-15

    The authors were asked by the Editors of ACS Chemical Biology to write an article titled "Why Nature Chose Selenium" for the occasion of the upcoming bicentennial of the discovery of selenium by the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1817 and styled after the famous work of Frank Westheimer on the biological chemistry of phosphate [Westheimer, F. H. (1987) Why Nature Chose Phosphates, Science 235, 1173-1178]. This work gives a history of the important discoveries of the biological processes that selenium participates in, and a point-by-point comparison of the chemistry of selenium with the atom it replaces in biology, sulfur. This analysis shows that redox chemistry is the largest chemical difference between the two chalcogens. This difference is very large for both one-electron and two-electron redox reactions. Much of this difference is due to the inability of selenium to form π bonds of all types. The outer valence electrons of selenium are also more loosely held than those of sulfur. As a result, selenium is a better nucleophile and will react with reactive oxygen species faster than sulfur, but the resulting lack of π-bond character in the Se-O bond means that the Se-oxide can be much more readily reduced in comparison to S-oxides. The combination of these properties means that replacement of sulfur with selenium in nature results in a selenium-containing biomolecule that resists permanent oxidation. Multiple examples of this gain of function behavior from the literature are discussed.

  8. Comparison of biological activities of selenium and silver nanoparticles attached with bioactive phytoconstituents: green synthesized using Spermacoce hispida extract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vennila, Krishnan; Chitra, Loganathan; Balagurunathan, Rama; Palvannan, Thayumanavan

    2018-03-01

    Selenium and silver nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using Spermacoce hispida aqueous leaf extract (Sh-ALE). The optimum condition required for the synthesis of Sh-SeNPs was found to be 30 mM selenious acid solution to Sh-ALE at the ratio of 4:46, pH 9, incubated at 40 °C for 10 min. On the other hand, for Sh-AgNPs the optimum condition was found to be 1 mM AgNO3 to the Sh-ALE solution at the ratio of 4:46, pH 8, incubated at 40 °C for 10 min. SEM analysis revealed that both the Sh-AgNPs and Sh-SeNPs are predominantly rod-shaped. Sh-SeNPs and Sh-AgNPs were found to possess concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. However, Sh-SeNPs showed potent anti-inflammatory property, antibacterial property and anticancer activity against human cervical cancer cell in comparison to Sh-AgNPs. Phytochemical analysis, FTIR and GC-MS analysis showed that various flavonoids, saponins and phenolic compounds present in Sh-ALE catalysed the formation of NPs. Also, GC-MS analysis revealed that Sh-SeNPs are capped by synaptogenin B and derivatives of apigenin, quinoline and quinazoline. The advantage of attachment of such phytoconstituents on Sh-SeNPs for its potent biological activity in comparison to Sh-AgNPs is evident in in vitro conditions.

  9. Dismantling and chemical characterization of spent Peltier thermoelectric devices for antimony, bismuth and tellurium recovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balva, Maxime; Legeai, Sophie; Garoux, Laetitia; Leclerc, Nathalie; Meux, Eric

    2017-04-01

    Major uses of thermoelectricity concern refrigeration purposes, using Peltier devices, mainly composed of antimony, bismuth and tellurium. Antimony was identified as a critical raw material by EU and resources of bismuth and tellurium are not inexhaustible, so it is necessary to imagine the recycling of thermoelectric devices. That for, a complete characterization is needed, which is the aim of this work. Peltier devices were manually dismantled in three parts: the thermoelectric legs, the alumina plates on which remain the electrical contacts and the silicone paste used to connect the plates. The characterization was performed using five Peltier devices. It includes mass balances of the components, X-ray diffraction analysis of the thermoelectric legs and elemental analysis of each part of the device. It appears that alumina represents 45% of a Peltier device in weight. The electrical contacts are mainly composed of copper and tin, and the thermoelectric legs of bismuth, tellurium and antimony. Thermoelectric legs appear to be Se-doped Bi 2 Te 3 and (Bi 0,5 Sb 1,5 )Te 3 for n type and p type semiconductors, respectively. This work shows that Peltier devices can be considered as a copper ore and that thermoelectric legs contain high amounts of bismuth, tellurium and antimony compared to their traditional resources.

  10. New challenge in the speciation of selenium. Measurement and production on nano selenium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prokisch, J; Sztrik, A; Babka, B; Zommara, M; Daroczi, L [Debrecen University, Centre for Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Debrecen (Hungary). Institute of Bio- and Environmental Energetics

    2009-07-01

    Complete text of publication follows. We have found that several species of probiotic bacteria also used in food industry for making yogurts is capable of producing spherical elemental selenium nanospheres having an average diameter in the range of 50-500 nm when 1-1000 mg/L selenium was added to the medium in the form of selenite ions. Elemental selenium produced thereby has a high degree of purity, is spherical, and its size and crystalline form depends on the bacterium species applied. We have found that some species of the probiotic yogurt bacteria (e.g. Bifidobacterium bifidum or Bifidobacterium longum) are capable of producing the grey crystalline form of elemental selenium which is so far unprecedented in the art for any bacteria capable of producing elemental selenium nanoparticles. Our finding, therefore, enables the first time the development of economical industrial bacterial fermentation based processes for the production of a high quality elemental selenium material comprising uniformly sized grey or red nanospheres having an average diameter in the range of 50-500 nm. The size and the crystalline form of the produced nanosized (50-500 nm) spherical particles is defined by the selected microorganism. This genetic pre-determination result in reproducible production of a material having individual characteristics which can be used in numerous fields of industry and research. The produced nano selenium could be a good raw material for a production of certified reference materials. The measurement of the produced elemental nanoselenium is a new challenge for the speciation analysis. A sample preparation and measurement method was developed and investigated for the analysis of different selenium forms by HPLC-AFS system. The atomic fluorescence (AFS) was a reliable and simple detection method for the elemental nano selenium. The elemental selenium can produce hydride in the system or can be converted to selenite with HCl/H{sub 2}O{sub 2} digestion.

  11. Selenopeptides and elemental selenium in Thunbergia alata after exposure to selenite: quantification method for elemental selenium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aborode, Fatai Adigun; Raab, Andrea; Foster, Simon; Lombi, Enzo; Maher, William; Krupp, Eva M; Feldmann, Joerg

    2015-07-01

    Three month old Thunbergia alata were exposed for 13 days to 10 μM selenite to determine the biotransformation of selenite in their roots. Selenium in formic acid extracts (80 ± 3%) was present as selenopeptides with Se-S bonds and selenium-PC complexes (selenocysteinyl-2-3-dihydroxypropionyl-glutathione, seleno-phytochelatin2, seleno-di-glutathione). An analytical method using HPLC-ICPMS to detect and quantify elemental selenium in roots of T. alata plants using sodium sulfite to quantitatively transform elemental selenium to selenosulfate was also developed. Elemental selenium was determined as 18 ± 4% of the total selenium in the roots which was equivalent to the selenium not extracted using formic acid extraction. The results are in an agreement with the XAS measurements of the exposed roots which showed no occurrence of selenite or selenate but a mixture of selenocysteine and elemental selenium.

  12. Blood selenium levels and contribution of food groups to selenium intake in adolescent girls in Iceland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gudmundsdottir, Edda Y; Gunnarsdottir, Ingibjorg; Thorlacius, Arngrimur; Reykdal, Olafur; Gunnlaugsdottir, Helga; Thorsdottir, Inga; Steingrimsdottir, Laufey

    2012-01-01

    Significant changes have been reported in dietary habits and food availability in Iceland that would be expected to compromise selenium intake and status, especially among young people. These include substantial decreases in the consumption of fish and milk, as well as the selenium content of imported wheat. The aim of this study was to assess selenium in the diet and whole blood of adolescent girls, as well as define the most important foods contributing to intake and blood concentrations of selenium. The subjects were 96 randomly selected girls, aged 16-20, who answered a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for dietary assessment. Selenium intake from each food group was calculated in µg/day. Blood samples were collected for measurement of whole blood selenium. Mean dietary selenium was 51±25 µg/day. Milk/dairy products, including cheese, contributed 36±14% of total dietary selenium; fish 18±12%; and bread/cereal products 13±6%. Mean whole blood selenium was 117±12 µg/l (range 90-208); nearly 90% of subjects were above the optimal level of 100 µg/l. Fish and bread/cereal products were the only foods significantly correlated with selenium in blood (r=0.32; P=0.002 and r=0.22; P=0.04, respectively) while no correlation was found with milk and dairy products in spite of their greater contribution to total selenium intake. In this population of Icelandic adolescent girls, selenium intake and status seem acceptable. Judging from associations between intake and blood levels, fish and cereals may be the most important contributors to blood selenium.

  13. Blood selenium levels and contribution of food groups to selenium intake in adolescent girls in Iceland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ingibjorg Gunnarsdottir

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Background/objectives: Significant changes have been reported in dietary habits and food availability in Iceland that would be expected to compromise selenium intake and status, especially among young people. These include substantial decreases in the consumption of fish and milk, as well as the selenium content of imported wheat. The aim of this study was to assess selenium in the diet and whole blood of adolescent girls, as well as define the most important foods contributing to intake and blood concentrations of selenium. Design: The subjects were 96 randomly selected girls, aged 16–20, who answered a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ for dietary assessment. Selenium intake from each food group was calculated in µg/day. Blood samples were collected for measurement of whole blood selenium. Results: Mean dietary selenium was 51±25 µg/day. Milk/dairy products, including cheese, contributed 36±14% of total dietary selenium; fish 18±12%; and bread/cereal products 13±6%. Mean whole blood selenium was 117±12 µg/l (range 90–208; nearly 90% of subjects were above the optimal level of 100 µg/l. Fish and bread/cereal products were the only foods significantly correlated with selenium in blood (r=0.32; P = 0.002 and r=0.22; P = 0.04, respectively while no correlation was found with milk and dairy products in spite of their greater contribution to total selenium intake. Conclusion: In this population of Icelandic adolescent girls, selenium intake and status seem acceptable. Judging from associations between intake and blood levels, fish and cereals may be the most important contributors to blood selenium.

  14. Microbial selenium sulfide reduction for selenium recovery from wastewater

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hageman, S.P.W.; Weijden, van der R.D.; Stams, A.J.M.; Cappellen, van P.; Buisman, C.J.N.

    2017-01-01

    Microbial reduction of selenium sulfide (SeS2) is a key step in a new treatment process to recover selenium from selenate and selenite streams. In this process, selenate is first reduced to selenite, and subsequently selenite is reduced by sulfide and precipitates from the solution as SeS2. The

  15. Thioacetamide-induced cirrhosis in selenium-adequate mice displays rapid and persistent abnormity of hepatic selenoenzymes which are mute to selenium supplementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Jinsong; Wang Huali; Yu Hanqing

    2007-01-01

    Selenium reduction in cirrhosis is frequently reported. The known beneficial effect of selenium supplementation on cirrhosis is probably obtained from nutritionally selenium-deficient subjects. Whether selenium supplementation truly improves cirrhosis in general needs additional experimental investigation. Thioacetamide was used to induce cirrhosis in selenium-adequate and -deficient mice. Selenoenzyme activity and selenium content were measured and the influence of selenium supplementation was evaluated. In Se-adequate mice, thioacetamide-mediated rapid onset of hepatic oxidative stress resulted in an increase in thioredoxin reductase activity and a decrease in both glutathione peroxidase activity and selenium content. The inverse activity of selenoenzymes (i.e. TrxR activity goes up and GPx activity goes down) was persistent and mute to selenium supplementation during the progress of cirrhosis; accordingly, cirrhosis was not improved by selenium supplementation in any period. On the other hand, selenium supplementation to selenium-deficient mice always more efficiently increased hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity and selenium content compared with those treated with thioacetamide, indicating that thioacetamide impairs the liver bioavailability of selenium. Although thioacetamide profoundly affects hepatic selenium status in selenium-adequate mice, selenium supplementation does not modify the changes. Selenium supplementation to cirrhotic subjects with a background of nutritional selenium deficiency can improve selenium status but cannot restore hepatic glutathione peroxidase and selenium to normal levels

  16. Comparison of analytical possibilities of inversion voltammetry of tellurium with cathodic and anodic potential scanning taking layer-by-layer analysis of GaAs-Te films as example

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaplin, A.A.; Portnyagina, Eh.O.; Gridaev, V.F.

    1979-01-01

    Possibility of application in analytical purposes of the process of tellurium precipitation electrosolution from the surfaces of graphite and mercury-graphite electrodes at the cathode scanning of the potential is shown. As a result of comparison of direct and inversion scanning with cathodic and anodic scanning of the potential, variants of voltammetric method of tellurium determination in artificial solutions and, taking the developed method of layer-by-layer analysis of the GaAsTe films as an example, advantage of mercury-graphite electrode with cathodic scanning as compared to graphite electrode with cathode scanning of the potential is shown. Reproducibility of the GaAs film analysis results according to anodic and cathodic tellurium peaks is satisfactory. Maximum deviation from the results of analysis of oxidation peaks and tellurium peduction does not exceed 15 rel. %. Thus, for tellurium concentrations, exceeding 5x10 -6 g-ion/l, both anodic and cathodic scanning of the potential can be used, though error in tellurium determination according to cathodic peaks is 1.5-2.0 times higher. At tellurium amounts lower 5x10 -6 g-ion/l the determination should be carried out according to the peaks of tellurium anodic oxidation from the surface of graphite electrode or according to the peaks of tellurium cathodic reduction from the surface of mercury-graphite electrode

  17. High-resolution imaging of selenium in kidneys: a localized selenium pool associated with glutathione peroxidase 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malinouski, M.; Kehr, S.; Finney, L.; Vogt, S.; Carlson, B.A.; Seravalli, J.; Jin, R.; Handy, D.E.; Park, T.J.; Loscalzo, J.; Hatfield, D.L.; Gladyshev, V.N. (Harvard-Med)

    2012-04-17

    Recent advances in quantitative methods and sensitive imaging techniques of trace elements provide opportunities to uncover and explain their biological roles. In particular, the distribution of selenium in tissues and cells under both physiological and pathological conditions remains unknown. In this work, we applied high-resolution synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) to map selenium distribution in mouse liver and kidney. Liver showed a uniform selenium distribution that was dependent on selenocysteine tRNA{sup [Ser]Sec} and dietary selenium. In contrast, kidney selenium had both uniformly distributed and highly localized components, the latter visualized as thin circular structures surrounding proximal tubules. Other parts of the kidney, such as glomeruli and distal tubules, only manifested the uniformly distributed selenium pattern that co-localized with sulfur. We found that proximal tubule selenium localized to the basement membrane. It was preserved in Selenoprotein P knockout mice, but was completely eliminated in glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) knockout mice, indicating that this selenium represented GPx3. We further imaged kidneys of another model organism, the naked mole rat, which showed a diminished uniformly distributed selenium pool, but preserved the circular proximal tubule signal. We applied XFM to image selenium in mammalian tissues and identified a highly localized pool of this trace element at the basement membrane of kidneys that was associated with GPx3. XFM allowed us to define and explain the tissue topography of selenium in mammalian kidneys at submicron resolution.

  18. Modelling the chemical behaviour of tellurium species in the reactor pressure vessel and the reactor cooling system under severe accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alonso, A.; Gonzalez, C.

    1991-07-01

    This state of the art report contains information on the behaviour of tellurium and its compounds in the reactor pressure vessel and the reactor coolant system under light water reactor severe accident conditions. To characterise tellurium behaviour, it is necessary the previous knowledge of the species of tellurium released from the core, and simultaneity of its release with that of other materials which can alter the transport, for instance, control rod and structural materials. Release and transport experiments have been reviewed along with the models implemented in the codes which are used in the international community: TRAPMELT, RAFT, VICTORIA and SOPHIE. From the experiments, it can be concluded that other species different to Te 2 , such as tin telluride and cesium telluride, may be released from the fuel. That is why they must be considered in the transport phenomena. There is also experimental evidence of the strong interaction of Te 2 with Inconel 600 and stainless steel of the pipe walls and structures, however this strong interaction is in competition with the interaction of tellurium with aerosols, which under severe accident conditions may represent an area greater than that of the primary system. It is for the absence of significant tellurium species in the transport models, and also for the interaction of tellurium with aerosols, for which some codes show the greatest deficiencies

  19. The enhancing of Au-Ag-Te content in tellurium-bearing ore mineral by bio-oxidation-leaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, PyeongMan; Kim, HyunSoo; Myung, EunJi; Kim, YoonJung; Lee, YongBum; Park*, CheonYoung

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to enhance the content of valuable metals such as Au-Ag-Te in tellurium-bearing minerals by bio-oxidation-leaching. It was confirmed that pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena were produced together with tellurium-bearing minerals including hessite, sylvanite and tellurobismuthite from ore minerals and concentrates through microscopic observation and SEM/EDS analysis. In a bio-oxidation-leaching experiment, with regard to Au, Ag, Te, Cu and Fe, the changes in the amount of leaching and the content of leaching residues were compared and analyzed with each other depending on the adaptation of an indigenous microbe identified as Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. As a result of the experiment, the Au-Ag-Te content in tellurium-bearing ore mineral was enhanced in the order of physical oxidation leaching, physical/non-adaptive bio-oxidation-leaching and physical/adaptive biological leaching. It suggests that the bio-oxidation-leaching using microbes adapted in tellurium-bearing ore mineral can be used as a pre-treatment and a main process in a recovery process of valuable metals. "This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education(NRF-2013R1A1A2004898)"

  20. ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF RHENIUM-TELLURIUM-COPPER SYSTEM

    OpenAIRE

    E.A.Salakhova*1, D.B.Tagiyev2, P.E.Kalantarova3 and A.M.Askerova4

    2017-01-01

    The formation of the triple alloys Re-Te-Cu on the platinum electrode at volt amperemetric cycling has been studied. The investigation was carried out from chloride acidic solution containing tellurium acid, potassium perrhenate, chloride copper. The kinetics of the processes was controlled using the measurements by the method of cyclic volt-amperometry on the device İVİUMSTAT. For the analysis of composition and structure the methods of XRD (X-ray diffraction analysis) were used, and the inv...

  1. High-Resolution Imaging of Selenium in Kidneys: A Localized Selenium Pool Associated with Glutathione Peroxidase 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malinouski, Mikalai; Kehr, Sebastian; Finney, Lydia; Vogt, Stefan; Carlson, Bradley A.; Seravalli, Javier; Jin, Richard; Handy, Diane E.; Park, Thomas J.; Loscalzo, Joseph; Hatfield, Dolph L.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Aim: Recent advances in quantitative methods and sensitive imaging techniques of trace elements provide opportunities to uncover and explain their biological roles. In particular, the distribution of selenium in tissues and cells under both physiological and pathological conditions remains unknown. In this work, we applied high-resolution synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) to map selenium distribution in mouse liver and kidney. Results: Liver showed a uniform selenium distribution that was dependent on selenocysteine tRNA[Ser]Sec and dietary selenium. In contrast, kidney selenium had both uniformly distributed and highly localized components, the latter visualized as thin circular structures surrounding proximal tubules. Other parts of the kidney, such as glomeruli and distal tubules, only manifested the uniformly distributed selenium pattern that co-localized with sulfur. We found that proximal tubule selenium localized to the basement membrane. It was preserved in Selenoprotein P knockout mice, but was completely eliminated in glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) knockout mice, indicating that this selenium represented GPx3. We further imaged kidneys of another model organism, the naked mole rat, which showed a diminished uniformly distributed selenium pool, but preserved the circular proximal tubule signal. Innovation: We applied XFM to image selenium in mammalian tissues and identified a highly localized pool of this trace element at the basement membrane of kidneys that was associated with GPx3. Conclusion: XFM allowed us to define and explain the tissue topography of selenium in mammalian kidneys at submicron resolution. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 16, 185–192. PMID:21854231

  2. Biological selenium removal from wastewaters

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lenz, M.

    2008-01-01

    In this thesis, microbial conversion of water-soluble, highly toxic forms of selenium (selenate, selenite) to less bioavailable elemental selenium was investigated. By the exploitation of different groups of microorganisms (selenium-respiring, nitrate-reducing and sulfate-reducing bacteria,

  3. Impact of Selenium Addition to Animal Feeds on Human Selenium Status in Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Pavlovic

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Research conducted during the 1980s demonstrated Se deficiency in humans. Increased inclusion of selenium in animal feeds started from the year 2000 onwards. The aim of this study was to estimate the effects of selenium inclusion in animal feeds on human selenium status and dietary habits of the Serbian population related to food of animal origin. Plasma selenium concentration in healthy adult volunteers, including residents of one of the regions with the lowest (Eastern Serbia, n = 60 and of one of the regions with the highest Se serum levels reported in the past (Belgrade, n = 82, was determined by hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. Multivariate analysis was employed to determine the correlation between Se plasma levels and dietary intake data derived from food frequency questionnaires and laboratory tests. The mean plasma Se level of the participants was 84.3 ± 15.9 μg/L (range: 47.3–132.1 μg/L, while 46% of participants had plasma Se levels lower than 80 μg/L. Frequency of meat, egg, and fish consumption was significantly correlated with plasma selenium level (r = 0.437, p = 0.000. Selenium addition to animal feed in the quantity of 0.14 mg/kg contributed to the improvement of human plasma selenium levels by approximately 30 μg/L.

  4. Selenium-induced autometallographic demonstration of endogenous zinc in organs of the rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E

    1989-01-01

    , the intestine, and the gills, whereas, no such grains were found in preparations from fish having received 1 ppm Se. The use of selenium for the histochemical demonstration of endogenous zinc versus exogenous metals is discussed. Also, consideration is given to the question of which part of the total tissue......Autometallographic (AMG) silver enhancement of endogenous zinc was studied in seven organs of the rainbow trout Salmo gairdneri. Groups of trout were injected intraperitoneally with sodium selenite in doses ranging from 0.08 to 25 ppm, administered 1 h before being killed. The concentration...

  5. Selenium in diet

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... how much of the mineral was in the soil where the plants grew. Brazil nuts are a very good source of selenium. Fish, shellfish , red meat, grains, eggs, chicken, liver, and garlic ... soil have higher levels of selenium. Brewer's yeast, wheat ...

  6. Long-term selenium status in humans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baskett, C.K.; Spate, V.L.; Mason, M.M.; Nichols, T.A.; Williams, A.; Dubman, I.M.; Gudino, A.; Denison, J.; Morris, J.S.

    2001-01-01

    The association of sub-optimal selenium status with increased risk factors for some cancers has been reported in two recent epidemiological studies. In both studies the same threshold in selenium status was observed, below which, cancer incidence increased. To assess the use of nails as a biologic monitor to measure the long-term selenium status, an eight-year longitudinal study was undertaken with a group of 11 adult subjects, 5 women and 6 men. Selenium has been measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Differences between fingernails and toenails with be discussed. In addition, the results will be discussed in the context of the long-term stability of the nail monitor to measure selenium status during those periods when selenium determinants are static; and the changes that occur as a result of selenium supplementation. (author)

  7. Acousto-optic measurements of ultrasound attenuation in tellurium dioxide crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voloshinov, V. B.; Lemyaskina, E. A.

    1996-01-01

    The paper is devoted to experimental investigation of ultrasound propagation in tellurium dioxide monocrystal. In particular, attenuation of slow shear acoustic modes in the crystal was measured. The measurements were performed by acousto-optic methods using probing of acoustic column by a laser beam. The paper describes measurements of acoustic attenuation coefficient for slow shear ultrasonic waves propagating at an angle =4.5 O with respect to the (110) direction in the (110) plane. The investigation was made at acoustic frequency f = 100 MHz with pulsed acoustic waves and with an optical beam of a He-Ne laser. It is found that the attenuation coefficient is α = 0.57 cm -1 ± 15 %. The attenuation at acoustic frequencies f ≥ 100 MHz influences performance characteristics of acousto-optical devices based on tellurium dioxide. As proved, spectral resolution of a quasicollinear acoustooptic filter decreases by a factor of 2 compared to a case of the attenuation absence. (authors)

  8. Solvent Extraction of Tellurium from Chloride Solutions Using Tri-n-butyl Phosphate: Conditions and Thermodynamic Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dongchan Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The extractive separation of tellurium (IV from hydrochloric acid media with tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP in kerosene was investigated. The dependence on the extraction of tellurium species, concentrations of tellurium and TBP, extraction time and stage, organic/aqueous ratio, and interferences from coexist metallic ions were examined and are discussed. Besides, the stripping agent and stripping time were also studied. It was found that the extraction reaction corresponds to the neutral complex formation mechanism and the extracted species is TeCl4·3TBP and that the extraction process is exothermic. The thermodynamic parameters of enthalpy ΔH, entropy ΔS, and free energy ΔG of the extraction process were evaluated at −26.2 kJ·mol−1, −65.6 J·mol−1·K−1, and −7.0 kJ·mol−1, respectively at 293 K.

  9. Mechanism of Selenium Loss in Copper Slag

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Bhavin; Tathavadkar, Vilas; Basu, Somnath

    2018-03-01

    During smelting of copper sulfide concentrate, selenium is distributed between silica-saturated iron-silicate slag and copper-iron sulfide matte. The recovery coefficients of selenium between slag and matte were determined as a function of the initial concentration of selenium at 1523 K (1250 °C) under an inert atmosphere in a vertical tubular furnace. The initial concentration of selenium was varied by the addition of metallic selenium as well as selenium dioxide to the mixture of slag and matte. Analysis of the results indicated high affinity of selenium for matte. The apparent loss of selenium with the slag was attributed to the presence of selenium-enriched matte particles entrapped in the slag, rather than dissolved SeO2. The mechanisms proposed by previous investigators were discussed and also compared with the results of the present investigation.

  10. Mechanism of Selenium Loss in Copper Slag

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Bhavin; Tathavadkar, Vilas; Basu, Somnath

    2018-06-01

    During smelting of copper sulfide concentrate, selenium is distributed between silica-saturated iron-silicate slag and copper-iron sulfide matte. The recovery coefficients of selenium between slag and matte were determined as a function of the initial concentration of selenium at 1523 K (1250 °C) under an inert atmosphere in a vertical tubular furnace. The initial concentration of selenium was varied by the addition of metallic selenium as well as selenium dioxide to the mixture of slag and matte. Analysis of the results indicated high affinity of selenium for matte. The apparent loss of selenium with the slag was attributed to the presence of selenium-enriched matte particles entrapped in the slag, rather than dissolved SeO2. The mechanisms proposed by previous investigators were discussed and also compared with the results of the present investigation.

  11. Copper Tellurium Oxides - A Playground for Magnetism.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Norman, M. R.

    2018-04-15

    A variety of copper tellurium oxide minerals are known, and many of them exhibit either unusual forms of magnetism, or potentially novel spin liquid behavior. Here, I review a number of the more interesting materials with a focus on their crystalline symmetry and, if known, the nature of their magnetism. Many of these exist (so far) in mineral form only, and most have yet to have their magnetic properties studied. This means a largely unexplored space of materials awaits our exploration.

  12. Selenium and Prostate Cancer Prevention: Insights from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicastro, Holly L.; Dunn, Barbara K.

    2013-01-01

    The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) was conducted to assess the efficacy of selenium and vitamin E alone, and in combination, on the incidence of prostate cancer. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design clinical trial found that neither selenium nor vitamin E reduced the incidence of prostate cancer after seven years and that vitamin E was associated with a 17% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to placebo. The null result was surprising given the strong preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting chemopreventive activity of selenium. Potential explanations for the null findings include the agent formulation and dose, the characteristics of the cohort, and the study design. It is likely that only specific subpopulations may benefit from selenium supplementation; therefore, future studies should consider the baseline selenium status of the participants, age of the cohort, and genotype of specific selenoproteins, among other characteristics, in order to determine the activity of selenium in cancer prevention. PMID:23552052

  13. Selenium and Prostate Cancer Prevention: Insights from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Holly L. Nicastro

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT was conducted to assess the efficacy of selenium and vitamin E alone, and in combination, on the incidence of prostate cancer. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 2 × 2 factorial design clinical trial found that neither selenium nor vitamin E reduced the incidence of prostate cancer after seven years and that vitamin E was associated with a 17% increased risk of prostate cancer compared to placebo. The null result was surprising given the strong preclinical and clinical evidence suggesting chemopreventive activity of selenium. Potential explanations for the null findings include the agent formulation and dose, the characteristics of the cohort, and the study design. It is likely that only specific subpopulations may benefit from selenium supplementation; therefore, future studies should consider the baseline selenium status of the participants, age of the cohort, and genotype of specific selenoproteins, among other characteristics, in order to determine the activity of selenium in cancer prevention.

  14. Proceedings 43rd Stanford Geothermal Workshop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simmons, Stuart; Kirby, Stefan; Verplanck, Philip; Kelley, Karen

    2018-02-12

    Herein we summarize the results of an investigation dealing with the concentrations and inventories of strategic, critical and valuable materials (SCVM) in produced fluids from geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs (50-250° C) in Nevada and Utah. Water samples were collected from thirty-four production wells across eight geothermal fields, the Uinta Basin oil/gas province in northeast Utah, and the Covenant oil field in southwestern Utah; additional water samples were collected from six hot springs in the Sevier Thermal Belt in southwestern Utah. Most SCVM concentrations in produced waters range from <0.1 to 100 µg/kg; the main exception is lithium, which has concentrations that range from <1000 to 25,000 ug/kg. Relatively high concentrations of gallium, germanium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium are measured too. Geothermal waters contain very low concentrations of REEs, below analytical detections limits (0.01 µg/kg), but the concentrations of lanthanum, cerium, and europium range from 0.05 to 5 µg/kg in Uinta basin waters. Among the geothermal fields, the Roosevelt Hot Spring reservoir appears to have the largest inventories of germanium and lithium, and Patua appears to have the largest inventories of gallium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium. By comparison, the Uinta basin has larger inventories of gallium. The concentrations of gallium, germanium, lithium, scandium, selenium, and tellurium in produced waters appear to be partly related to reservoir temperature and concentrations of total dissolved salts. The relatively high concentration and large inventory of lithium occurring at Roosevelt Hot Springs may be related to granitic-gneissic crystalline rocks, which host the reservoir. Analyses of calcite scales from Dixie Valley indicate enrichments in cobalt, gallium, gold, palladium, selenium and tellurium, and these metals appear to be depositing at deep levels in production wells due to boiling. Comparisons with SCVM mineral deposits suggest that

  15. Selenium for preventing cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinceti, Marco; Filippini, Tommaso; Del Giovane, Cinzia; Dennert, Gabriele; Zwahlen, Marcel; Brinkman, Maree; Zeegers, Maurice Pa; Horneber, Markus; D'Amico, Roberto; Crespi, Catherine M

    2018-01-29

    This review is the third update of the Cochrane review "Selenium for preventing cancer". Selenium is a naturally occurring element with both nutritional and toxicological properties. Higher selenium exposure and selenium supplements have been suggested to protect against several types of cancer. To gather and present evidence needed to address two research questions:1. What is the aetiological relationship between selenium exposure and cancer risk in humans?2. Describe the efficacy of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in humans. We updated electronic searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2017, Issue 2), MEDLINE (Ovid, 2013 to January 2017, week 4), and Embase (2013 to 2017, week 6), as well as searches of clinical trial registries. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and longitudinal observational studies that enrolled adult participants. We performed random-effects (RE) meta-analyses when two or more RCTs were available for a specific outcome. We conducted RE meta-analyses when five or more observational studies were available for a specific outcome. We assessed risk of bias in RCTs and in observational studies using Cochrane's risk assessment tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, respectively. We considered in the primary analysis data pooled from RCTs with low risk of bias. We assessed the certainty of evidence by using the GRADE approach. We included 83 studies in this updated review: two additional RCTs (10 in total) and a few additional trial reports for previously included studies. RCTs involved 27,232 participants allocated to either selenium supplements or placebo. For analyses of RCTs with low risk of bias, the summary risk ratio (RR) for any cancer incidence was 1.01 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93 to 1.10; 3 studies, 19,475 participants; high-certainty evidence). The RR for estimated cancer mortality was 1.02 (95% CI 0.80 to 1.30; 1 study, 17,444 participants). For the most frequently

  16. Selenium in human mammary carcinogenesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Overvad, Kim; Grøn, P.; Langhoff, Otto

    1991-01-01

    /l and TNM stage II 76 +/- 13 micrograms selenium/l), indicating disease-mediated changes. The evaluation of selenium as a risk indicator in human breast cancer was therefore restricted to TNM stage I patients (n = 36). Multiple logistic regression analyses including variables associated with selenium levels...

  17. Selenium in food and health

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reilly, Conor

    2006-01-01

    ...) to be a carcinogen and banned as an additive in food. Selenium is considered by some to be a serious hazard to the environment and to animal health. Selenium-contaminated water has brought deformity and death to wildlife in nature reserves in western USA. There is even concern that because of selenium contamination of soil, crops supplied to the great cities of California could become unfit for human consumption. In large areas of China, endemic selenium toxicity is a hazard for locals who depend on cr...

  18. First example of a high-level correlated calculation of the indirect spin-spin coupling constants involving tellurium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rusakov, Yury Yu; Krivdin, Leonid B.; Østerstrøm, Freja From

    2013-01-01

    This paper documents a very first example of a high-level correlated calculation of spin-spin coupling constants involving tellurium taking into account relativistic effects, vibrational corrections and solvent effects for the medium sized organotellurium molecules. The 125Te-1H spin-spin coupling...... constants of tellurophene and divinyl telluride were calculated at the SOPPA and DFT levels in a good agreement with experiment. A new full-electron basis set av3z-J for tellurium derived from the "relativistic" Dyall's basis set, dyall.av3z, and specifically optimized for the correlated calculations...... of spin-spin coupling constants involving tellurium, was developed. The SOPPA methods show much better performance as compared to 15 those of DFT, if relativistic effects calculated within the ZORA scheme are taken into account. Vibrational and solvent corrections are next to negligible, while...

  19. A Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy Quantum Computer with Tellurium Donors in Silicon

    OpenAIRE

    Berman, G. P.; Doolen, G. D.; Tsifrinovich, V. I.

    2000-01-01

    We propose a magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM)-based nuclear spin quantum computer using tellurium impurities in silicon. This approach to quantum computing combines the well-developed silicon technology with expected advances in MRFM.

  20. Speciation of selenium dietary supplements; formation of S-(methylseleno)cysteine and other selenium compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amoako, Prince O.; Uden, Peter C.; Tyson, Julian F.

    2009-01-01

    Speciation of selenium is of interest because it is both essential and toxic to humans, depending on the species and the amount ingested. Following indications that selenium supplementation could reduce the incidence of some cancers, selenium-enriched yeast and other materials have been commercialized as supplements. Most dramatically however, the SELECT trial that utilized L-selenomethionine as the active supplement was terminated in 2008 and there is much debate regarding both the planning and the results of efficacy studies. Further, since dietary supplements are not regulated as pharmaceuticals, there are concerns about the quality, storage conditions, stability and selenium content in selenium supplements. Enzymatic hydrolysis enabled selenium speciation profiles to be obtained by high performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) and following derivatization gas chromatography with atomic emission detection (GC-AED). Coated fiber solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used to extract volatile selenium species for determination by GC-AED and GC-MS. Similar speciation patterns were observed between yeast-based supplements subject to extended storage and those heated briefly at elevated temperatures. All the yeast-based supplements and one yeast-free supplement formed S-(methylseleno)cysteine on heating. Evidence was obtained in support of the hypotheses that S-(methylseleno)cysteine is formed from a reaction between dimethyldiselenide and cysteine or cystine.

  1. Subnanosecond pulse measurements of 10.6 μm radiation with tellurium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haselhoff, E.H.; Bonnie, R.J.M.; Ernst, G.J.; Witteman, W.J.

    1988-01-01

    Subnanosecond infrared pulses have been measured by noncollinear secondharmonic generation in tellurium. The method is very practical because due to the high refractive index the fine tuning of the phase matching is easily obtained by rotating the crystal around the optic axis.

  2. Selenium for preventing cancer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vinceti, Marco; Dennert, Gabriele; Crespi, Catherine M; Zwahlen, Marcel; Brinkman, Maree; Zeegers, Maurice PA; Horneber, Markus; D'Amico, Roberto; Del Giovane, Cinzia

    2015-01-01

    Background This review is an update of the first Cochrane publication on selenium for preventing cancer (Dennert 2011). Selenium is a metalloid with both nutritional and toxicological properties. Higher selenium exposure and selenium supplements have been suggested to protect against several types of cancers. Objectives Two research questions were addressed in this review: What is the evidence for: an aetiological relation between selenium exposure and cancer risk in humans? andthe efficacy of selenium supplementation for cancer prevention in humans? Search methods We conducted electronic searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, 2013, Issue 1), MEDLINE (Ovid, 1966 to February 2013 week 1), EMBASE (1980 to 2013 week 6), CancerLit (February 2004) and CCMed (February 2011). As MEDLINE now includes the journals indexed in CancerLit, no further searches were conducted in this database after 2004. Selection criteria We included prospective observational studies (cohort studies including sub-cohort controlled studies and nested case-control studies) and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with healthy adult participants (18 years of age and older). Data collection and analysis For observational studies, we conducted random effects meta-analyses when five or more studies were retrieved for a specific outcome. For RCTs, we performed random effects meta-analyses when two or more studies were available. The risk of bias in observational studies was assessed using forms adapted from the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for cohort and case-control studies; the criteria specified in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were used to evaluate the risk of bias in RCTs. Main results We included 55 prospective observational studies (including more than 1,100,000 participants) and eight RCTs (with a total of 44,743 participants). For the observational studies, we found lower cancer incidence (summary odds ratio (OR) 0

  3. 21 CFR 573.920 - Selenium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... section, or as selenium yeast, as provided in paragraph (h) of this section. (c) It is added to feed as... months.” (h) Selenium yeast is a dried, non-viable yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cultivated in a fed-batch fermentation which provides incremental amounts of cane molasses and selenium salts in a manner...

  4. Dietary selenium in the Glasgow area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cross, J.D.; Raie, R.M.; Smith, H.

    1978-01-01

    A typical diet for people in the Glasgow area is analysed and an estimate is made of the daily intake of selenium for the average person (234 μg). Meat, poultry and bread products contribute 65% of the total selenium consumed. There is a significant loss of selenium on cooking but the concentration in the diet is high compared with the estimated requirement. Selenium levels in prepared infant foods, artificial milk and natural milk are reported. Those infants on artificial milk feeds have a selenium intake equivalent to that of adults (3 μg/kg) while those on natural milk or prepared infant foods have an intake of 6 μg/kg. Adult and infant tissue selenium levels are established and are shown to be in equilibrium with the diet. There is no concentration in man as a result of his position at the top of the food chain. Sudden infant death cannot be related to selenium levels in human tissue or diet. (author)

  5. Selenium: environmental significance, pollution, and biological treatment technologies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Lea Chua; Nancharaiah, Yarlagadda V; van Hullebusch, Eric D; Lens, Piet N L

    2016-01-01

    Selenium is an essential trace element needed for all living organisms. Despite its essentiality, selenium is a potential toxic element to natural ecosystems due to its bioaccumulation potential. Though selenium is found naturally in the earth's crust, especially in carbonate rocks and volcanic and sedimentary soils, about 40% of the selenium emissions to atmospheric and aquatic environments are caused by various industrial activities such as mining-related operations. In recent years, advances in water quality and pollution monitoring have shown that selenium is a contaminant of potential environmental concern. This has practical implications on industry to achieve the stringent selenium regulatory discharge limit of 5μgSeL(-1) for selenium containing wastewaters set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Over the last few decades, various technologies have been developed for the treatment of selenium-containing wastewaters. Biological selenium reduction has emerged as the leading technology for removing selenium from wastewaters since it offers a cheaper alternative compared to physico-chemical treatments and is suitable for treating dilute and variable selenium-laden wastewaters. Moreover, biological treatment has the advantage of forming elemental selenium nanospheres which exhibit unique optical and spectral properties for various industrial applications, i.e. medical, electrical, and manufacturing processes. However, despite the advances in biotechnology employing selenium reduction, there are still several challenges, particularly in achieving stringent discharge limits, the long-term stability of biogenic selenium and predicting the fate of bioreduced selenium in the environment. This review highlights the significance of selenium in the environment, health, and industry and biotechnological advances made in the treatment of selenium contaminated wastewaters. The challenges and future perspectives are overviewed considering recent

  6. Flotation concentration for tellurium determination in industrial sewage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Skripchuk, V.G.; Bormotova, L.V.; Lukoyanova, L.P.; Tret'yakova, M.I.

    1983-01-01

    Combination of the flotation of tellurium (4) precipitate with papaverine toluene and extraction-photometric determination of Te with butylrhodamine C allows one to determine 0.002-0.1 mg Te/l without its preliminary precipitation. Accompanying elements found in non-ferrous metallurgy sewage have no effect upon it. The duration of analysis of 10 samples is 1 to 1.5 h. Relative error is 12%. The method is introduced at the ''Uralelektromed'' plant

  7. Magnetic resonance force microscopy quantum computer with tellurium donors in silicon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, G P; Doolen, G D; Hammel, P C; Tsifrinovich, V I

    2001-03-26

    We propose a magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM)-based nuclear spin quantum computer using tellurium impurities in silicon. This approach to quantum computing combines well-developed silicon technology and expected advances in MRFM. Our proposal does not use electrostatic gates to realize quantum logic operations.

  8. Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy Quantum Computer with Tellurium Donors in Silicon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berman, G. P.; Doolen, G. D.; Hammel, P. C.; Tsifrinovich, V. I.

    2001-01-01

    We propose a magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM)-based nuclear spin quantum computer using tellurium impurities in silicon. This approach to quantum computing combines well-developed silicon technology and expected advances in MRFM. Our proposal does not use electrostatic gates to realize quantum logic operations

  9. Investigating body function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Monks, R.; Riley, A.L.M.

    1981-01-01

    This invention relates to the investigation of body function, especially small bowel function but also liver function, using bile acids and bile salts or their metabolic precursors labelled with radio isotopes and selenium or tellurium. (author)

  10. Aquatic Life Criterion - Selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Documents pertaining to the 2016 Acute and Chronic Ambient Aquatic Life Water Quality Criteria for Selenium (Freshwater). These documents include what the safe levels of Selenium are in water for the majority of species.

  11. Myconanoparticles: synthesis and their role in phytopathogens management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alghuthaymi, Mousa A.; Almoammar, Hassan; Rai, Mahindra; Said-Galiev, Ernest; Abd-Elsalam, Kamel A.

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology can offer green and eco-friendly alternatives for plant disease management. Apart from being eco-friendly, fungi are used as bio-manufacturing units, which will provide an added benefit in being easy to use, as compared to other microbes. The non-pathogenic nature of some fungal species in combination with the simplicity of production and handling will improve the mass production of silver nanoparticles. Recently, a diverse range of fungi have been screened for their ability to create silver nanoparticles. Mycosynthesis of gold, silver, gold–silver alloy, selenium, tellurium, platinum, palladium, silica, titania, zirconia, quantum dots, usnic acid, magnetite, cadmium telluride and uraninite nanoparticles has also been reported by various researchers. Nanotechnological application in plant pathology is still in the early stages. For example, nanofungicides, nanopesticides and nanoherbicides are being used extensively in agriculture practices. Remote activation and monitoring of intelligent nano-delivery systems can assist agricultural growers of the future to minimize fungicides and pesticides use. Nanoparticle-mediated gene transfer would be useful for improvement of crops resistant to pathogens and pest. This review critically assesses the role of fungi in the synthesis of nanoparticles, the mechanism involved in the synthesis, the effect of different factors on the reduction of metal ions in developing low-cost techniques for the synthesis and recovery of nanoparticles. Moreover, the application of nanoparticles in plant disease control, antimicrobial mechanisms, and nanotoxicity on plant ecosystem and soil microbial communities has also been discussed in detail. PMID:26019636

  12. Determination of half life of tellurium isotopes: a proposal for the teaching of nuclear physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruivo, Julio C.; Zamboni, Cibele B.; Batista, Wagner F.

    2013-01-01

    This work aimed at the development of courseware for teaching nuclear physics, using experimental data of half-life measurement (T1/2) of Tellurium isotopes (A=127 and 131). The choice of Tellurium was established for providing nuclear data, which are fundamental in related investigations of nuclear structure and its use in various areas such as geochemistry, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, astrophysics etc. For evaluation of the proposal performance, the material was made available, bringing a lot of information about nuclear safety, production and storage of radioactive material and concepts of radioactive decay, subatomic particles, emission of gamma radiation, half-life, etc.

  13. Determination of half life of tellurium isotopes: a proposal for the teaching of nuclear physics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruivo, Julio C.; Zamboni, Cibele B.; Batista, Wagner F., E-mail: julio.ruivo.costa@usp.br, E-mail: czamboni@ipen.br, E-mail: fisicawagner@gmail.com [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2013-07-01

    This work aimed at the development of courseware for teaching nuclear physics, using experimental data of half-life measurement (T1/2) of Tellurium isotopes (A=127 and 131). The choice of Tellurium was established for providing nuclear data, which are fundamental in related investigations of nuclear structure and its use in various areas such as geochemistry, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, astrophysics etc. For evaluation of the proposal performance, the material was made available, bringing a lot of information about nuclear safety, production and storage of radioactive material and concepts of radioactive decay, subatomic particles, emission of gamma radiation, half-life, etc.

  14. The dependence of the texture of tellurium thin films on vacuum deposition angle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cocks, F.H.; Peterson, M.J.; Jones, P.L.

    1980-01-01

    Vacuum-deposited tellurium thin films can show substantially different surface morphologies depending on the angle with which the vapor stream impinges on the substrate surface. These tellurium thin films have a tendency to grow as acicular crystallites but as the deposition angle is increased so that the vapor stream becomes tangential to the substrate surface the spacing between crystallites increases and approaches, at stream angles of approximately 80 0 from the normal, dimensions roughly once or twice the average wavelength of visible light. Such films may have application in solar energy collector systems because of the high absorptivity of sunlight shown by such films. Mechanisms which describe the tendency for crystallite spacing to increase with increasing angle are discussed. (Auth.)

  15. Large-scale synthesis of Tellurium nanostructures via galvanic displacement of metals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kok, Kuan-Ying; Choo, Thye-Foo; Ubaidah Saidin, Nur; Rahman, Che Zuraini Che Ab

    2018-01-01

    Tellurium (Te) is an attractive semiconductor material for a wide range of applications in various functional devices including, radiation dosimeters, optical storage materials, thermoelectric or piezoelectric generators. In this work, large scale synthesis of tellurium (Te) nanostructures have been successfully carried out in different concentrations of aqueous solutions containing TeO2 and NaOH, by galvanic displacements of Zn and Al which served as the sacrificial materials. Galvanic displacement process is cost-effective and it requires no template or surfactant for the synthesis of nanostructures. By varying the concentrations of TeO2 and NaOH, etching temperatures and etching times, Te nanostructures of various forms of nanostructures were successfully obtained, ranging from one-dimensional needles and rod-like structures to more complex hierarchical structures. Microscopy examinations on the nanostructures obtained have shown that both the diameters and lengths of the Te nanostructures increased with increasing etching temperature and etching time.

  16. Selenium in Graves' disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jadwiga Kryczyk

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to present the current state of knowledge of the role of selenium in Graves’ disease. Recently, in the pathogenesis and course of this autoimmune disease, more attention has been paid to the relationship between oxidative stress and the antioxidant system, where selenium compounds play an important role. The thyroid is the organ with the highest selenium concentration in the human body. Selenium compounds, having antioxidant properties, protect thyrocytes against the destructive effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS, which are generated during the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Therefore, strengthening the body’s defense mechanisms, which protect against the formation and activity of ROS during medical treatment of Graves’ disease patients, may be an effective adjuvant in commonly used methods of therapy.

  17. Iodine-129 in thyroids and tellurium isotopes in meteorites by neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ballad, R.V.

    1978-06-01

    A combination of neutron activation and mass spectrometry has been used to determine the concentration of fissiogenic 129 I and the value of the 129 I/ 127 I ratio in thyroids of man, cow, and deer from Missouri. Deer thyroids show an average value of 129 I/ 127 I = 1.8 x 10 -8 and an average concentration of 3 x 10 -3 pCi 129 I per gram of thyroid (wet weight). Thyroids of cows and humans show successively lower values for the 129 I/ 127 I ratio and the 129 I content because their diets dilute fission-produced 129 I in the natural iodine cycle with mineral iodine. The results of analyses on a few thyroids from other geographic areas are also reported. The isotopic compositions of tellurium, krypton, and xenon were determined in acid-resistant residues of the Allende meteorite. Neutron activation and γ-counting were used to determine the relative abundances of six tellurium isotopes, and mass spectrometry was used to determine the isotopic compositions of krypton and xenon in aliquots of the same residues. Nucleogenetic anomalies were observed in the isotopic compositions of these three elements. The presence of isotopically distinct components of tellurium, krypton, and xenon in these residues provides strong support for the suggestion that our solar system formed directly from the debris of a supernova

  18. Does selenium supplementation affect thyroid function?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Kristian Hillert; Bonnema, Steen Joop; Cold, Frederik

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: Selenium is present in the active site of proteins important for thyroid hormone synthesis and metabolism. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of selenium supplementation in different doses on thyroid function, under conditions of suboptimal dietary selenium intake....... DESIGN: The Danish PREvention of Cancer by Intervention with SElenium pilot study (DK-PRECISE) is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 491 males and females aged 60-74 years were randomized to 100 μg (n=124), 200 μg (n=122), or 300 μg (n=119) selenium-enriched yeast......=0.015), respectively, per 100 μg/day increase, with insignificant differences between 6 months and 5 years. No significant effects were found for FT3 and FT3:FT4 ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In euthyroid subjects, selenium supplementation minutely and dose-dependently affects thyroid function, when compared...

  19. Acute selenium poisoning in lambs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gabbedy, B J; Dickson, J

    1969-10-01

    An outbreak of sodium selenite poisoning is reported in which 180 of 190 six-weeks-old lambs died. The estimated dose rate of the selenium was 6.4 mg/kg body weight. Liver concentrations of selenium at the time of poisoning averaged 64 ppM and 15 days later liver and kidney concentrations of selenium averaged 26 ppM and 7.4 ppM respectively.

  20. Total selenium and selenium species in irrigation drain inflows to the Salton Sea, California, April and July 2007

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Thomas W.; Walther, Michael J.; Saiki, Michael K.; Brumbaugh, William G.

    2007-01-01

    This report presents the results for two sampling periods during a 4-year monitoring survey to provide a characterization of selenium concentrations in selected irrigation drains flowing into the Salton Sea, California. Total selenium, selenium species, and total suspended solids were determined in water samples, and total selenium was determined in sediment, detritus, and biota that included algae, plankton, midge larvae (family, Chironomidae), and two fish species-western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). In addition, sediments were analyzed for percent total organic carbon and particle size. Total selenium concentrations in water for both sampling periods ranged from 1.43 to 47.1 micrograms per liter, predominately as selenate, which is typical of waters leached out of selenium-contaminated marine shales under alkaline and oxidizing conditions. Total selenium concentrations ranged from 0.88 to 20.2 micrograms per gram in biota, and from 0.15 to 28.9 micrograms per gram in detritus and sediment.

  1. Total selenium and selenium species in irrigation drain inflows to the Salton Sea, California, April and July 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Thomas W.; Walther, Michael J.; Saiki, Michael K.; Brumbaugh, William G.

    2009-01-01

    This report presents the results for two sampling periods (April 2008 and July 2008) during a 4-year monitoring program to characterize selenium concentrations in selected irrigation drains flowing into the Salton Sea, California. Total selenium, selenium species (dissolved selenite, selenate, organoselenium), and total suspended solids were determined in water samples and total selenium was determined in water column particulates and in sediment, detritus, and biota that included algae, plankton, midge larvae (family, Chironomidae), and two fish species - western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). In addition, sediments were analyzed for percent total organic carbon and particle size. Mean total selenium concentrations in water for both sampling periods ranged from 1.93 to 44.2 micrograms per liter, predominately as selenate, which is typical of waters where selenium is leached out of selenium-containing marine shales and associated soils under alkaline and oxidizing conditions. Total selenium concentrations (micrograms per gram dry weight) ranged as follows: algae, 0.75 to 3.39; plankton, 0.88 to 4.03; midges, 2.52 to 44.3; fish, 3.37 to 18.9; detritus, 1.11 to 13.6; sediment, 0.11 to 8.93.

  2. Comparison of Se and Te clusters produced by ion bombardment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Trzyna Małgorzata

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Nanostructures based on tellurium and selenium are materials used as components for the manufacturing topological insulators. Therefore it is crucial to precisely characterize these materials. In this work the emission of selenium and tellurium cluster ions, sputtered by Bi+ primary ion guns, was investigated by using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS. It has been found that BixTex and BixSex clusters appear in addition to Sex and Tex clusters in the mass range up to ~ 1300 m/z. Local maxima or minima (magic numbers are observed in the ion intensity versus a number of atoms per cluster for both positive and negative ions spectra for all types of clusters and primary ions used. These extrema can be attributed to different yield and stability of certain clusters but also to fragmentation of high-mass clusters.

  3. Comparison of Se and Te clusters produced by ion bombardment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trzyna, Małgorzata

    2017-01-01

    Nanostructures based on tellurium and selenium are materials used as components for the manufacturing topological insulators. Therefore it is crucial to precisely characterize these materials. In this work the emission of selenium and tellurium cluster ions, sputtered by Bi+ primary ion guns, was investigated by using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF SIMS). It has been found that BixTex and BixSex clusters appear in addition to Sex and Tex clusters in the mass range up to 1300 m/z. Local maxima or minima (magic numbers) are observed in the ion intensity versus a number of atoms per cluster for both positive and negative ions spectra for all types of clusters and primary ions used. These extrema can be attributed to different yield and stability of certain clusters but also to fragmentation of high-mass clusters.

  4. The Cultivation and SeleniumEnrichment of SeleniumEnriched Earthworm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    SUN Xiao-fei

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available As a bio-carrier, Eisenia fetida was fed with cow dung that added with sodium selenite in order to transfer inorganic selenium(Se into organic selenium. Targeting on survival rate and selenium content, the effects of five Se concentrations(0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 mg·kg-1 and four cultivation periods(15, 30, 45, 60 don earthworm growth and Se contents were investigated. The cultivation method with high survival rate, high Se content of earthworm and short breeding time would be screened out. The experimental results showed that the earthworm survival rate decreased and the Se content in earthworm increased with the increase of Se application and the extension of breeding time. The most optimummethod was screened out when the Se concentration was 80 mg·kg-1 and the cultivation period was 45 days, Se content in earthworm was up to 33.25 mg·kg-1.

  5. Trace Element Analysis of Selenium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soliman, M.S.A.

    2010-01-01

    The present thesis divided into four chapters as follows:Chapter (1):This chapter contains an introduction on different oxidation states of organic and inorganic species for selenium in environmental and biological samples, the process for separation of selenium from these samples and the importance of selenium as a component for these samples. Also gives notes about the techniques which are used in the elemental analysis for selenium species and the detection limits for selenium in these techniques, selenium species in human body and the importance of these species in protecting the body from the different types of cancer and the sources of selenium in environmental samples (soil and water) and distribution levels of selenium in these samples.Chapter (2):This chapter is divided into two parts :The first part deals with the sample collection process for environmental samples (underground water, soil) and the wet digestion ( microwave digestion ) process of soil samples. It also contains the theory of work of the closed microwave digestion system.The second part contains detailed information concerning the theoretical considerations of the used analytical techniques. These techniques include Hydride generation - Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (HG-AAS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA).Chapter (3): This chapter includes the methods of sampling, sample preparation, and sample digesition. The measures of quality assurance are disscused in this chapter. It describes in details the closed microwave digestion technique and the analytical methods used in this study which are present in Central Laboratory for Elemental and Isotopic Analysis (CLEIA) and the Egypt Second Research Reactor (ETRR-2). The described techniques are Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS 6 vario, Analytical Jena GmbH, Germany), JMS-PLASMAX2 Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS) and the Egypt Second Research Reactor (NAA).

  6. Acute selenium poisoning in cattle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shortridge, E H; O' Hara, P J; Marshall, P M

    1971-01-01

    Three hundred and seventy-six (67%) of 557 calves of approximately 150-200 kg live-weight died following subcutaneous injection of a solution containing 100 mg selenium as sodium selenite. Eight per cent of the 254 heifer calves and 56% of the 303 steers died. The calves had endured the stress of being weaned twice and held in stockyards twice as well as encountering wet weather during the 4 days before receiving the selenium. The heifer calves were also vaccinated with Br. abortus strain 19 vaccine at the same time as receiving the selenium. The clinical signs and pathological findings of circulatory failure and myocardial damage were similar to those previously reported in acute selenium poisoning.

  7. Selenium Utilization Strategy by Microalgae

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hiroya Araie

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available The diversity of selenoproteins raises the question of why so many life forms require selenium. Selenoproteins are found in bacteria, archaea, and many eukaryotes. In photosynthetic microorganisms, the essential requirement for selenium has been reported in 33 species belonging to six phyla, although its biochemical significance is still unclear. According to genome databases, 20 species are defined as selenoprotein-producing organisms, including five photosynthetic organisms. In a marine coccolithophorid, Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophyta, we recently found unique characteristics of selenium utilization and novel selenoproteins using 75Se-tracer experiments. In E. huxleyi, selenite, not selenate, is the main substrate used and its uptake is driven by an ATP-dependent highaffinity, active transport system. Selenite is immediately metabolized to low-molecular mass compounds and partly converted to at least six selenoproteins, named EhSEP1–6. The most (EhSEP2 and second-most abundant selenoproteins (EhSEP1 are disulfide isomerase (PDI homologous protein and thioredoxin reductase (TR 1, respectively. Involvement of selenium in PDI is unique in this organism, while TR1 is also found in other organisms. In this review, we summarize physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of selenium utilization by microalgae and discuss their strategy of selenium utilization.

  8. Selenistasis: Epistatic Effects of Selenium on Cardiovascular Phenotype

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Loscalzo

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Although selenium metabolism is intricately linked to cardiovascular biology and function, and deficiency of selenium is associated with cardiac pathology, utilization of selenium in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease remains an elusive goal. From a reductionist standpoint, the major function of selenium in vivo is antioxidant defense via its incorporation as selenocysteine into enzyme families such as glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases. In addition, selenium compounds are heterogeneous and have complex metabolic fates resulting in effects that are not entirely dependent on selenoprotein expression. This complex biology of selenium in vivo may underlie the fact that beneficial effects of selenium supplementation demonstrated in preclinical studies using models of oxidant stress-induced cardiovascular dysfunction, such as ischemia-reperfusion injury and myocardial infarction, have not been consistently observed in clinical trials. In fact, recent studies have yielded data that suggest that unselective supplementation of selenium may, indeed, be harmful. Interesting biologic actions of selenium are its simultaneous effects on redox balance and methylation status, a combination that may influence gene expression. These combined actions may explain some of the biphasic effects seen with low and high doses of selenium, the potentially harmful effects seen in normal individuals, and the beneficial effects noted in preclinical studies of disease. Given the complexity of selenium biology, systems biology approaches may be necessary to reach the goal of optimization of selenium status to promote health and prevent disease.

  9. Thermoelectric properties of bismuth antimony tellurium thin films through bilayer annealing prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zheng, Zhuang-hao [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Fan, Ping, E-mail: fanping308@126.com [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Luo, Jing-ting [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Cai, Xing-min; Liang, Guang-xing; Zhang, Dong-ping [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, 518060 (China); Ye, Fan [Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology, Shenzhen 518060 (China)

    2014-07-01

    Bismuth antimony tellurium is one of the most important tellurium-based materials for high-efficient thermoelectric application. In this paper, ion beam sputtering was used to deposit Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} bilayer thin films on borosilicate substrates at room-temperature. Then the bismuth antimony tellurium thin films were synthesized via post thermal treatment of the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} bilayer thin films. The effect of annealing temperature and compositions on the thermoelectric properties of the thin films was investigated. After the thin films were annealed from 150 °C to 350 °C for 1 h in the high vacuum condition, the Seebeck coefficient changed from a negative sign to a positive sign. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the synthesized tellurium-based thermoelectric thin film exhibited various alloys phases, which contributed different thermoelectricity conductivity to the synthesized thin film. The overall Seebeck coefficient of the synthesized thin film changed from negative sign to positive sign, which was due to the change of the primary phase of the tellurium-based materials at different annealing conditions. Similarly, the thermoelectric properties of the films were also associated with the grown phase. High-quality thin film with the Seebeck coefficient of 240 μV K{sup −1} and the power factor of 2.67 × 10{sup −3} Wm{sup −1} K{sup −2} showed a single Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} phase when the Sb/Te thin film sputtering time was 40 min. - Highlights: • Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} thermoelectric thin films synthesized via bilayer annealing • The film has single Bi{sub 0.5}Sb{sub 1.5}Te{sub 3} phase with best thermoelectric performance. • The film has high thermoelectric properties comparable with other best results.

  10. Total selenium and selenium species in irrigation drain inflows to the Salton Sea, California, October 2008 and January 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Thomas W.; Walther, Michael J.; Saiki, Michael K.; Brumbaugh, William G.

    2009-01-01

    This report presents the results for two sampling periods (October 2008 and January 2009) during a 4-year monitoring program to characterize selenium concentrations in selected irrigation drains flowing into the Salton Sea, California. Total selenium, selenium species (dissolved selenite, selenate, organoselenium), and total suspended solids were determined in water samples. Total selenium also was determined in water column particulates and in sediment, detritus, and biota that included algae, plankton, midge larvae (family, Chironomidae), and two fish species (western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, and sailfin molly, Poecilia latipinna). In addition, sediments were analyzed for percent total organic carbon and particle size. Mean total selenium concentrations in water for both sampling periods ranged from 1.00 to 33.6 micrograms per liter, predominately as selenate, which is typical of waters where selenium is leached out of selenium-containing marine shales and associated soils under alkaline and oxidizing conditions. Total selenium concentrations (micrograms per gram dry weight) ranged as follows: algae, 1.52 to 8.26; plankton, 0.79 to 3.66; midges, 2.68 to 50.6; fish, 3.09 to 30.4; detritus, 1.78 to 58.0; and sediment, 0.42 to 10.0.

  11. Total selenium and selenium species in irrigation drain inflows to the Salton Sea, California, October 2007 and January 2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Thomas W.; Walther, Michael J.; Saiki, Michael K.; Brumbaugh, William G.

    2008-01-01

    This report presents the results for two sampling periods (October 2007 and January 2008) during a 4-year monitoring program to characterize selenium concentrations in selected irrigation drains flowing into the Salton Sea, California. Total selenium, selenium species (selenite, selenate, organoselenium), and total suspended solids were determined in water samples, and total selenium was determined in sediment, detritus, and biota that included algae, plankton, midge larvae (family, Chironomidae), and two fish species?western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) and sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna). In addition, sediments were analyzed for percent total organic carbon and particle size. Mean total selenium concentrations in water for both sampling periods ranged from 0.97 to 64.5 micrograms per liter, predominately as selenate, which is typical of waters where selenium is leached out of selenium-containing marine shales and associated soils under alkaline and oxidizing conditions. Total selenium concentrations (micrograms per gram dry weight) ranged as follows: algae, 0.95 to 5.99; plankton, 0.15 to 19.3; midges, 1.39 to 15.4; fish, 3.71 to 25.1; detritus, 0.85 to 21.7; sediment, 0.32 to 7.28.

  12. Low plasma selenium concentrations in critically ill children: the interaction effect between inflammation and selenium deficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Introduction Low plasma selenium concentrations are frequent in critically ill patients. However, whether this is due to systemic inflammation, a deficient nutritional state or both is still not clear. We aimed to determine the factors associated with low plasma selenium in critically ill children while considering the inflammatory response and nutritional status. Method A prospective study was conducted in 173 children (median age 34 months) with systemic inflammatory response who had plasma selenium concentrations assessed 48 hours after admission and on the 5th day of ICU stay. The normal reference range was 0.58 μmol/L to 1.6 μmol/L. The outcome variable was ‘low plasma selenium’, which was defined as plasma selenium values below the distribution median during this period. The main explanatory variables were age, malnutrition, sepsis, C-reactive protein (CRP), and clinical severity scores. The data were analyzed using a Binomial Generalized Estimating Equations model, which includes the correlation between admission and 5th day responses. Results Malnutrition and CRP were associated with low plasma selenium. The interaction effect between these two variables was significant. When CRP values were less than or equal to 40 mg/L, malnutrition was associated with low plasma selenium levels (odds ratio (OR) = 3.25, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39 to 7.63, P = 0.007; OR = 2.98, 95% CI 1.26 to 7.06, P = 0.013; OR = 2.49, 95% CI 1.01 to 6.17, P = 0.049, for CRP = 10, 20 and 40 mg/L, respectively). This effect decreased as CRP concentrations increased and there was loose significance when CRP values were >40 mg/L. Similarly, the effect of CRP on low plasma selenium was significant for well-nourished patients (OR = 1.13; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.22, P selenium. This interaction should be considered when interpreting plasma concentrations as an index of selenium status in patients with systemic inflammation as well as in the decision

  13. Joint refinery selenium treatability study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, C.L.; Folwarkow, S.

    1993-01-01

    The San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board recently established mass limits on discharges of selenium to the San Francisco Bay from several petroleum refineries. The refineries had been working independently to develop control strategies, including both source control and treatment options, for removal of selenium from their discharges. By January 1992, over fifty different combinations of treatment technologies, wastewater streams, and pretreatment steps had been investigated to determine their effectiveness and feasibility as selenium removal processes. No treatment process studied could achieve the required mass limits without serious negative environmental consequences, such as generation of large amounts of hazardous sludge. To better facilitate the development of a feasible selenium treatment process, the six Bay Area refineries shared results of their studies and identified several technologies that, with further work, could be developed further. This additional work is currently being carried out as part of a joint selenium treatability study sponsored by the Western States Petroleum Association. A review of the previous source control and treatment studies, along with a description of the current treatability studies will be discussed

  14. Selenium content of foods purchased or produced in Ohio.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snook, J T; Kinsey, D; Palmquist, D L; DeLany, J P; Vivian, V M; Moxon, A L

    1987-06-01

    Approximately 450 samples of about 100 types of foods consumed by rural and urban Ohioans were analyzed for selenium. Meat, dairy products, eggs, and grain products produced in Ohio have considerably lower selenium content than corresponding products produced in high selenium areas, such as South Dakota. Retail Ohio foods with interregional distribution tended to be higher in selenium content than corresponding foods produced in Ohio. Best sources of selenium in Ohio foods commonly consumed were meat and pasta products. Poor sources of selenium were fruits, most vegetables, candies, sweeteners, and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Establishment of an accurate data base for selenium depends on knowledge of the interregional distribution of foods, the selenium content of foods at their production site, and the selenium content of foods with wide local distribution.

  15. Recovery of stream communities from experimental selenium exposure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swift, M.C.; Kuklinskal, B.; Ferkull, K. [Univ. of Minnesota, Monticello, MN (United States); Allen, K.N.; Hermanutz, R.O.; Roush, T.H.; Hedtke, S.F. [Environmental Protection Agency, Duluth, MN (United States). Environmental Research Lab.

    1994-12-31

    The effects of selenium on stream communities and their recovery from those effects were studied at MERS from 1987--1991. Selenium was dosed into two replicate streams each at concentrations of 30, 10, 2.5 and 0 (control) {mu}g L{sup {minus}1} for 18, 30, and 12 months, respectively. Recovery was monitored for three (30) or two (1 0, 2.5) years following cessation of selenium dosing. Selenium rapidly accumulated in the sediment, plants, macroinvertebrates and fish during dosing. Selenium concentrations in sediment, macroinvertebrates, and plants were as high as 2X--4X, 2X--4X, and 1X--1OX the dosed concentration in the 30, 10, and 2.5 treatments, respectively. Selenium decreased relatively rapidly following cessation of dosing. By two years after dosing ceased, selenium concentrations in plants and macroinvertebrates were little different from the controls; selenium in sediment from the 30 and 10 streams was still higher than in the control streams two years after dosing ceased. The macroinvertebrate community changed little during the dosing and recovery period. Commonly used indices of community structure showed no effect of selenium dosing. The isopod Asellus and oligochaetes in the family Tubificidae decreased rapidly following the onset of selenium dosing; their recovery following cessation of dosing was slow.

  16. Equilibrium state of delta-phase with tellurium in the Sb-Bi-Te system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gajgukova, V.S.; Dudkin, L.D.; Erofeev, R.S.; Musaelyan, V.V.; Nadzhip, A.Eh.; Sokolov, O.B.

    1978-01-01

    A research has been carried out with a view to establish the equilibrium state of delta-phase of the composition (Sbsub(1-x)Bisub(x)) 2 Te 3 with tellurium, depending on x and temperature. The Hall effect, the thermoelectromotive force, and the electric conductivity of the samples of Sb-Bi-Te alloys have been measured, the samples being annealed at various temperatures (550 to 250 deg C). The measurement results have shown that as the Bi 2 Te 3 content in the solid solutions increases and temperature decreases, the delta-phase-Te boundary monotonously approaches the stoichiometric composition. Using the research carrid out as the basis, the general character of the equilibrium delta-phase with tellurium boundary has been rendered more precise in Sb-Bi-Te system, depending on the temperature and Bi content (up to 25 at.%)

  17. Determination of selenium via the fluorescence quenching effect of selenium on hemoglobin-catalyzed peroxidative reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Ya-Hong; Zhang, Ya-Nan; Tian, Feng-Shou

    2015-05-01

    A new method for the determination of selenium based on its fluorescence quenching on the hemoglobin-catalyzed reaction of H2 O2 and l-tyrosine has been established. The effect of pH, foreign ions and the optimization of variables on the determination of selenium was examined. The calibration curve was found to be linear between the fluorescence quenching (F0 /F) and the concentration of selenium within the range of 0.16-4.00 µg/mL. The detection limit was 1.96 ng/mL and the relative standard deviation was 3.14%. This method can be used for the determination of selenium in Se-enriched garlic bulbs with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. GALVANIC MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF BISMUTH THIN FILMS DOPED WITH TELLURIUM MADE BY THERMAL VACUUM EVAPORATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Komarov

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The influence of n-type impurity of tellurium (concentration range from 0.005 atomic % Te to 0.15 atomic % Te on galvanic magnetic properties (resistivity, magnetic resistance and Hall constant of Bi thin films with various thicknesses was studied. The properties were measured in temperature range from 77 to 300 K. It was established that the classical size effect in the films is significant and decreases with higher concentration of Te impurity. The analysis of experimental results was carried out in approximation of the law of Jones-Schoenberg dispersion for Bi films doped with tellurium. Calculation of concentration and mobility of charge carriers in the studied films was made.

  19. Hydrogen-assisted post-growth substitution of tellurium into molybdenum disulfide monolayers with tunable compositions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, Guoli; Zhu, Dancheng; Lv, Danhui; Hashemi, Arsalan; Fei, Zhen; Lin, Fang; Krasheninnikov, Arkady V.; Zhang, Ze; Komsa, Hannu-Pekka; Jin, Chuanhong

    2018-04-01

    Herein we report the successful doping of tellurium (Te) into molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) monolayers to form MoS2x Te2(1-x) alloy with variable compositions via a hydrogen-assisted post-growth chemical vapor deposition process. It is confirmed that H2 plays an indispensable role in the Te substitution into as-grown MoS2 monolayers. Atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy allows us to determine the lattice sites and the concentration of introduced Te atoms. At a relatively low concentration, tellurium is only substituted in the sulfur sublattice to form monolayer MoS2(1-x)Te2x alloy, while with increasing Te concentration (up to ˜27.6% achieved in this study), local regions with enriched tellurium, large structural distortions, and obvious sulfur deficiency are observed. Statistical analysis of the Te distribution indicates the random substitution. Density functional theory calculations are used to investigate the stability of the alloy structures and their electronic properties. Comparison with experimental results indicate that the samples are unstrained and the Te atoms are predominantly substituted in the top S sublattice. Importantly, such ultimately thin Janus structure of MoS2(1-x)Te2x exhibits properties that are distinct from their constituents. We believe our results will inspire further exploration of the versatile properties of asymmetric 2D TMD alloys.

  20. Distribution and mode of occurrence of selenium in US coals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coleman, L.; Bragg, L.J.; Finkelman, R.B.

    1993-01-01

    Selenium excess and deficiency have been established as the cause of various health problems in man and animals. Combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal, may be a major source of the anthropogenic introduction of selenium in the environment. Coal is enriched in selenium relative to selenium's concentration in most other rocks and relative to selenium in the Earth's crust. Data from almost 9,000 coal samples have been used to determine the concentration and distribution of selenium in US coals. The geometric mean concentration of selenium in US coal is 1.7 ppm. The highest mean selenium value (geometric mean 4.7 ppm) is in the Texas Region. Atlantic Coast (Virginia and North Carolina) and Alaska coals have the lowest geometric means (0.2 and 0.42 ppm, respectively). All western coal regions have mean selenium concentrations of less than 2.0 ppm. In contrast, all coal basins east of the Rocky Mountains (except for several small basins in Rhode Island, Virginia, and North Carolina) have mean selenium values of 1.9 or greater. Generally, variations in selenium concentration do not correlate with variations in ash yield, pyritic sulphur, or organic sulphur concentrations. This may be the result of multiple sources of selenium; however, in some non-marine basins with restricted sources of selenium, selenium has positive correlations with other coal quality parameters. Selenium occurs in several forms in coal but appears to be chiefly associated with the organic fraction, probably substituting for organic sulphur. Other important forms of selenium in coal are selenium-bearing pyrite, selenium-bearing galena, and lead selenide (clausthalite). Water-soluble and ion-exchangeable selenium also have been reported. ?? 1993 Copyright Science and Technology Letters.

  1. The relationship between selenium and gastric cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Kuixiong; Ma Guansheng; Zhang Tingyu; Cheng Wufeng; Mao Dajuan; Pan Bixia; Xu Xiuxian

    1993-01-01

    Both sodium selenite and selenium yeast were chosen to block the MNNG mutagenesis. The inhibition rates were 66.5% and 37.9% respectively. The selenium levels in hair, serum and gastric juice, and the contents of nitrosamine in gastric juice were also determined. The results showed that the selenium levels were SG > CAG and Dys > GC (p CAG, Dyas and GC (p < 0.05). 19 cases of CAG patients treated with selenium yeast and 16 cases of the control were observed. After 10 weeks, the selenium levels in serum for the treated group were significantly increased. The symptoms of CAG patients seemed to be alleviated

  2. Loss of selenium-binding protein 1 decreases sensitivity to clastogens and intracellular selenium content in HeLa cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is not a selenoprotein but structurally binds selenium. Loss of SBP1 during carcinogenesis usually predicts poor prognosis. Because genome instability is a hallmark of cancer, we hypothesized that loss of SBP1 modulates cellular selenium content and the response of ...

  3. Selenium plating of aluminium and nickel surfaces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, N.; Shams, N.; Kamal, A.; Ashraf, A.

    1993-01-01

    Selenium exhibits photovoltaic and photoconductive properties. This makes selenium useful in the production of photocells, exposure meters for photographic use, in solar cells, etc. In commerce, selenium coated surfaces are extensively used as photo receptive drums in the xerography machines for reproducing documents. Laboratory experiments were designed to obtain selenium plating on different materials. Of the various electrodes tested for cathodic deposition, anodized aluminum and nickel plated copper were found to give good results. (author)

  4. Is selenium supplementation in autoimmune thyroid diseases justified?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winther, Kristian H; Bonnema, Steen J; Hegedüs, Laszlo

    2017-10-01

    This review provides an appraisal of recent evidence for or against selenium supplementation in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases, and discusses possible effect mechanisms. Epidemiological data suggest an increased prevalence of autoimmune thyroid diseases under conditions of low dietary selenium intake. Two systematic reviews have evaluated controlled trials among patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and report that selenium supplementation decreases circulating thyroid autoantibodies. The immunomodulatory effects of selenium might involve reducing proinflammatory cytokine release. However, clinically relevant effects of selenium supplementation, including improvement in quality of life, are more elusive. In Graves' disease, some, but not all, trials indicate that adjuvant selenium supplementation enhances the restoration of biochemical euthyroidism, and might benefit patients with mild Graves' orbitopathy. The use of selenium supplementation as adjuvant therapy to standard thyroid medication may be widespread, but a growing body of evidence yields equivocal results. The available evidence from trials does not support routine selenium supplementation in the standard treatment of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis or Graves' disease. However, correction of moderate to severe selenium deficiency may offer benefits in preventing, as well as treating, these disorders. Molecular mechanisms have been proposed, but further studies are needed.

  5. Characterising refractive index dispersion in chalcogenide glasses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fang, Y.; Sojka, L.; Jayasuriya, D.

    2016-01-01

    Much effort has been devoted to the study of glasses that contain the chalcogen elements (sulfur, selenium and tellurium) for photonics' applications out to MIR wavelengths. In this paper we describe some techniques for determining the refractive index dispersion characteristics of these glasses...

  6. High-Resolution Imaging of Selenium in Kidneys: A Localized Selenium Pool Associated with Glutathione Peroxidase 3

    OpenAIRE

    Malinouski, Mikalai; Kehr, Sebastian; Finney, Lydia; Vogt, Stefan; Carlson, Bradley A.; Seravalli, Javier; Jin, Richard; Handy, Diane E.; Park, Thomas J.; Loscalzo, Joseph; Hatfield, Dolph L.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

    2012-01-01

    Aim: Recent advances in quantitative methods and sensitive imaging techniques of trace elements provide opportunities to uncover and explain their biological roles. In particular, the distribution of selenium in tissues and cells under both physiological and pathological conditions remains unknown. In this work, we applied high-resolution synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) to map selenium distribution in mouse liver and kidney. Results: Liver showed a uniform selenium distributio...

  7. Impact of Selenium Supplementation on Growth and Selenium Accumulation on Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) Plants

    OpenAIRE

    Azadeh SAFFARYAZDI; Mehrdad LAHOUTI; Ali GANJEALI; Hassan BAYAT

    2012-01-01

    Selenium (Se) has been proved to be an essential element for humans and animals. However, less is known about its effects on plants. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of selenium on growth, selenium accumulation and some physiological characteristics of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. �Missouri�) plants. Plants were grown in Hoagland nutrient solution amended with sodium selenite at 0 (control), 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 mg.L-1 for 28 days. Growth parameters like sh...

  8. Effect of selenium supplementation on pigeon reproductive performance, selenium concentration and antioxidant status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y; Yang, H M; Cao, W; Li, Y B

    2017-09-01

    The effects of dietary supplementation of sodium selenite (SS) on the reproductive performance and the concentration of selenium, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined, and expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4) and bone morphogenic protein 15 (BMP15) was evaluated. Paired pigeons (n = 864) were fed: T1 received no SS, while T2, T3, and T4 received 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg of SS/kg of dry matter (DM), respectively. Treatments were performed in triplicate with 72 pairs in each replicate. The results showed that selenium supplementation significantly affected pigeon reproductive performance. Birds fed 1.0 mg of SS/kg displayed higher egg production (P > 0.05), higher birth rate, and lower dead sperm rate than the control group (P Selenium and biochemical analyses revealed a higher selenium concentration in the 1.5 mg of SS/kg group than in the control group (P  0.05); however, in plasma, MDA was lower in the control group (P  0.05), while in ovary, BMP15 was down-regulated in the 1.5 mg of SS/kg group (P selenium concentration, and 0.5 mg of SS/kg up-regulated GSH-Px activity. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  9. Electric field fluctuations in liquid tellurium alloys a hint to bond character

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Paulick, C.A.; Brinkmann, R.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt; von Hartrott, M.; Kiehl, M.; Maxim, P.; Quitmann, D.

    1985-01-01

    Atomic scale electric field fluctuations in liquid tellurium alloys are detected as they induce nuclear spin relaxation rate RQ in noble gas impurity atoms, via quadrupolar interaction. Results for Xe in liquid Ag, Ga, In, Tl, Ge, Sn---Te alloys are discussed, assuming that bonding in these alloys

  10. Absorption and retention of selenium from shrimps in man

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bugel, S. H.; Sandstrom, B.; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt

    2001-01-01

    This study was undertaken to evaluate the bioavailability of selenium in shrimps, a possible good source of selenium, by measurements of the absorption and retention of selenium and the effects on plasma selenium concentration and glutathione peroxidase activity. Twelve healthy young subjects (9F...... of the study, after 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The selenium intake increased from 39.4 +/- 15.3 mug/d to 127 +/- 5.5 mug/d with the addition of shrimps. The apparent absorption of selenium from shrimps was 83 +/- 4%, Faecal and urinary selenium excretion was 32.5 +/- 17.0 mug/d and 21.2 +/- 9.0 mug/d, re spectively...... and the total retention of selenium was 3.1 +/- 1.1 mg. Plasma selenium concentrations were 95.2 +/- 9.7 mug/L and 101.5 +/- 9.7 mug/L before and after six weeks of shrimp intake, respectively (p...

  11. Arsenic and selenium in microbial metabolism

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolz, John F.; Basu, Partha; Santini, Joanne M.; Oremland, Ronald S.

    2006-01-01

    Arsenic and selenium are readily metabolized by prokaryotes, participating in a full range of metabolic functions including assimilation, methylation, detoxification, and anaerobic respiration. Arsenic speciation and mobility is affected by microbes through oxidation/reduction reactions as part of resistance and respiratory processes. A robust arsenic cycle has been demonstrated in diverse environments. Respiratory arsenate reductases, arsenic methyltransferases, and new components in arsenic resistance have been recently described. The requirement for selenium stems primarily from its incorporation into selenocysteine and its function in selenoenzymes. Selenium oxyanions can serve as an electron acceptor in anaerobic respiration, forming distinct nanoparticles of elemental selenium that may be enriched in (76)Se. The biogenesis of selenoproteins has been elucidated, and selenium methyltransferases and a respiratory selenate reductase have also been described. This review highlights recent advances in ecology, biochemistry, and molecular biology and provides a prelude to the impact of genomics studies.

  12. Selenium Level and Dyslipidemia in Rural Elderly Chinese

    Science.gov (United States)

    Su, Liqin; Gao, Sujuan; Unverzagt, Frederick W.; Cheng, Yibin; Hake, Ann M.; Xin, Pengju; Chen, Chen; Liu, Jingyi; Ma, Feng; Bian, Jianchao; Li, Ping; Jin, Yinlong

    2015-01-01

    Objective Higher selenium level has been hypothesized to have the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases including dyslipidemia. However, results from previous studies are inconsistent. This study aims to determine the association between selenium level and dyslipidemia in elderly Chinese with relatively low selenium status. Methods A cross-sectional study of 1859 participants aged 65 or older from four rural counties in China was conducted. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC), nail selenium concentration and APOE genotype were measured in all subjects. The four types of dyslipidemia were defined as >5.17mmol/L for High-TC, >1.69 mmol/L for High-TG, >3.36 mmol/L for High-LDLC, and selenium levels and the risk of dyslipidemia. Results Mean nail selenium concentration was 0.465μg/gin this sample. Rates for High-TC, High-LDLC, High-TG, Low-HDLC were 18.13%, 13.23%, 12.21% and 32.76% respectively. Results from logistic models indicated that higher selenium levels were significantly associated with higher risk of High-TC, High-LDLC and lower risk of Low-HDLC adjusting for covariates (p selenium quartile group, participants in selenium quartile groups 2, 3 and 4 had significantly higher rates of High-TC, High-LDLC, High-TG, and lower rate of Low-HDLC adjusting for covariates. No significant association was observed between selenium level and the risk of High-TG. APOEε4 carriers had higher rates of High-TC and High-LDLC. There was no interaction between selenium level and APOE with the rates of dyslipidemia. Conclusions Our results suggest long-term selenium exposure level may be associated with the risk of dyslipidemia in elderly population. Future studies are needed to examine the underlying mechanism of the association. PMID:26380972

  13. Selenium in human milk: An Australian study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cumming, F.J.; Fardy, J.J.; Woodward, D.R.

    1991-01-01

    The aims of this Australian study were to determine (total) selenium concentration in breast milk and in maternal blood, and to assess the relationship between the two. The authors also aimed to assess the infants' selenium intake. Twenty lactating women from Brisbane (Queensland) participated in the study, at 6-12 weeks post-partum. Small samples (approximately 10 ml) of breast-milk were manually expressed at the beginning and end of a mid-morning feed, from the first breast offered at that feed. Venous blood samples (10 ml) were also collected from the mothers. Milk and blood samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Babies' milk intake over a 24-hour period was estimated using a modified test-weighing technique. Infant selenium intakes were calculated directly for each infant, using his/her mother's milk selenium level and his/her own 24-hour breast milk intake. The mean selenium concentration in maternal blood was 101 (±SD 19) ng/g and in maternal serum 81 (±15) ng/g. Breast milk selenium concentrations (11.9 ± 3.5 ng/g) were fairly low by international standards. There was no correlation between selenium concentrations in milk and blood (or serum). The infants' 24-hour breast-milk intakes were 856 ± 172 g, and their selenium intakes were 10.7 ± 4.1 μg per day

  14. Is selenium supplementation in autoimmune thyroid diseases justified?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Kristian H.; Bonnema, Steen; Hegedüs, Laszlo

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides an appraisal of recent evidence for or against selenium supplementation in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases, and discusses possible effect mechanisms. RECENT FINDINGS: Epidemiological data suggest an increased prevalence of autoimmune thyroid...... diseases under conditions of low dietary selenium intake. Two systematic reviews have evaluated controlled trials among patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and report that selenium supplementation decreases circulating thyroid autoantibodies. The immunomodulatory effects of selenium might involve reducing...... proinflammatory cytokine release. However, clinically relevant effects of selenium supplementation, including improvement in quality of life, are more elusive. In Graves’ disease, some, but not all, trials indicate that adjuvant selenium supplementation enhances the restoration of biochemical euthyroidism...

  15. Determination of total selenium and selenium distribution in the milk phases in commercial cow's milk by HG-AAS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Muniz-Naveiro, Oscar; Dominguez-Gonzalez, Raquel; Bermejo-Barrera, Adela; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar [University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Nutrition and Bromatology, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Cocho, Jose A. [University Clinical Hospital, Laboratory of Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders, Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Fraga, Jose M. [University Clinical Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

    2005-03-01

    A procedure has been developed for determining the selenium in cow's milk using hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrometry (HG-AAS) following microwave-assisted acid digestion. The selenium distributions in milk whey, fat and micellar casein phases were studied after separating the different phases by ultracentrifugation and determining the selenium in all of them. The detection limits obtained by HG-AAS for the whole milk, milk whey and micellar casein were 0.074, 0.065 and 0.075 {mu}g l{sup -1}, respectively. The accuracy for the whole milk was checked by using a Certified Reference Material CRM 8435 whole milk powder from NIST, and the analytical recoveries for the milk whey and casein micelles were 100.9 and 96.9%, respectively. A mass balance study of the determination of selenium in the different milk phases was carried out, obtaining values of 95.5-100.8%. The total content of selenium was determined in 37 milk samples from 15 different manufacturers, 19 whole milk samples and 18 skimmed milk samples. The selenium levels found were within the 8.5-21 {mu}g l{sup -1} range. The selenium distributions in the different milk phases were studied in 14 whole milk samples, and the highest selenium levels were found in milk whey (47.2-73.6%), while the lowest level was found for the fat phase (4.8-16.2%). A strong correlation was found between the selenium levels in whole milk and the selenium levels in the milk components. (orig.)

  16. Organoselenium compounds prevent hyperphosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins induced by the neurotoxic agent diphenyl ditelluride in cerebral cortex of young rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moretto, M.B.; Funchal, C.; Zeni, G.; Rocha, J.B.T.; Pessoa-Pureur, R.

    2005-01-01

    In this work we investigated the protective ability of the selenium compounds ebselen and diphenyl diselenide against the effect of diphenyl ditelluride on the in vitro incorporation of 32 P into intermediate filament (IF) proteins from slices of cerebral cortex of 17-day-old rats. We observed that ditelluride in the concentrations of 1, 15 and 50 μM induced hyperphosphorylation of the high-salt Triton insoluble neurofilament subunits (NF-M and NF-L), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, without altering the immunocontent of these proteins. Concerning the selenium compounds, diselenide (1, 15 and 50 μM) did not induce alteration of the in vitro phosphorylation of the IF proteins. Otherwise, ebselen induced an altered in vitro phosphorylation of the cytoskeletal proteins in a dose-dependent manner. At intermediate concentrations (15 and 30 μM) it increased the in vitro phosphorylation even though, at low (5 μM) or high (50 and 100 μM) concentrations this compound was ineffective in altering the activity of the cytoskeletal-associated phosphorylating system. In addition, 15 μM diselenide and 5 μM ebselen, presented a protective effect against the action of ditelluride, on the phosphorylation of the proteins studied. Considering that hyperphosphorylation of cytoskeletal proteins is associated with neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration, it is probable that the effects of ditelluride could be related to the remarkable neurotoxicity of this organic form of tellurium. Furthermore the neuroprotective action of selenium compounds against tellurium effects could be a promising route to be exploited for a possible treatment of organic tellurium poisoning

  17. Starting material radiation source for Moessbauer investigations of tellurium compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexandrov, A.J.; Grushko, J.S.; Makarov, E.F.; Mishin, K.Y.; Baltrunas, D.A.J.

    1977-01-01

    A method is described of preparing a radiation source for Mossbauer investigations of tellurium compounds manufactured on the basis of 5 MgO . Te 124 O 3 . 5 MgO . Te 124 O 3 is irradiated in a reactor by means of thermal neutrons, followed by annealing at a temperature ranging from 600 0 to 1,100 0 C for a period of from 5 to 10 hours

  18. Determinants of selenium in the toenail biomonitor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, J.S.; Spate, V.L.; Ngwenyama, R.A.

    2006-01-01

    The evaluation of human nails as a measure of selenium intake and to assess selenium status in critical tissues is now being used routinely to investigate hypotheses relating selenium status to chronic disease, especially cancer. In this study we report on our observations of the major determinants of toenail selenium concentrations. Toenail specimens (3575) were, under a protocol we provided, self-collected by adult females (1940, 54.3%) and males (1635, 45.7%) living in 111 of Missouri's 114 counties. The health-conscious participants ranged in age from 18 to 94 years with means of 53.7±14.1 and 56.4±14.2 years for females and males, respectively. Selenium supplement use was over represented, 39.1% and 42.7%, and smoking was under represented, 7.5% and 7.8%, for females and males, respectively. The major determinants of toenail selenium concentration were supplement use, sex and cigarette smoking. We found no overall correlations with age, body mass index or diet selection. (author)

  19. Selenium balance in the adult cat in relation to intake of dietary sodium selenite and organically bound selenium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Todd, S.E.; Thomas, D.G.; Hendriks, W.H.

    2012-01-01

    The response of cats to dietary sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) and organically bound selenium was studied in two separate studies with four cats per treatment and three levels of selenium supplementation (targets 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 µg/g DM) for each Se source. Whole blood and plasma selenium concentrations

  20. Myconanoparticles: synthesis and their role in phytopathogens management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alghuthaymi, Mousa A.; Almoammar, Hassan; Rai, Mahindra; Said-Galiev, Ernest; Abd-Elsalam, Kamel A.

    2015-01-01

    Nanotechnology can offer green and eco-friendly alternatives for plant disease management. Apart from being eco-friendly, fungi are used as bio-manufacturing units, which will provide an added benefit in being easy to use, as compared to other microbes. The non-pathogenic nature of some fungal species in combination with the simplicity of production and handling will improve the mass production of silver nanoparticles. Recently, a diverse range of fungi have been screened for their ability to create silver nanoparticles. Mycosynthesis of gold, silver, gold-silver alloy, selenium, tellurium, platinum, palladium, silica, titania, zirconia, quantum dots, usnic acid, magnetite, cadmium telluride and uraninite nanoparticles has also been reported by various researchers. Nanotechnological application in plant pathology is still in the early stages. For example, nanofungicides, nanopesticides and nanoherbicides are being used extensively in agriculture practices. Remote activation and monitoring of intelligent nano-delivery systems can assist agricultural growers of the future to minimize fungicides and pesticides use. Nanoparticle-mediated gene transfer would be useful for improvement of crops resistant to pathogens and pest. This review critically assesses the role of fungi in the synthesis of nanoparticles, the mechanism involved in the synthesis, the effect of different factors on the reduction of metal ions in developing low-cost techniques for the synthesis and recovery of nanoparticles. Moreover, the application of nanoparticles in plant disease control, antimicrobial mechanisms, and nanotoxicity on plant ecosystem and soil microbial communities has also been discussed in detail. Keywords: disease management; antimicrobial action; phytotoxicity; nanophytopathology

  1. Loss of Selenium-Binding Protein 1 Decreases Sensitivity to Clastogens and Intracellular Selenium Content in HeLa Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Changhui; Zeng, Huawei; Wu, Ryan T Y; Cheng, Wen-Hsing

    2016-01-01

    Selenium-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is not a selenoprotein but structurally binds selenium. Loss of SBP1 during carcinogenesis usually predicts poor prognosis. Because genome instability is a hallmark of cancer, we hypothesize that SBP1 sequesters cellular selenium and sensitizes cancer cells to DNA-damaging agents. To test this hypothesis, we knocked down SBP1 expression in HeLa cervical cancer cells by employing a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) approach. Reduced sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide, paraquat and camptothecin, reactive oxygen species content, and intracellular retention of selenium after selenomethionine treatment were observed in SBP1 shRNA HeLa cells. Results from Western analyses showed that treatment of HeLa cells with selenomethionine resulted in increased SBP1 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Knockdown of SBP1 rendered HeLa cells increased expression of glutathione peroxidase-1 but not glutathione peroxidase-4 protein levels and accelerated migration from a wound. Altogether, SBP1 retains supplemental selenium and sensitizes HeLa cancer cells to clastogens, suggesting a new cancer treatment strategy by sequestering selenium through SBP1.

  2. [The role of selenium in endocrine system diseases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balázs, Csaba; Rácz, Károly

    2013-10-13

    Oxygen derived free radicals, generated by a number of cellular reactions, include superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyl radicals. They exert their cytotoxic effects mainly via peroxidation of the cell membrane resulting in the loss of membrane integrity. The essential trace element, selenium exerts complex effects on the endocrine systems, partly due to its antioxidant capacity. Well-characterized selenoproteins include iodothyronine deiodinases, glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases involved in thyroid hormone metabolism and protection from oxidative damage. The value of selenium supplementation in autoimmune thyroid disorders has been investigated and most studies confirmed the beneficial effect of selenium supplementation in Hashimoto's and Graves's diseases. Recently, selenium proved to be effective in mild inflammatory orbitopathy. There are a number of reports about the effect of selenium in diabetes mellitus, but the data are controversial as both insulin-like and diabetes-inducing effects of selenium have been described. Selenium was successfully used in both female and male infertility of autoimmune origin.

  3. Effects of selenium supplementation on four agricultural crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, Kathleen M; Gallardo-Williams, Maria T; Benson, Robert F; Martin, Dean F

    2003-01-29

    Agricultural crops can be used either to remediate selenium-contaminated soils or to increase the daily selenium intake of consumers after soil supplementation using inorganic or organic selenium sources. In this study, four agricultural crops were examined for potential selenium enhancement. Soils containing tomato, strawberry, radish, and lettuce plants were supplemented with either an inorganic or an organic form of selenium. Two different soils, i.e., low Se and high Se containing, were also used. Statistically significant differences in appearance, fruit production, and fresh weights of the fruit produced were studied. Next, the amount of selenium retained in the edible fruits, nonedible plant, and soil for each was analyzed by acid digestion followed by hydride generation atomic absorption analysis. Finally, inhibition effects on the seeds of the agricultural plants were studied. The results show that supplementation with an inorganic form of selenium led to higher retention in the plants, with a maximum of 97.5% retained in the edible portion of lettuce plants.

  4. Selenium and phosphorus interaction in pea (pisum sativum L.)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Mahendra; Bhandari, D.K.

    1975-01-01

    The interaction of selenium and phosphorus on the dry matter yield and concentration and uptake of phosphorus, sulfur and selenium was studied in pea (Pisum sativnum) var. T 163. The fertilizer was tagged with P 32 . It was observed that increased concentration of applied selenium in soil decreased the dry matter yield and increased the concentration and uptake of total P, soil P and selenium in pea plants. Increased concentration of P alone increased dry matter yield, concentration and uptake of total, soil and fertilizer P and selenium which was beyond safe limits, and decreased concentration and uptake of sulphur. Selenium and phosphorus showed strong synergetic relationship by increasing the concentration of each other in plants while both showed antagonistic effect on the concentration of sulphur. Phosphorus compensated the toxic effect of selenium and improved the growth and dry matter yield of pea plants. The highest selenium concentration of 22.4 ppm was observed in 100 ppm phosphorus with 5 ppm selenium treated pots while lowest (0.10 ppm) in control. (author)

  5. Does mercury vapor exposure increase urinary selenium excretion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hongo, T; Suzuki, T; Himeno, S; Watanabe, C; Satoh, H; Shimada, Y

    1985-01-01

    It has been reported that an increase of urinary selenium excretion may occur as a result of mercury vapor exposure. However, experimental data regarding the interaction between mercury vapor and selenium have yielded ambiguous results about the retention and elimination of selenium due to mercury vapor exposure and the decrease of selenium excretion due to mercury in the form of mercuric mercury (Hg/sup 2 +/). In this study, the authors measured urinary mercury and selenium in workers with or without exposure to mercury vapor to determine whether or not urinary selenium excretion was increased as a result of mercury vapor exposure. Urine samples were collected from 141 workers, 71 men and 70 women, whose extent of exposure to mercury vapor varied according to their job sites. Workers were divided into five groups according to their urinary mercury levels. The mercury level in group I was less than 2.8 nmol/mmol creatinine which means that this group was mostly free from mercury exposure. The average age was almost identical among the groups. For both sexes, group V (with the highest urinary mercury level) had the lowest urinary selenium level, but one-way variance analysis (ANOVA) did not reveal any significant variations of urinary selenium with urinary mercury levels; however, a weak but significant negative correlation between mercury and selenium was found in men.

  6. Mercury and selenium levels, and selenium:mercury molar ratios of brain, muscle and other tissues in bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) from New Jersey, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Joanna; Jeitner, Christian; Donio, Mark; Pittfield, Taryn; Gochfeld, Michael

    2015-01-01

    A number of contaminants affect fish health, including mercury and selenium, and the selenium: mercury molar ratio. Recently the protective effects of selenium on methylmercury toxicity have been publicized, particularly for consumption of saltwater fish. Yet the relative ameliorating effects of selenium on toxicity within fish have not been examined, nor has the molar ratio in different tissues, (i.e. brain). We examined mercury and selenium levels in brain, kidney, liver, red and white muscle, and skin and scales in bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) from New Jersey to determine whether there were toxic levels of either metal, and we computed the selenium: mercury molar ratios by tissues. Total mercury averaged 0.32 ± 0.02 ppm wet weight in edible muscle and 0.09 ± 0.01 ppm in brain. Selenium concentration averaged 0.37 ± 0.03 in muscle and 0.36 ± 0.03 ppm in brain. There were significant differences in levels of mercury, selenium, and selenium: mercury molar ratios, among tissues. Mercury and selenium levels were correlated in kidney and skin/scales. Mercury levels were highest in kidney, intermediate in muscle and liver, and lowest in brain and skin/scales; selenium levels were also highest in kidney, intermediate in liver, and were an order of magnitude lower in the white muscle and brain. Mercury levels in muscle, kidney and skin/scales were positively correlated with fish size (length). Selenium levels in muscle, kidney and liver were positively correlated with fish length, but in brain; selenium levels were negatively correlated with fish length. The selenium: mercury molar ratio was negatively correlated with fish length for white muscle, liver, kidney, and brain, particularly for fish over 50 cm in length, suggesting that older fish experience less protective advantages of selenium against mercury toxicity than smaller fish, and that consumers of bluefish similarly receive less advantage from eating larger fish. PMID:23202378

  7. Synthesis of ultra-thin tellurium nanoflakes on textiles for high-performance flexible and wearable nanogenerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Wen; Van Ngoc, Huynh; Qian, Yong Teng; Hwang, Jae Seok; Yan, Ya Ping [Department of Physics and Interdisciplinary Course of Physics and Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Gyeoggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Hongsoo [Department of Robotics Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 711-873, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Dae Joon, E-mail: djkang@skku.edu [Department of Physics and Interdisciplinary Course of Physics and Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Gyeoggi-do (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Ultra-thin tellurium (Te) nanoflakes were successfully grown on textile and used as an active piezoelectric material. • Te nanoflake nanogenerator device was systematically studied by bending and compressing test. • The ultra-high output power during compressing test can light up 10 LEDs without any external power source. • The device can offer a breakthrough in applying tellurium nanoflakes into high-performance flexible and wearable piezoelectric nanogenerator. - Abstract: We report that ultra-thin tellurium (Te) nanoflakes were successfully grown on a sample of a gold-coated textile, which then was used as an active piezoelectric material. An output voltage of 4 V and a current of 300 nA were obtained from the bending test under a driving frequency of 10 Hz. To test the practical applications, Te nanoflake nanogenerator (TFNG) device was attached to the subject’s arm, and mechanical energy was converted to electrical energy by means of periodic arm-bending motions. The optimized open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density of approximately 125 V and 17 μA/cm{sup 2}, respectively, were observed when a TFNG device underwent a compression test with a compressive force of 8 N and driving frequency of 10 Hz. This high-power generation enabled the instantaneous powering of 10 green light-emitting diodes that shone without any assistance from an external power source.

  8. Selenium nanoparticles: potential in cancer gene and drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maiyo, Fiona; Singh, Moganavelli

    2017-05-01

    In recent decades, colloidal selenium nanoparticles have emerged as exceptional selenium species with reported chemopreventative and therapeutic properties. This has sparked widespread interest in their use as a carrier of therapeutic agents with results displaying synergistic effects of selenium with its therapeutic cargo and improved anticancer activity. Functionalization remains a critical step in selenium nanoparticles' development for application in gene or drug delivery. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the synthesis and functionalization strategies of selenium nanoparticles used in cancer drug and gene delivery systems. We also provide an update of recent preclinical studies utilizing selenium nanoparticles in cancer therapeutics.

  9. Catalytic activity of oxide cerium-molybdenum-tellurium catalysts in oxidation ammonolysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzhordano, N.; Bart, D.; Madzhori, R.

    1984-01-01

    A commercial catalyst containing a mixture of Ce-, Mo-, Te oxides deposited on SiO 2 is shown to manifest a high efficiency in oxidative ammonolysis of propylene (C 3 - ) to acrylonitrile (AN). The dependence of the catalytic properties on the catalyst composition and reaction conditions is studied. It is established that three-component mixtures are more active and selective than the systems with a lesser number of components. Using the catalyst with the optimum ratio of constituent oxides in a microreactor at 440 deg enabled one to achieve initial selectivity in terms of AN equal to 82.5% at 97% conversion of C 3 - . Acrolein, acetonitrile, HCN and nitrogen oxides are the reaction by-products. A supposition is made that the reaction proceeds via the formation of π-compleXes on the centres of Te(4). Setective oxidation occurs on oxygen atoms bonded with the Mo(6) ions. Tellurium enhances the molybdenum reducibleness due to delocalization of electrons, whereas the cerium addition to the mixture of tellurium- and molybdenum oxides increases the rate of molybdenum reoxidation and thus enhances the catalytic system stability

  10. Preliminary Study on the Standard of Selenium Content in Agricultural Products

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ZHANG Zhi-yuan; YOU Yong; GUO Qing-quan; WANG Yong-hong; DENG Shi-lin

    2012-01-01

    With the improvement of living standards, people pay more attention to the agricultural products with health protection function, and the selenium-rich agricultural products attract more and more consumers. The main biological role of selenium is to resist oxidation and inflammatory response, mainly focusing on resisting aging, preventing cardiovascular disease, protecting eyesight, counteracting or destroying the toxic properties, preventing cancer and thyroid disease. In most areas of China, there is a widespread shortage of selenium, thus producing selenium-rich agricultural products to provide natural selenium-rich health food to the areas in need of selenium, has gradually become a new hot spot of China’s health food industry, but high content of selenium in food is detrimental to human body, even leads to selenium intoxication, and artificially adding inorganic selenium is difficult to guarantee that the selenium content of agricultural products is not exceeded. According to human body’s daily demand for selenium in dietetics and the content of selenium in agricultural products in the Chinese food composition table, we put forward the recommendations on the standard of selenium in agricultural products, in order to provide the basis for China to formulate the health standard of selenium content in selenium-rich agricultural products.

  11. Selenium deficiency and the effects of supplementation on preterm infants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Germano B. O. N. Freitas

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: This study aimed to review the literature about blood concentrations of selenium associated with gestational age, feeding, supplementation and related clinical features in preterm infants. Data sources: Systematic review in the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, Google academics, SciELO. org, ScienceDirect (Elsevier and CINAHL-Plus with Full Text (EBSCO. Articles published up to January 2013 with the keywords "selenium deficiency", "selenium supplementation", "neonates", "infants", "newborn" and "preterm infants" were selected. Data synthesis: The studies reported that low blood selenium levels are associated with increased risk of respiratory diseases. Preterm infants, especially with low birth weight, presented lower selenium levels. Selenium deficiency has also been associated with the use of oral infant formula, enteral and parenteral nutrition (with or without selenium addition. The optimal dose and length of selenium supplementation is not well-established, since they are based only on age group and selenium ingestion by breastfed children. Furthermore, the clinical status of the infant affected by conditions that may increase oxidative stress, and consequently, selenium requirements is not taken into account. Conclusions: Prematurity and low birth weight can contribute to low blood selenium in premature infants. Selenium supplementation seems to minimize or prevent clinical complications caused by prematurity.

  12. Selenium accumulation in lettuce germplasm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for animals and humans. Increasing Se content in food crops offers an effective approach to reduce the widespread selenium deficiency problem in many parts of the world. In this study, we evaluated thirty diverse accessions of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) f...

  13. SELENIUM ACCUMULATION BY BASIL PLANTS (OCINUM BASILICUM L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Golubkina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Selenium accumulation level in basil plants is investigated. A direct correlation between selenium concentration and essential oil content is demonstrated for basil and other aroma plants. No correlation is found between selenium and flavonoids.

  14. A Study of Selenium in Leprosy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donna Partogi

    2018-03-01

    CONCLUSIONS: Selenium serum levels of patients with PB leprosy are higher than patients with MB leprosy, and high bacteriological index in patients with leprosy were correlated with low selenium serum levels.

  15. Selenium's importance in regulatory issues regarding mercury

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Raymond, Laura J.; Ralston, Nicholas V.C. [University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center, 15 North 23rd Street, Stop 9018, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9018 (United States)

    2009-11-15

    Current seafood safety and health risk assessment criteria use mercury concentrations as their sole basis. This unfortunate limitation omits consideration of selenium, an essential trace element that appears to be the primary molecular target of mercury toxicity. Although selenium has been recognized for decades as a means of counteracting mercury toxicity, its effects have often been overlooked or misunderstood. Experimental animal studies have demonstrated that increasing concentrations of selenium throughout the normal dietary range increasingly counteracts methylmercury toxicity. Dietary concentrations of selenium that are slightly less than the average amount present in ocean fish have been shown to completely prevent the onset of toxic symptoms of mercury toxicity, while animals fed lesser amounts of selenium rapidly sickened and died. Dietary selenium from a variety of sources including ocean fish such as tuna, swordfish, menhaden, and rockfish has been shown to counteract mercury toxicity. Since ocean fish are among the richest sources of dietary selenium, it is important to include selenium concentration measurements in future mercury risk assessments and seafood safety criteria. Mercury:selenium molar ratios in blood provide far more consistent and physiologically meaningful risk assessments. Comprehensive seafood safety criteria such as the Selenium Health Benefit Value enable clear differentiation between seafoods that are safe and those that are hazardous for human consumption. Use of parameters that integrate mercury-selenium relationships also make it easy to understand the differences between the findings of maternal mercury exposure studies that have been performed in New Zealand, the Faroes, the Seychelles, and the United Kingdom. Development of criteria for evaluating mercury-selenium interactions will enhance environmental protection and improve public safety. (author)

  16. [Pharmaconutrition with parenteral selenium in sepsis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langlois, P L; de Oliveira Figliolino, L F; Hardy, G; Manzanares, W

    2014-04-01

    Critical illness is characterized by oxidative stress which leads to multiple organ failure, and sepsis-related organ dysfunction remains the most common cause of death in the intensive care unit. Over the last 2 decades, different antioxidant therapies have been developed to improve outcomes in septic patients. According to recent evidence, selenium therapy should be considered the cornerstone of the antioxidant strategies. Selenium given as selenious acid or sodium selenite should be considered as a drug or pharmaconutrient with prooxidant and cytotoxic effects when a loading dose in intravenous bolus form is administered, particularly in the early stage of severe sepsis/septic shock. To date, several phase ii trials have demonstrated that selenium therapy may be able to decrease mortality, improve organ dysfunction and reduce infections in critically ill septic patients. The effect of selenium therapy in sepsis syndrome must be confirmed by large, well designed phase iii clinical trials. The purpose of this review is to discuss current evidence on selenium pharmaconutrition in sepsis syndrome. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. and SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

  17. Effect of long-term selenium supplementation on mortality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rayman, Margaret P.; Winther, Kristian Hillert; Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto

    2018-01-01

    Background: Selenium, an essential trace element, is incorporated into selenoproteins with a wide range of health effects. Selenoproteins may reach repletion at a plasma selenium concentration of ∼ 125 μg/L, at which point the concentration of selenoprotein P reaches a plateau; whether sustained...... concentrations higher than this are beneficial, or indeed detrimental, is unknown. Objective: In a population of relatively low selenium status, we aimed to determine the effect on mortality of long-term selenium supplementation at different dose levels. Design: The Denmark PRECISE study was a single...... for extension of the study and mortality assessment. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment with 100, 200, or 300 μg selenium/d as selenium-enriched-yeast or placebo-yeast for 5 years from randomization in 1998-1999 and were followed up for mortality for a further 10 years (through March 31, 2015...

  18. Biogeochemical studies of selenium in the Indian Ocean

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hattori, H.; Nakaguchi, Y.; Hiraki, K.; Kimura, M.; Koike, Y.

    1999-01-01

    Selenium that is a one of trace essential elements exists mainly in the chemical form of Se(IV), Se(VI) and organic selenium in ocean. Moreover, the monitoring of the selenium species has become a matter of interest as a mean of estimating their influence in biological processes in ocean. In recent works, some investigators reported that Se(IV) shows nutrient-type especially like silica's behavior, Se(VI) shows an approximately constant value, and the biological activities control the distribution of organic selenium. However, these reports were not included the whole world's oceans. It is necessary to research several oceans for the explication of fate on selenium. We investigated at the most interesting area - the Eastern Indian Ocean where should play a key role in global ocean's cycle for acquiring the new knowledge of selenium species at first

  19. Production of selenium-enriched milk and dairy products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Csapó J.

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Until the middle of the last century, selenium was considered to be toxic, but recently it turned out to be a micronutrient with important physiological effects, whose lack impedes the functioning of several enzymes, while in the case of a prolonged deficiency, disease processes can also occur in the body. Hungary belongs to the selenium-deficient regions in Europe; therefore, our aim was to contribute to the improvement of selenium supply of the population through increasing the selenium content of milk and dairy products. A daily supplementation of 1-6 mg organic selenium to the feed of dairy cows increases the selenium content of milk from the value of 18 μg/kg to 94 μg/kg in 8 weeks, decreasing again to the initial value in 6 weeks after stopping the supplementation.

  20. In vivo and in vitro testing for selenium and selenium compounds bioavailability assessment in foodstuff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreda-Piñeiro, Jorge; Moreda-Piñeiro, Antonio; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar

    2017-03-04

    The assessment of selenium and selenium species bioavailability in foodstuff is of special concern on the context of human nutrition. In vivo (human and animal), and in vitro tests are important approaches for estimating the bioavailability of toxic and essential compounds to humans. An overview on in vivo and in vitro bioavailability assays for releasing selenium and selenium species in foodstuffs is summarized. Se and Se species content in a foodstuff critically influence Se bioavailability and bioactivity to humans and animals. Se bioavailability is affected by foodstuff-matrix major composition and minor components. Foodstuffs processing and/or treatments could enhancement or decrease Se bioavailability. Experimental conditions such as the selection of healthy status of examined people (in in vivo humans approaches), the selection of animal model (in vivo animals approaches), or the selection of GI conditions (in in vitro tests) could determines the results. Thus, international standardized protocol for in vivo and in vitro approaches assessment is mandatory.

  1. Formation of tellurium nanocrystals during anaerobic growth of bacteria that use Te oxyanions as respiratory electron acceptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baesman, S.M.; Bullen, T.D.; Dewald, J.; Zhang, Dongxiao; Curran, S.; Islam, F.S.; Beveridge, T.J.; Oremland, R.S.

    2007-01-01

    Certain toxic elements support the metabolism of diverse prokaryotes by serving as respiratory electron acceptors for growth. Here, we demonstrate that two anaerobes previously shown to be capable of respiring oxyanions of selenium also achieve growth by reduction of either tellurate [Te(VI)] or tellurite [Te(IV)] to elemental tellurium [Te(0)]. This reduction achieves a sizeable stable-Te-isotopic fractionation (isotopic enrichment factor [??] = -0.4 to -1.0 per ml per atomic mass unit) and results in the formation of unique crystalline Te(0) nanoarchitectures as end products. The Te(0) crystals occur internally within but mainly externally from the cells, and each microorganism forms a distinctly different structure. Those formed by Bacillus selenitireducens initially are nanorods (???10-nm diameter by 200-nm length), which cluster together, forming larger (???1,000-nm) rosettes composed of numerous individual shards (???100-nm width by 1,000-nm length). In contrast, Sulfurospirillium barnesii forms extremely small, irregularly shaped nanospheres (diameter < 50 nm) that coalesce into larger composite aggregates. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and selected area electron diffraction indicate that both biominerals are composed entirely of Te and are crystalline, while Raman spectroscopy confirms that they are in the elemental state. These Te biominerals have specific spectral signatures (UV-visible light, Raman) that also provide clues to their internal structures. The use of microorganisms to generate Te nanomaterials may be an alternative for bench-scale syntheses. Additionally, they may also generate products with unique properties unattainable by conventional physical/chemical methods. Copyright ?? 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  2. Selenium and Selenoprotein Deficiencies Induce Widespread Pyogranuloma Formation in Mice, while High Levels of Dietary Selenium Decrease Liver Tumor Size Driven by TGFα

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Nianxin; Ward, Jerrold M.; Perella, Christine M.; Hoffmann, Victoria J.; Rogers, Keith; Combs, Gerald F.; Schweizer, Ulrich; Merlino, Glenn; Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Hatfield, Dolph L.

    2013-01-01

    Changes in dietary selenium and selenoprotein status may influence both anti- and pro-cancer pathways, making the outcome of interventions different from one study to another. To characterize such outcomes in a defined setting, we undertook a controlled hepatocarcinogenesis study involving varying levels of dietary selenium and altered selenoprotein status using mice carrying a mutant (A37G) selenocysteine tRNA transgene (TrsptG37) and/or a cancer driver TGFα transgene. The use of TrsptG37 altered selenoprotein expression in a selenoprotein and tissue specific manner and, at sufficient dietary selenium levels, separate the effect of diet and selenoprotein status. Mice were maintained on diets deficient in selenium (0.02 ppm selenium) or supplemented with 0.1, 0.4 or 2.25 ppm selenium or 30 ppm triphenylselenonium chloride (TPSC), a non-metabolized selenium compound. TrsptG37 transgenic and TGFα/TrsptG37 bi-transgenic mice subjected to selenium-deficient or TPSC diets developed a neurological phenotype associated with early morbidity and mortality prior to hepatocarcinoma development. Pathology analyses revealed widespread disseminated pyogranulomatous inflammation. Pyogranulomas occurred in liver, lungs, heart, spleen, small and large intestine, and mesenteric lymph nodes in these transgenic and bi-transgenic mice. The incidence of liver tumors was significantly increased in mice carrying the TGFα transgene, while dietary selenium and selenoprotein status did not affect tumor number and multiplicity. However, adenoma and carcinoma size and area were smaller in TGFα transgenic mice that were fed 0.4 and 2.25 versus 0.1 ppm of selenium. Thus, selenium and selenoprotein deficiencies led to widespread pyogranuloma formation, while high selenium levels inhibited the size of TGFα–induced liver tumors. PMID:23460847

  3. In Situ Immobilization of Selenium in Sediment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moore, Robert C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Stewart, Thomas Austin [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2014-09-01

    This project focused on the use of a sorbent, carbonated apatite, to immobilize selenium in the environment. It is know that apatite will sorb selenium and based on the mechanism of sorption it is theorized that carbonated apatite will be more effective that pure apatite. Immobilization of selenium in the environment is through the use of a sorbent in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB). A PRB can be constructed by trenching and backfill with the sorbent or in the case of apatite as the sorbent formed in situ using the apatite forming solution of Moore (2003, 2004). There is very little data on selenium sorption by carbonated apatite in the literature. Therefore, in this work, the basic sorptive properties of carbonated apatite were investigated. Carbonated apatite was synthesized by a precipitation method and characterized. Batch selenium kinetic and equilibrium experiments were performed. The results indicate the carbonated apatite contained 9.4% carbonate and uptake of selenium as selenite was rapid; 5 hours for complete uptake of selenium vs. more than 100 hours for pure hydroxyapatite reported in the literature. Additionally, the carbonated apatite exhibited significantly higher distribution coefficients in equilibrium experiments than pure apatite under similar experimental conditions. The next phase of this work will be to seek additional funds to continue the research with the goal of eventually demonstrating the technology in a field application.

  4. Selenium: its potential role in male infertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oguntibeju, O.O.; Esterhuyse, J.S.; Truter, E.J.

    2009-01-01

    Currently, biomedical research is showing interest in the anti-oxidant activity of selenium. This could be due to compelling evidence that reported that oxidative damage to cells and cell membranes is one of the causative agents in the pathogenesis of many disease states including male infertility. Selenium is a trace element which may be found in soil, water and some foods and is considered to be an essential element which plays an active role in several metabolic pathways and is believed to perform several important roles in the human body. These roles include anti-oxidative activities at cellular level and participating in different enzyme systems. Selenium also serves as a vital component in the maintenance of muscle cell and red blood cell integrity, playing a role in the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA). It has also been reported that selenium is essential in the detoxification of toxic metals in the human system, foetal respiration and energy transfer reactions as well as in the production of sperm cells. It is thought that male infertility can be the result of a selenium deficiency as the absence of selenium in the testicular tissues induces degeneration which results in the active impairment of sperm motility as the first indication of impending infertility. This review paper investigates the role of selenium in male infertility. (author)

  5. Determination of spins and radioactive widths of tellurium nuclear levels with capturre gamma rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bianchini, F.G.

    1973-01-01

    Spins and levels widths of the tellurium, mainly 128 Te and 130 Te, were determinated by gamma spectroscopy. Measurements of inelastic and elastic scattering, angular distribution and scattering temperature dependence, were still made. Energy levels of this isotopes, were also determinated [pt

  6. Selenium Level and Dyslipidemia in Rural Elderly Chinese.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liqin Su

    Full Text Available Higher selenium level has been hypothesized to have the potential to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases including dyslipidemia. However, results from previous studies are inconsistent. This study aims to determine the association between selenium level and dyslipidemia in elderly Chinese with relatively low selenium status.A cross-sectional study of 1859 participants aged 65 or older from four rural counties in China was conducted. Serum total cholesterol (TC, triglycerides (TG, high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC, nail selenium concentration and APOE genotype were measured in all subjects. The four types of dyslipidemia were defined as >5.17 mmol/L for High-TC, >1.69 mmol/L for High-TG, >3.36 mmol/L for High-LDLC, and <1.04 mmol/L for Low-HDLC according to Chinese Guidelines on Prevention and Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Adults. Logistic models adjusting for age, gender, APOE genotype, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, medication use for cardiovascular diseases were used to examine the relationship between selenium levels and the risk of dyslipidemia.Mean nail selenium concentration was 0.465 μg/gin this sample. Rates for High-TC, High-LDLC, High-TG, Low-HDLC were 18.13%, 13.23%, 12.21% and 32.76% respectively. Results from logistic models indicated that higher selenium levels were significantly associated with higher risk of High-TC, High-LDLC and lower risk of Low-HDLC adjusting for covariates (p < 0.0001. Compared with the lowest selenium quartile group, participants in selenium quartile groups 2, 3 and 4 had significantly higher rates of High-TC, High-LDLC, High-TG, and lower rate of Low-HDLC adjusting for covariates. No significant association was observed between selenium level and the risk of High-TG. APOEε4 carriers had higher rates of High-TC and High-LDLC. There was no interaction between selenium level and APOE with the rates of

  7. Selenium supplementation for critically ill adults

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Allingstrup, Mikkel; Afshari, Arash

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Selenium is a trace mineral essential to health and has an important role in immunity, defence against tissue damage and thyroid function. Improving selenium status could help protect against overwhelming tissue damage and infection in critically ill adults. This Cochrane review...... was originally published in 2004 updated in 2007 and again 2015. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective was to examine the effect of nutrition supplemented with selenium or ebselen on mortality in critically ill patients.The secondary objective was to examine the relationship between selenium or ebselen...... supplementation and number of infections, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of intensive care unit stay and length of hospital stay. SEARCH METHODS: In this update, we searched the current issue of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Library (2014, Issue 5); MEDLINE (Ovid SP...

  8. Impact of Selenium Supplementation on Growth and Selenium Accumulation on Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azadeh SAFFARYAZDI

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Selenium (Se has been proved to be an essential element for humans and animals. However, less is known about its effects on plants. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of selenium on growth, selenium accumulation and some physiological characteristics of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. Missouri plants. Plants were grown in Hoagland nutrient solution amended with sodium selenite at 0 (control, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 mg.L-1 for 28 days. Growth parameters like shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight, total dry weight, shoot and root length increased by 17, 15, 38, 19, 18 and 34 percent in response to the lowest concentration of Se (1 mg L-1, respectively over control. However, application of higher Se concentrations reduced these parameters as compared to control. Selenium up to 1 mg L-1 enhanced the levels of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b by 87 and 165 percent, respectively, while higher levels of Se exert toxic effects. Total phenolic compounds in leaves increased directly by increasing the level of Se and plants treated with 10 mg. L-1 Se had the highest values. Selenium, sodium and calcium content increased, while potassium content decreased, by increasing selenium treatments. The highest amounts of Se in shoots (3.89 mg g-1 DW and roots (4.27 mg g-1 DW were obtained for the highest concentration of Se (10 mg L-1. The present results suggested the beneficial effects of Se on spinach growth and also its contribute ion to improving the nutritional value of spinach for livestock and human nutrition.

  9. Impact of Selenium Supplementation on Growth and Selenium Accumulation on Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. Plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azadeh SAFFARYAZDI

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Selenium (Se has been proved to be an essential element for humans and animals. However, less is known about its effects on plants. A hydroponic experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of selenium on growth, selenium accumulation and some physiological characteristics of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L. cv. �Missouri� plants. Plants were grown in Hoagland nutrient solution amended with sodium selenite at 0 (control, 1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 mg.L-1 for 28 days. Growth parameters like shoot and root fresh weight, shoot and root dry weight, total dry weight, shoot and root length increased by 17, 15, 38, 19, 18 and 34 percent in response to the lowest concentration of Se (1 mg L-1, respectively over control. However, application of higher Se concentrations reduced these parameters as compared to control. Selenium up to 1 mg L-1 enhanced the levels of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b by 87 and 165 percent, respectively, while higher levels of Se exert toxic effects. Total phenolic compounds in leaves increased directly by increasing the level of Se and plants treated with 10 mg. L-1 Se had the highest values. Selenium, sodium and calcium content increased, while potassium content decreased, by increasing selenium treatments. The highest amounts of Se in shoots (3.89 mg g-1 DW and roots (4.27 mg g-1 DW were obtained for the highest concentration of Se (10 mg L-1. The present results suggested the beneficial effects of Se on spinach growth and also its contribute ion to improving the nutritional value of spinach for livestock and human nutrition.

  10. The role of selenium in predicting preeclampsia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z Ghaemi

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Preeclampsia is a common disorder that is a leading cause of perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality; however its specific etiology has still remained obscure.The first step in preventing preeclampsia is early detection of women at risk. Since there is no valid and reliable screening test, appropriate diagnostic and screening tests are necessary, which are inexpensive, non-invasive and beneficial for pregnant women. Therefore, regarding the role of selenium as an antioxidant in the prevention preeclampsia, this study was designed which aimed to determine the prognostic value of plasma selenium levels in the diagnosis of preeclampsia in primigravida women Methods: In a nested case control design, a sample of 650 normal primigravida women of 24-28 weeks participated in the study. Subjects who involved the case group were followed up for 3 months and 38 were affected by preeclampsia. Blood samples were obtained from these 38patients as well as from 38 subjects as their matched controls. Moreover, the amount of selenium was measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. Results: The mean level of selenium in blood plasma of the cases was significantly lower than in their matched controls. The present study findings revealed that pregnant women with serum Se < 66.1 μg/L had a significantly increased risk of preeclampsia. Conclusion: Lower plasma selenium level in women destines to suffering from preeclampsia which confirms the destructive effect of selenium deficiency as an antioxidant in etiopathology of preeclampsia. Measurement of plasma selenium can improve the prediction of preeclampsia; thus, it seems that plasma selenium level test owns an acceptable sensitivity and specificity for predicting preeclampsia.

  11. Genome-wide association study of serum selenium concentrations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gong, Jian; Hsu, Li; Harrison, Tabitha

    2013-01-01

    Selenium is an essential trace element and circulating selenium concentrations have been associated with a wide range of diseases. Candidate gene studies suggest that circulating selenium concentrations may be impacted by genetic variation; however, no study has comprehensively investigated...... this hypothesis. Therefore, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with serum selenium concentrations in 1203 European descents from two cohorts: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). We...... tested association between 2,474,333 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and serum selenium concentrations using linear regression models. In the first stage (PLCO) 41 SNPs clustered in 15 regions had p

  12. Interspecific and intraspecific variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios in saltwater fish from the Aleutians: Potential protection on mercury toxicity by selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, Joanna; Gochfeld, Michael; Jeitner, Christian; Donio, Mark; Pittfield, Taryn

    2014-01-01

    A number of factors affect the consumption risk from mercury in fish, including mercury levels, seasonal patterns of mercury concentrations, human consumption patterns, and sensitive populations (e.g. pregnant women, fetuses, young children, and yet unknown genetic factors). Recently the protective effects of selenium on methylmercury toxicity have been publicized, particularly for saltwater fish. We examine levels of mercury and selenium in several species of fish and seabirds from the Aleutians (Alaska), determine selenium:mercury molar ratios, and examine species-specific and individual variation in the ratios as a means of exploring the use of the ratio in risk assessment and risk management. Variation among species was similar for mercury and selenium. There was significant inter-specific and intraspecific variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios for fish, and for birds. The mean selenium:mercury molar ratios for all fish and bird species were above 1, meaning there was an excess of selenium relative to mercury. It has been suggested that an excess of selenium confers some protective advantage for salt water fish, although the degree of excess necessary is unclear. The selenium:mercury molar ratio was significantly correlated negatively with total length for most fish species, but not for dolly varden. Some individuals of Pacific cod, yellow irish lord, rock greenling, Pacific halibut, dolly varden, and to a lesser extent, flathead sole, had selenium:mercury ratios below 1. No bird muscle had an excess of mercury (ratio below 1), and only glaucous-winged gull and pigeon guillemot had ratios between 1 and 5. There was a great deal of variation in selenium:mercury molar ratios within fish species, and within bird species, making it difficult and impractical to use these ratios in risk assessment or management, for fish advisories, or for consumers, particularly given the difficulty of interpreting the ratios. PMID:22664537

  13. Cytochemical demonstration of mercury deposits in trout liver and kidney following methyl mercury intoxication: differentiation of two mercury pools by selenium

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E; Danscher, G

    1988-01-01

    and the selected organs were determined by measuring the uptake of 203Hg-labeled MeHg. Spleen, liver, and kidney had the highest concentrations after both experimental periods, while the largest relative increases were found in brain, muscle, and kidney. The subcellular distribution of mercury accumulations...... was demonstrated cytochemically in liver and kidney using the silver enhancement method by which accumulations of mercury-sulfides and/or mercury-selenides are made visible for light and electron microscopy. When sections prepared from the liver and kidney from fish, injected with selenium 2 hr prior to being...... pronounced in the kidney. The HgSe pool, supposed to represent methyl mercury, was shown by the presence of silver deposits at new locations as well as by an increase in the amount of deposits within lysosomes. The new locations included (1) secretory-like vesicles and the bile canaliculi of the liver...

  14. Selenium Nanoparticles for Stress-Resilient Fish and Livestock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarkar, Biplab; Bhattacharjee, Surajit; Daware, Akshay; Tribedi, Prosun; Krishnani, K. K.; Minhas, P. S.

    2015-09-01

    The fisheries and livestock sectors capture the highest share of protein-rich animal food and demonstrate accelerated growth as an agriculture subsidiary. Environmental pollution, climate change, as well as pathogenic invasions exert increasing stress impacts that lead the productivity momentum at a crossroads. Oxidative stress is the most common form of stress phenomenon responsible for the retardation of productivity in fisheries and livestock. Essential micronutrients play a determinant role in combating oxidative stress. Selenium, one of the essential micronutrients, appears as a potent antioxidant with reduced toxicity in its nanoscale form. In the present review, different methods of synthesis and characterization of nanoscale selenium have been discussed. The functional characterization of nano-selenium in terms of its effect on growth patterns, feed digestibility, and reproductive system has been discussed to elucidate the mechanism of action. Moreover, its anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant potentiality, antimicrobial and immunomodulatory efficacy, and fatty acid reduction in liver have been deciphered as the new phenomena of nano-selenium application. Biologically synthesized nano-selenium raises hope for pharmacologically enriched, naturally stable nanoscale selenium with high ecological viability. Hence, nano-selenium can be administered with commercial feeds for improvising stress resilience and productivity of fish and livestock.

  15. Substoichiometric determination of selenium with potassium ethyl xanthate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chandrasekhar Reddy, P.; Polaiah, B.; Rangamannar, B.

    1989-01-01

    A substoichiometric radiochemical method was developed for the determination of selenium with potassium ethyl xanthate. The selenium ethyl xanthate complex formed was extracted into chloroform from borate buffer at pH 5. The effect of foreign ions on the extraction was studied. Microgram quantities of selenium could be conveniently determined with a fair degree of accuracy. The method was successfully applied for the determination of selenium content in food stuffs such as 'Jaggery' and 'Wheat powder'. (author) 4 refs.; 3 figs

  16. Thin film solar cells by selenization sulfurization using diethyl selenium as a selenium precursor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhere, Neelkanth G.; Kadam, Ankur A.

    2009-12-15

    A method of forming a CIGSS absorber layer includes the steps of providing a metal precursor, and selenizing the metal precursor using diethyl selenium to form a selenized metal precursor layer (CIGSS absorber layer). A high efficiency solar cell includes a CIGSS absorber layer formed by a process including selenizing a metal precursor using diethyl selenium to form the CIGSS absorber layer.

  17. Bioreduction of selenite and tellurite by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Espinosa‐Ortiz, E.J.

    2015-01-01

    Selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) are elements, they are part of the chalcogens (VI‐A group of the periodic table) and share common properties. These metalloids are of commercial interest due to their physicochemical properties, and they have been used in a broad range of applications in advanced

  18. Determination of human and Sprague-Dawley rat trimethylseleonium ion and total selenium urine concentrations from endogenous body selenium pool by neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blotcky, A.J.; Claassen, J.P.; Rack, E.P.

    1992-01-01

    This study determined trimethylselenonium ion [TMSe,(CH 3 ) 3 Se + ] and total organic selenium cationic species urinary excretion values for healthy human subjects and Sprague-Dawley rats fed regular diets. The only source of TMSe was from the endogenous selenium body pool. Total selenium concentration in urine was determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis. TMSe and total selenium cationic species concentrations and percent of total selenium urine excretion were determined by chemical neutron activation analysis and coupled anion-cation exchange chromatography and anion-exchange chromatography, respectively. Within experimental error, mean values for TMSe and cationic species as percent selenium were comparable for both human subjects and Sprague-Dawley rats. This study suggested that TMSe excreated in urine by healthy human subjects and Sprague-Dawley rats fed a normal diet is not a minor but a general metabolite of selenium ingested in a normal diet. (author) 27 refs.; 1 fig.; 2 tabs

  19. Deposition of tellurium films by decomposition of electrochemically-generated H{sub 2}Te: application to radiative cooling devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engelhard, T.; Jones, E.D.; Viney, I. [Coventry Univ. (United Kingdom). Centre for Data Storage Mater.; Mastai, Y.; Hodes, G. [Department of Materials and Interfaces, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100, Rehovot (Israel)

    2000-07-17

    The preparation of homogenous, large area thin layers of tellurium on thin polyethylene foils is described. The tellurium was formed by room temperature decomposition of electrochemically generated H{sub 2}Te. Pre-treatment of the polyethylene substrates with KMnO{sub 4} to give a Mn-oxide layer was found to improve the Te adhesion and homogeneity. Optical characterization of the layers was performed using UV/VIS/NIR spectroscopy. Such coatings have favorable characteristics for use as solar radiation shields in radiative cooling devices. The simplicity of generation of the very unstable H{sub 2}Te was also exploited to demonstrate formation of size-quantized CdTe nanocrystals. (orig.)

  20. NAIL KERATIN AS MONITOR-TISSUE FOR SELENIUM EXPOSURE

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    VANNOORD, PAH; MAAS, MJ; DEBRUIN, M

    1992-01-01

    Nail clippings might provide a way to monitor exposure to selenium in the recent past of an individual, since a clipping collected from a toe would reflect exposures months before actual clipping date. The relation between levels of exogenous selenium exposure and selenium levels in nail keratin was

  1. Lignosulfonate-stabilized selenium nanoparticles and their deposition on spherical silica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modrzejewska-Sikorska, Anna; Konował, Emilia; Klapiszewski, Łukasz; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Jurga, Stefan; Jesionowski, Teofil; Milczarek, Grzegorz

    2017-10-01

    We report a novel room-temperature synthesis of selenium nanoparticles, which for the first time uses lignosulfonate as a stabilizer. Various lignosulfonates obtained both from hardwood and softwood were tested. Selenium oxide was used as the precursor of zero-valent selenium. Three different reducers were tested - sodium borohydride, hydrazine and ascorbic acid - and the latter proved most effective in terms of the particle size and stability of the final colloid. The lignosulfonate-stabilized selenium nanoparticles had a negative zeta potential, dependent on pH, which for some lignosulfonates reached -50mV, indicating the excellent stability of the colloid. When spherical silica particles were introduced to the synthesis mixture, selenium nanoparticles were deposited on their surface. Additionally, star-like structures consisting of sharp selenium needles with silica cores were observed. After drying, the selenium-functionalized silica had a grey metallic hue. The method reported here is simple and cost-effective, and can be used for the preparation of large quantities of selenium colloids or the surface modification of other materials with selenium. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Reproduction in eastern screech-owls fed selenium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiemeyer, Stanley N.; Hoffman, D.J.

    1996-01-01

    Raptors are occasionally exposed to excessive selenium from contaminated prey, but the effects of this exposure on reproduction are unknown. Therefore, we fed captive eastern screech-owls (Otus asio) diets containing 0, 4.4, or 13.2 ppm (wet wt) added selenium in the form of seleno-DL-methionine. Adult mass at sacrifice and reproductive success of birds receiving 13.2 ppm selenium were depressed (P biochemistries indicative of oxidative stress were affected (P < 0.05) in 5-day-old nestlings from parents fed 4.4 ppm selenium and included a 19% increase in glutathione peroxidase activity, a 43% increase in the ratio of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH), and a 17% increase in lipid peroxidation. Based on reproductive effects relative to dietary exposure, sensitivity of eastern screech-owls to selenium was similar to that of black-crowned night-herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) but less than that of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos).

  3. Selenium Homeostasis and Clustering of Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gharipour, Mojgan; Sadeghi, Masoumeh; Behmanesh, Mehrdad; Salehi, Mansour; Nezafati, Pouya; Gharpour, Amin

    2017-10-23

      Selenium is a trace element required for a range of cellular functions. It is widely used for the biosynthesis of the unique amino acid selenocysteine [Sec], which is a structural element of selenoproteins. This systematic review focused on the possible relation between selenium and metabolic risk factors. The literature was searched via PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Searches were not restricted by time or language. Relevant studies were selected in three phases. After an initial quality assessment, two reviewers extracted all the relevant data, whereas the third reviewer checked their extracted data. All evidence came from experimental and laboratory studies. Selenoprotein P is the best indicator for selenium nutritional levels. In addition, high levels of selenium may increase the risk of metabolic syndrome while the lack of sufficient selenium may also promote metabolic syndrome. selenium supplementation in subjects with sufficient serum selenium levels has a contrary effect on blood pressure, LDL, and total cholesterol. According to the bioavailability of different types of selenium supplementation such as selenomethionine, selenite and selenium-yeast, it seems that the best nutritional type of selenium is selenium-yeast. Regarding obtained results of longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials, selenium supplementation should not be recommended for primary or secondary cardio-metabolic risk prevention in populations with adequate selenium status.

  4. Advanced prostate cancer risk in relation to toenail selenium levels

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Geybels, M.S.; Verhage, B.A.J.; Schooten, F.J. van; Goldbohm, A.; Brandt, P.A. van den

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Selenium may prevent advanced prostate cancer (PCa), but most studies on this topic were conducted in populations with moderate to high selenium status. We investigated the association of toenail selenium, reflecting long-term selenium exposure, and advanced PCa risk in a population from

  5. Bio-induced solid selenium for recovery from water

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hageman, S.P.W.

    2015-01-01

    Selenium in the form of selenate or selenite in wastewater needs to be removed due to its potential toxicity in the environment. Also, selenium is a valuable element that is used in several industries and current selenium resources are likely to be exhausted in less than 50 years. Waste streams

  6. Selenium content in wheat and estimation of the selenium daily intake in different regions of Algeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beladel, B.; Nedjimi, B.; Mansouri, A.; Tahtat, D.; Belamri, M.; Tchanchane, A.; Khelfaoui, F.; Benamar, M.E.A.

    2013-01-01

    In this work, we have measured the selenium content in wheat produced locally in eight different regions of Algeria from east to west, and we have established the annual consumption of selenium for five socio-professional categories. Instrumental neutron activation analysis is used. The selenium levels in wheat samples varied from 21 (Tiaret) to 153 μg/kg (Khroub), with a mean value about 52 μg/kg. The mean of selenium daily consumption from ingestion of wheat per person in the eight regions varied from 32 to 52 μg/day which is close to the minimal FAO recommendation. - Highlights: ► Cereals and cereal products represent a staple food in Algeria. ► The objective of this study is to determine the Se intake in wheat produced locally. ► The concentration of Se in the wheat reflects the level of the Se in regional soils. ► The mean of Se daily consumption is close to the minimal WHO/FAO recommendation.

  7. Investigation of electrical noise in selenium-immersed thermistor bolometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarpley, J. L.; Sarmiento, P. D.

    1980-01-01

    The selenium immersed, thermistor bolometer, IR detector failed due to spurious and escalating electrical noise outburst as a function of time at elevated temperatures during routine ground based testing in a space simulated environment. Spectrographic analysis of failed bolometers revealed selenium pure zones in the insulating selenium arsenic (Se-As) glass film which surrounds the active sintered Mn, Ni, Co oxide flake. The selenium pure film was identified as a potentially serious failure mechanism. Significant changes were instituted in the manufacturing techniques along with more stringent process controls which eliminated the selenium pure film and successfully produced 22study bolometers.

  8. Supplementation with Selenium and Coenzyme Q10 Reduces Cardiovascular Mortality in Elderly with Low Selenium Status. A Secondary Analysis of a Randomised Clinical Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Jan; Aaseth, Jan

    2016-01-01

    Background Selenium is needed by all living cells in order to ensure the optimal function of several enzyme systems. However, the selenium content in the soil in Europe is generally low. Previous reports indicate that a dietary supplement of selenium could reduce cardiovascular disease but mainly in populations in low selenium areas. The objective of this secondary analysis of a previous randomised double-blind placebo-controlled trial from our group was to determine whether the effects on cardiovascular mortality of supplementation with a fixed dose of selenium and coenzyme Q10 combined during a four-year intervention were dependent on the basal level of selenium. Methods In 668 healthy elderly individuals from a municipality in Sweden, serum selenium concentration was measured. Of these, 219 individuals received daily supplementation with selenium (200 μg Se as selenized yeast) and coenzyme Q10 (200 mg) combined for four years. The remaining participants (n = 449) received either placebo (n = 222) or no treatment (n = 227). All cardiovascular mortality was registered. No participant was lost during a median follow-up of 5.2 years. Based on death certificates and autopsy results, all mortality was registered. Findings The mean serum selenium concentration among participants at baseline was low, 67.1 μg/L. Based on the distribution of selenium concentration at baseline, the supplemented group was divided into three groups; 85 μg/L (45 and 90 percentiles) and the remaining participants were distributed accordingly. Among the non-treated participants, lower cardiovascular mortality was found in the high selenium group as compared with the low selenium group (13.0% vs. 24.1%; P = 0.04). In the group with the lowest selenium basal concentration, those receiving placebo or no supplementation had a mortality of 24.1%, while mortality was 12.1% in the group receiving the active substance, which was an absolute risk reduction of 12%. In the middle selenium concentration

  9. Understanding selenium biogeochemistry in engineered ecosystems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jain, Rohan; Hullebusch, Van Eric D.; Lenz, Markus; Farges, François

    2017-01-01

    Selenium is used extensively in many industries, and it is necessary for human nutrition. On the other hand, it is also toxic at slightly elevated concentrations. With the advent of industrialisation, selenium concentrations in the environment due to anthropogenic activities have increased.

  10. Selenium and Its Supplementation in Cardiovascular Disease—What do We Know?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carina Benstoem

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The trace element selenium is of high importance for many of the body’s regulatory and metabolic functions. Balanced selenium levels are essential, whereas dysregulation can cause harm. A rapidly increasing number of studies characterizes the wide range of selenium dependent functions in the human body and elucidates the complex and multiple physiological and pathophysiological interactions of selenium and selenoproteins. For the majority of selenium dependent enzymes, several biological functions have already been identified, like regulation of the inflammatory response, antioxidant properties and the proliferation/differentiation of immune cells. Although the potential role of selenium in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease has been investigated for decades, both observational and interventional studies of selenium supplementation remain inconclusive and are considered in this review. This review covers current knowledge of the role of selenium and selenoproteins in the human body and its functional role in the cardiovascular system. The relationships between selenium intake/status and various health outcomes, in particular cardiomyopathy, myocardial ischemia/infarction and reperfusion injury are reviewed. We describe, in depth, selenium as a biomarker in coronary heart disease and highlight the significance of selenium supplementation for patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

  11. Selenium and Its Supplementation in Cardiovascular Disease—What do We Know?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benstoem, Carina; Goetzenich, Andreas; Kraemer, Sandra; Borosch, Sebastian; Manzanares, William; Hardy, Gil; Stoppe, Christian

    2015-01-01

    The trace element selenium is of high importance for many of the body’s regulatory and metabolic functions. Balanced selenium levels are essential, whereas dysregulation can cause harm. A rapidly increasing number of studies characterizes the wide range of selenium dependent functions in the human body and elucidates the complex and multiple physiological and pathophysiological interactions of selenium and selenoproteins. For the majority of selenium dependent enzymes, several biological functions have already been identified, like regulation of the inflammatory response, antioxidant properties and the proliferation/differentiation of immune cells. Although the potential role of selenium in the development and progression of cardiovascular disease has been investigated for decades, both observational and interventional studies of selenium supplementation remain inconclusive and are considered in this review. This review covers current knowledge of the role of selenium and selenoproteins in the human body and its functional role in the cardiovascular system. The relationships between selenium intake/status and various health outcomes, in particular cardiomyopathy, myocardial ischemia/infarction and reperfusion injury are reviewed. We describe, in depth, selenium as a biomarker in coronary heart disease and highlight the significance of selenium supplementation for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. PMID:25923656

  12. Chalcogen-containing oxazolines in the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Braga Antonio L.

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A comparative study about the ability of chiral chalcogen-containing oxazolines to act as chiral ligands in the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of rac-1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl malonate is reported. Differences in the catalytic performance are observed with sulfur, selenium and tellurium analogues.

  13. Biological effects of selenium and relationships with carcinogenesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Diplock, A.T.

    1984-01-01

    Selenium is an element that is both essential, at low levels of dietary intake, and toxic, at high levels, to man and a wide range of animals. The purpose of the communication is to review the evidence for the involvement of hyper- and hypo-selenosis in the etiology of cancer. High levels of selenium intake have been blamed for an increase in cancer, dental caries and an array of other conditions. Critical evaluation of the evidence, however, leads to the conclusion that such claims have little substance. On the other hand, low levels of selenium intake may be associated with an increased incidence of certain forms of cancer and there appears to be an inverse relationship between blood selenium levels and cancer death rate in the US. Keshan Disease, in the People's Republic of China has only been shown to occur in populations severely depleted of selenium. In well nourished populations there is no evidence to indicate that selenium supplements have any prophylactic or therapeutic benefit against human diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or cystic fibrosis. 33 references.

  14. Nuclear-based methods for the study of selenium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spyrou, N.M.; Akanle, O.A.; Dhani, A.

    1988-01-01

    The essentiality of selenium to the human being and in particular its deficiency state, associated with prolonged inadequate dietary intake, have received considerable attention. In addition, the possible relationship between selenium and cancer and the claim that selenium may possess cancer-prevention properties have focused research effort. It has been observed in a number of studies on laboratory animals that selenium supplementation protects the animals against carcinogen-induced neoplastic growth in various organ sites, reduces the incidence of spontaneous mammary tumors, and suppresses the growth of transplanted tumor cells. In these research programs on the relationship between trace element levels and senile dementia and depression and the elemental changes in blood associated with selenium supplementation in a normal group of volunteers, it became obvious that in addition to establishing normal levels of elements in the population of interest, there was a more fundamental requirement for methods to be developed that would allow the study of the distribution of selenium in the body and its binding sites. The authors propose emission tomography and perturbed angular correlation as techniques worth exploring

  15. Molecular neutron activation analysis of selenium metabolites in urine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blotcky, A.J.; Hansen, G.T.; Ebrahim, A.; Rack, E.P.

    1988-01-01

    Because of the biological importance of selenium in living biological systems, various analytical procedures have been developed for analysis of microquantities of elemental selenium, in urine, serum, and tissue. For urine selenium, these include atomic absorption spectrometry, solution absorption spectrometry, solution fluorescence spectrometry, volumetry, and neutron activation analysis. Of equal or greater importance is the determination of selenium metabolites present in urine for the purpose of describing the biological pathways for the metabolism of selenium in living organisms. While it is known from previous studies that trimethylselenonium ion (TMSe) is a major metabolite in urine, probably the result of reduction and methylation reaction, there are no definitive results in the literature indicating the nature or quantity of other selenium metabolic products in urine. Early techniques to measure TMSe levels in urine involved the use of the radiotracer 75 Se. Because of the long biological half-life of selenium and issues of radiation exposure, its use in humans has been limited. In this paper, the authors report the experimental procedure for the determination of total selenoamino acid concentration in urine and present total selenium values, and, where applicable, TMSe, SeO 2- 3 , and total selenoamino acid concentrations in the urine of normal and diseased subjects

  16. Nuclear transformations studies in selenium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lopez M, B.E.

    1976-01-01

    A compilation is made with regard to the chemical effects produced by nuclear transformations, such as the chemical effects of the beta decay and the chemical effects of the reaction (n,γ) in selenium radioisotopes. As a particular case the chemical effect of the isomeric transition of sup(81m)Se(VI) in potassium selenate crystals marked with radioactive selenium is studied experimentally and the method of adsorption in activated carbon is applied for the analytical separation of the traces of the nuclear isomer tetravalent sup(81b)Se(IV) of one fraction which contains the mixture of the selenium radioisotopes. (author)

  17. Serum selenium level and risk of lung cancer mortality

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Suadicani, P; Hein, H O; Gyntelberg, F

    2011-01-01

    Serum selenium has been implicated as a risk factor for lung cancer, but the issue remains unsettled. We tested in a cohort of 3,333 males aged 53 to 74 years the hypothesis that a low serum selenium would be associated with an increased risk of lung cancer mortality.During 16 years, 167 subjects(5.......1%) died from lung cancer; 48 males (5.0%) among males with low serum selenium, 0.4-1.0 μmol·l(-1), n=965, 57 males (5.1%) among males with medium serum selenium, 1.1-1.2 μmol·l(-1), n=1,141, and 62 males (5.1%) among males with high serum selenium, 1.3-3.0 μmol·l(-1), n=1,227. After adjustment for age...... (chronic bronchitis and peak flow), referencing the lowest level of serum selenium HRs were 1.17(0.79-1.75), and 1.43(0.96-2.14), respectively. Among heavy smokers a high serum selenium was associated with a significantly increased risk of lung cancer mortality after taking into account all potential...

  18. Speciation of Selenium in Stream Insects Using X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrahennadi, R.; Wayland, M.; Pickering, I.J.

    2009-05-28

    Selenium contamination in the environment is a widespread problem affecting insects and other wildlife. Insects occupy a critical middle link and aid in trophic transfer of selenium in many terrestrial and freshwater food chains, but the mechanisms of selenium uptake through the food chain are poorly understood. In particular, biotransformation of selenium by insects into different chemical forms will greatly influence how toxic or benign the selenium is to that organism or to its predators. We have used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to identify the chemical form of selenium in insects inhabiting selenium contaminated streams near Hinton, Alberta (Canada). Selenium K near-edge spectra indicate a variability of selenium speciation among the insects that included mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), and craneflies (Diptera). Higher percentages of inorganic selenium were observed in primary consumers, detritivores, and filter feeders than in predatory insects. Among the organic forms of selenium, organic selenides constituted a major fraction in most organisms. A species modeled as trimethylselenonium was observed during the pupal stage of caddisflies. These results provide insights into how the insects cope with their toxic cargo, including how the selenium is biotransformed into less toxic forms and how it can be eliminated from the insects. More broadly, this study demonstrates the strengths of XAS to probe the effects of heavy elements at trace levels in insects from the field.

  19. Speciation of selenium in stream insects using X-ray absorption spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ruwandi Andrahennadi; Mark Wayland; Ingrid J. Pickering [University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Canada). Department of Geological Sciences

    2007-11-15

    Selenium contamination in the environment is a widespread problem affecting insects and other wildlife. Insects occupy a critical middle link and aid in trophic transfer of selenium in many terrestrial and freshwater food chains, but the mechanisms of selenium uptake through the food chain are poorly understood. In particular, biotransformation of selenium by insects into different chemical forms will greatly influence how toxic or benign the selenium is to that organism or to its predators. We have used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to identify the chemical form of selenium in insects inhabiting selenium contaminated streams near Hinton, Alberta (Canada). Selenium K near-edge spectra indicate a variability of selenium speciation among the insects that included mayflies (Ephemeroptera), stoneflies (Plecoptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), and craneflies (Diptera). Higher percentages of inorganic selenium were observed in primary consumers, detritivores, and filter feeders than in predatory insects. Among the organic forms of selenium, organic selenides constituted a major fraction in most organisms. A species modeled as trimethylselenonium was observed during the pupal stage of caddisflies. These results provide insights into how the insects cope with their toxic cargo, including how the selenium is biotransformed into less toxic forms and how it can be eliminated from the insects. More broadly, this study demonstrates the strengths of XAS to probe the effects of heavy elements at trace levels in insects from the field.

  20. Bio-transformation of selenium in Se-enriched bacterial strains of Lactobacillus casei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurek, Eliza; Ruszczyńska, Anna; Wojciechowski, Marcin; Łuciuk, Anna; Michalska-Kacymirow, Magdalena; Motyl, Ilona; Bulska, Ewa

    Selenium is an element of very great importance for the proper functioning of the human body, mainly due to its antioxidant properties. Selenium exhibits a preventive effect in the case of cardiovascular disease, the immune system, male infertility and inhibits the toxic action of other agents. Selenium is important for Hashimoto's disease. Intake of selenium in the diet slows the aging process. The biological and toxicological effects of selenium strongly depend on its chemical form. Some organisms for example: plant, yeast, are capable of metabolizing low bioavailable selenium compounds (inorganic selenium) into its high bioavailable forms (organic selenium). The aim of this study was to investigate the bio-transformation of selenium by Lactobacillus bacteria towards the characterisation of selenium metabolites. The speciation of selenium was evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detector. The extraction of selenium species from lyophilized bacteria was executed with water, the mixture of lipase and protease, as well as lisozyme and sodium dodecyl sulphate. All investigated bacteria strains cultivated in the presence of Na2SeO3 effectively uptake selenium. Surprisingly, none of the applied extraction media exhibited a strong power to release the majority of the uptaken selenium compounds. Thus a maximum of 10% of the selenium was extracted from bacteria exposed to the enzymes. However, it was found that Lactobacillus bacteria are able to metabolize inorganic ions of selenium (IV) into Se-methionine, Se-methyloselenocysteine and other unidentified forms. The study confirmed the ability of probiotic bacteria to biotransform inorganic selenium into its organic derivatives. Therefore, Se-enriched bacteria can be considered as an addition to the functional food. selenium speciation, extraction procedure, Lactobacillus casei bacteria, Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), HPLC ICP-MS, functional food.

  1. Recycling of high purity selenium from CIGS solar cell waste materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gustafsson, Anna M.K., E-mail: anna.gustafsson@chalmers.se; Foreman, Mark R.StJ.; Ekberg, Christian

    2014-10-15

    Highlights: • A new method for recycling of selenium from CIGS solar cell materials is presented. • Separation of selenium as selenium dioxide after heating in oxygen atmosphere. • Complete selenium separation after oxidation of <63 μm particles at 800 °C for 1 h. • After reduction of selenium dioxide the selenium purity was higher than 99.999 wt%. - Abstract: Copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) is a promising material in thin film solar cell production. To make CIGS solar cells more competitive, both economically and environmentally, in comparison to other energy sources, methods for recycling are needed. In addition to the generally high price of the material, significant amounts of the metals are lost in the manufacturing process. The feasibility of recycling selenium from CIGS through oxidation at elevated temperatures was therefore examined. During oxidation gaseous selenium dioxide was formed and could be separated from the other elements, which remained in solid state. Upon cooling, the selenium dioxide sublimes and can be collected as crystals. After oxidation for 1 h at 800 °C all of the selenium was separated from the CIGS material. Two different reduction methods for reduction of the selenium dioxide to selenium were tested. In the first reduction method an organic molecule was used as the reducing agent in a Riley reaction. In the second reduction method sulphur dioxide gas was used. Both methods resulted in high purity selenium. This proves that the studied selenium separation method could be the first step in a recycling process aimed at the complete separation and recovery of high purity elements from CIGS.

  2. Continuous removal and recovery of tellurium in an upflow anaerobic granular sludge bed reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mal, Joyabrata; Nancharaiah, Yarlagadda V.; Maheshwari, Neeraj; Hullebusch, Eric D. van; Lens, Piet N.L.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Tellurite bioreduction coupled to recovery of biogenic Te(0) nanocrystals. • First report on continuous tellurite removal in a UASB reactor. • Biogenic Te(0) was mainly associated with loosely-bound EPS of granular sludge. • Repeated exposure to tellurite caused compositional changes in the EPS matrix. - Abstract: Continuous removal of tellurite (TeO 3 2− ) from synthetic wastewater and subsequent recovery in the form of elemental tellurium was studied in an upflow anaerobic granular sludge bed (UASB) reactor operated at 30 °C. The UASB reactor was inoculated with anaerobic granular sludge and fed with lactate as carbon source and electron donor at an organic loading rate of 0.6 g COD L −1 d −1 . After establishing efficient and stable COD removal, the reactor was fed with 10 mg TeO 3 2− L −1 for 42 d before increasing the influent concentration to 20 mg TeO 3 2− L −1 . Tellurite removal (98 and 92%, respectively, from 10 and 20 mg Te L −1 ) was primarily mediated through bioreduction and most of the removed Te was retained in the bioreactor. Characterization using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDX and TEM confirmed association of tellurium with the granular sludge, typically in the form of elemental Te(0) deposits. Furthermore, application of an extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extraction method to the tellurite reducing sludge recovered up to 78% of the tellurium retained in the granular sludge. This study demonstrates for the first time the application of a UASB reactor for continuous tellurite removal from tellurite-containing wastewater coupled to elemental Te(0) recovery.

  3. Laser-Induced Gas-Phase Pyrolysis of Dimethyl Selenium: Chemical Deposition of Selenium and Poly(selenoformaldehyde)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pokorná, Dana; Urbanová, Markéta; Bastl, Zdeněk; Šubrt, Jan; Pola, Josef

    2004-01-01

    Roč. 71, č. 2 (2004), s. 635-644 ISSN 0165-2370 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA4072107; GA MŠk OC 523.60 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z4072921; CEZ:AV0Z4032918; CEZ:AV0Z4040901 Keywords : dimethyl selenium * laser pyrolysis * selenium films Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.352, year: 2004

  4. Biomarkers of Selenium Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dong, Yan

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of the present study was to examine the mechanism of selenium growth inhibition in PC-3 human prostate cancer cells Selenium retarded cell cycle progression at multiple transition points...

  5. Synthesis and structure of aromatic and heterocyclic compounds of tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadekov, I.D.; Maksimenko, A.A.; Rivkin, B.B.

    1983-01-01

    A new universal method of preparing assymmetric and symmetric diaryl-tellurium chlorides and-dibromides, based on the interaction of diarylditellurides with cations of aryl-diazonium in the presence of copper (2) halogenides is developed. High yields of diaryltellium dihalogenices (60-90 de %), the possibility of the a wide variation of the nature of substituents in both components make this reaction one of the most general methods of preparing assymmetric diaryltellurium dihalogenides. It is advisable to use aryldiazonium boron fluorides instead of halogenides in this reaction

  6. Characterization of tellurium-based films for NO2 detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsiulyanu, D.; Tsiulyanu, A.; Liess, H.-D.; Eisele, I.

    2005-01-01

    Sensing characteristics of tellurium-based thin films for NO 2 monitoring was studied systematically. The influence of contact materials, thermal treatment, temperature and thickness of the samples on the electrical conductivity and sensitivity to NO 2 with respect to scanning electron microscopy analyses is given. The possibility is shown to optimize the properties of the films for the development of a simple and stable NO 2 sensor device with rapid response/recovery time and low operating temperature. The sensing mechanism is discussed for the direct interaction of gaseous species with lone-pair electrons of chalcogen atoms

  7. The Effect on Selenium Concentrations of a Randomized Intervention with Fish and Mussels in a Population with Relatively Low Habitual Dietary Selenium Intake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Outzen, Malene; Tjønneland, Anne; Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt

    2015-01-01

    Selenium status of the Danish population is below that assumed optimal for the suggested protective effects against chronic diseases, including certain cancers. Fish and shellfish are important dietary sources of selenium in Denmark. We investigated the effect of increased fish and mussel intake...... on selenium blood concentrations in a population with relatively low habitual dietary selenium intake. We randomly assigned 102 healthy men and women (all non-smokers) aged 48-76 years to an intervention group (n = 51) or a control group (n = 51). Intervention participants received 1000 g fish and mussels....../week for 26 weeks (similar to 50 mu g selenium/day). Controls received no intervention. Non-fasting blood samples were taken and whole blood selenium was determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and plasma selenoprotein P (SelP) was determined by high performance liquid...

  8. Optimization of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell for sensing applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirzaditabar, Farzad; Saliminasab, Maryam

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, resonance light scattering (RLS) properties of a silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell, based on quasi-static approach and plasmon hybridization theory, are investigated. Scattering spectrum of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell has two intense and clearly separated RLS peaks and provides a potential for biosensing based on surface plasmon resonance and surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The two RLS peaks in silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell are optimized by tuning the geometrical dimensions. In addition, the optimal geometry is discussed to obtain the high sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell. As the silver core radius increases, the sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell decreases whereas increasing the middle dielectric thickness increases the sensitivity of silver-dielectric-silver nanoshell

  9. Mineralogical-Geochemical Peculiarities of Ores in Pyritaceous Fields of Filizchai Type in the Greater Caucasus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    NOVRUZ A. NOVRUZOV

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Pyritaceous fields of the south slope of the Greater Caucasus confined to the Lower-Middle Jurassic sandy clayey deposits are: polygenic polychrone formations which were formed by a complex of hydrothermal sedimentary, hydrothermal metasomatic and hydrothermal metamorphogenic processes of ore formation. Filizchai pyritaceous polymetallic field is the largest in the region and can be characterized by diversity of texture-mineralogical types of ores, rich mineral composition and with geochemical spectrum. Some of the admixture components (Cd, In, Tl, Ga, Ge, Se, Hg are only in isomorphic forms in ores, others (Te, Bi, Au, Ag, Co, Sn, As along with it characterize in their own minerals. The Co is mainly concentrated in pyrite, pyrrhotine; Ag, Bi and also Te – in galenite and chalcopyrite; Se – in pyrite, pyrrhotine and galenite; in sphalerite (mainly in marmatite and chalcopyrite; Cd, Ga, Ge – in sphalerite, mainly in cleiophane; Au – in pyrite and chalcopyrite; Tl – in galenite and colloform pyrite. In all sulphides selenium prevails over tellurium (excepting the late chalcopyrite and cobalt over nickel. Maximum amount of cobalt is confined to pyrite from pyritaceous polymetallic ores and late generation of pyrrhotine. The nature of the connection between chemical elements in ores coordinates with determined stages of minerals formation. The main productive stage of ore formation bringing the main mass of gold, silver, rare and other precious components of ores are sulphosalt polymetallic stage of sulphur ploymetallic stage. Comparative analysis of absolute content of gold, silver and values of gold-silver relation in pyrite fields ores of region with appropriate values in meteorite standard indirectly indicates the relationship between gold-silver mineralization and assimilation crust source.

  10. Genome-Wide Association Study of Serum Selenium Concentrations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulrike Peters

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is an essential trace element and circulating selenium concentrations have been associated with a wide range of diseases. Candidate gene studies suggest that circulating selenium concentrations may be impacted by genetic variation; however, no study has comprehensively investigated this hypothesis. Therefore, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with serum selenium concentrations in 1203 European descents from two cohorts: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO Cancer Screening and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI. We tested association between 2,474,333 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs and serum selenium concentrations using linear regression models. In the first stage (PLCO 41 SNPs clustered in 15 regions had p < 1 × 10−5. None of these 41 SNPs reached the significant threshold (p = 0.05/15 regions = 0.003 in the second stage (WHI. Three SNPs had p < 0.05 in the second stage (rs1395479 and rs1506807 in 4q34.3/AGA-NEIL3; and rs891684 in 17q24.3/SLC39A11 and had p between 2.62 × 10−7 and 4.04 × 10−7 in the combined analysis (PLCO + WHI. Additional studies are needed to replicate these findings. Identification of genetic variation that impacts selenium concentrations may contribute to a better understanding of which genes regulate circulating selenium concentrations.

  11. Erythrocytic glutathione peroxidase: Its relationship to plasma selenium in man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perona, G.; Cellerino, R.; Guidi, G.C.; Moschini, G.; Stievano, B.M.; Tregnaghi, C.

    1977-01-01

    Erythrocytic glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and plasma selenium concentrations were measured in 14 patients: 7 with iron deficiency and 7 with raised serum iron levels. The decreased enzymatic activity in iron deficiency was confirmed. Plasma selenium was significantly lower in patients with lower serum iron; furthermore there is a significant correlation between serum iron and plasma selenium concentrations. Another correlation even more significant was found between plasma selenium and enzyme activity in all the cases we studied. These data suggests that the importance of iron for GSH-Px activity may be merely due to its relationship with selenium and that plasma selenium concentration may be of critical importance for enzyme activity. (author)

  12. Selenium-containing indolyl compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Casaril, Angela M; Ignasiak, Marta T; Chuang, Christine Y

    2017-01-01

    materials, including extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, within the artery wall. Here we investigated the potential of selenium-containing indoles to afford protection against these oxidants, by determining rate constants (k) for their reaction, and quantifying the extent of damage on isolated ECM proteins......Tyr on HCAEC-ECM were also reduced. These data demonstrate that the novel selenium-containing compounds show high reactivity with oxidants and may modulate oxidative and nitrosative damage at sites of inflammation, contributing to a reduction in tissue dysfunction and atherogenesis....

  13. Effect of irradiation on sod activity and selenium content in garlic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Weimin; Zheng Anjian; Yan Jianmin; Cao Qingsui; Wu Haihong; Cao Shifeng

    2006-01-01

    The effects of irradiation at 0.1 kGy, 1.0 kGy on SOD activity and the content of total selenium, inorganic selenium, organic selenium in garlic (Allium sativum L.) stored at 10 degree C or 25 degree C were investigated. The results indicated that irradiation treatment with 0.1 kGy, 1 kGy significantly slowed the reduction of SOD activities in garlic stored at 10 degree C or 25 degree C, while the treatment irradiation had no influence on the content of all kinds of selenium. But the garlic stored at 25 degree C had higher content of total selenium, inorganic selenium, organic selenium than that in garlic stored at 10 degree C. (authors)

  14. Thyroid hormones regulate selenoprotein expression and selenium status in mice.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Mittag

    Full Text Available Impaired expression of selenium-containing proteins leads to perturbed thyroid hormone (TH levels, indicating the central importance of selenium for TH homeostasis. Moreover, critically ill patients with declining serum selenium develop a syndrome of low circulating TH and a central downregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis. This prompted us to test the reciprocal effect, i.e., if TH status would also regulate selenoprotein expression and selenium levels. To investigate the TH dependency of selenium metabolism, we analyzed mice expressing a mutant TH receptor α1 (TRα1+m that confers a receptor-mediated hypothyroidism. Serum selenium was reduced in these animals, which was a direct consequence of the mutant TRα1 and not related to their metabolic alterations. Accordingly, hyperthyroidism, genetically caused by the inactivation of TRβ or by oral TH treatment of adult mice, increased serum selenium levels in TRα1+m and controls, thus demonstrating a novel and specific role for TRα1 in selenium metabolism. Furthermore, TH affected the mRNA levels for several enzymes involved in selenoprotein biosynthesis as well as serum selenoprotein P concentrations and the expression of other antioxidative selenoproteins. Taken together, our results show that TH positively affects the serum selenium status and regulates the expression of several selenoproteins. This demonstrates that selenium and TH metabolism are interconnected through a feed-forward regulation, which can in part explain the rapid parallel downregulation of both systems in critical illness.

  15. EURRECA—Estimating Selenium Requirements for Deriving Dietary Reference Values

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hurst, R.; Collings, R.; Harvey, L.J.; King, M.; Hooper, L.; Bouwman, J.; Gurinovic, M.; Fairweather-Tait, S.J.

    2013-01-01

    Current reference values for selenium, an essential micronutrient, are based on the intake of selenium that is required to achieve maximal glutathione peroxidase activity in plasma or erythrocytes. In order to assess the evidence of relevance to setting dietary reference values for selenium, the

  16. Ecological Importance of Insects in Selenium Biogenic Cycling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nadezhda Golubkina

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is an essential trace element for animal and human beings. Despite the importance of insects in most ecosystems and their significant contribution to the biological cycling of trace elements due to high abundance, population productivity, and diverse ecosystem functions, surprisingly little information is available on selenium bioaccumulation by these arthropods. This review considers selenium essentiality and toxicity to insects as well as insects’ contribution to selenium trophic transfer through the food chains. Data on Se accumulation by insects of the Dniester River Valley with no anthropogenic Se loading reveal typically low Se content in necrophagous insects compared to predators and herbivores and seasonal variations in Se accumulation.

  17. The Effect on Selenium Concentrations of a Randomized Intervention with Fish and Mussels in a Population with Relatively Low Habitual Dietary Selenium Intake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Outzen, Malene; Tjønneland, Anne; Larsen, Erik H.; Andersen, Klaus K.; Christensen, Jane; Overvad, Kim; Olsen, Anja

    2015-01-01

    Selenium status of the Danish population is below that assumed optimal for the suggested protective effects against chronic diseases, including certain cancers. Fish and shellfish are important dietary sources of selenium in Denmark. We investigated the effect of increased fish and mussel intake on selenium blood concentrations in a population with relatively low habitual dietary selenium intake. We randomly assigned 102 healthy men and women (all non-smokers) aged 48–76 years to an intervention group (n = 51) or a control group (n = 51). Intervention participants received 1000 g fish and mussels/week for 26 weeks (~50 μg selenium/day). Controls received no intervention. Non-fasting blood samples were taken and whole blood selenium was determined using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and plasma selenoprotein P (SelP) was determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. All available observations were included in linear multiple regression analysis to evaluate the effect of the intervention. The difference in mean change for intervention compared with control persons was 14.9 ng/mL (95% CI: 10.2, 19.7) for whole blood selenium, and 7.0 ng/mL (95% CI: 3.1, 10.9) for plasma SelP (Weeks 0–26). Selenium concentrations were significantly increased after 26 weeks of intervention, albeit to a lower degree than expected. PMID:25599275

  18. Selenium, selenoproteins and the thyroid gland: interactions in health and disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schomburg, Lutz

    2011-10-18

    The trace element selenium is an essential micronutrient that is required for the biosynthesis of selenocysteine-containing selenoproteins. Most of the known selenoproteins are expressed in the thyroid gland, including some with still unknown functions. Among the well-characterized selenoproteins are the iodothyronine deiodinases, glutathione peroxidases and thioredoxin reductases, enzymes involved in thyroid hormone metabolism, regulation of redox state and protection from oxidative damage. Selenium content in selenium-sensitive tissues such as the liver, kidney or muscle and expression of nonessential selenoproteins, such as the glutathione peroxidases GPx1 and GPx3, is controlled by nutritional supply. The thyroid gland is, however, largely independent from dietary selenium intake and thyroid selenoproteins are preferentially expressed. As a consequence, no explicit effects on thyroid hormone profiles are observed in healthy individuals undergoing selenium supplementation. However, low selenium status correlates with risk of goiter and multiple nodules in European women. Some clinical studies have demonstrated that selenium-deficient patients with autoimmune thyroid disease benefit from selenium supplementation, although the data are conflicting and many parameters must still be defined. The baseline selenium status of an individual could constitute the most important parameter modifying the outcome of selenium supplementation, which might primarily disrupt self-amplifying cycles of the endocrine-immune system interface rectifying the interaction of lymphocytes with thyroid autoantigens. Selenium deficiency is likely to constitute a risk factor for a feedforward derangement of the immune system-thyroid interaction, while selenium supplementation appears to dampen the self-amplifying nature of this derailed interaction.

  19. Toenail mercury and dyslipidemia: Interaction with selenium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Kyong; Seo, Eunmin

    2017-01-01

    Although compelling evidences from in vivo and in vitro studies exist, limited studies have examined the association between chronic mercury exposure and dyslipidemia. Particularly, data are sparse regarding the influence of selenium on this association of mercury with dyslipidemia in humans. The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations of toenail mercury with dyslipidemia and its components, and to examine whether selenium in toenails modifies these associations. We performed cross-sectional analyses using baseline data from a cohort in the Yeungnam area in South Korea, including 232 men and 269 women. Toenail mercury and selenium concentrations were quantified using neutron activation analysis, and fasting serum lipid measurements were obtained through the medical examination. Odds ratios of the prevalent hypercholesterolemia, hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, hypo-HDL-cholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and dyslipidemia in correlation with mercury levels were calculated using multivariable logistic regression. The mean levels of toenail mercury were 0.47μg/g for men and 0.34μg/g for women. After adjustment for multiple confounding variables, participants in the highest tertile of toenail mercury levels had 4.08 (95% CI 1.09-15.32, p for trend=0.02) times higher risk of hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, and 2.24 (95% CI 1.15-4.37, p for trend=0.004) times higher risk of dyslipidemia than those in the lowest tertile. Selenium is a significant effect-modifier for these associations; the highest tertile of toenail mercury were significantly associated with a higher risk of hypercholesterolemia (OR 5.25, 95% CI 1.04-26.38) and dyslipidemia (OR 2.98, 95% CI 1.16-7.66) compared to the lowest tertile at toenail selenium levels ≤0.685μg/g, while these associations became weak and non-significant, showing OR 0.98 and 95% CI 0.25-3.80 for hypercholesterolemia and OR 1.99 and 95% CI 0.73-5.45 for dyslipidemia at toenail selenium levels >0.685μg/g. We

  20. Microbial-assisted synthesis and evaluation the cytotoxic effect of tellurium nanorods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Forootanfar, Hamid [Herbal and Traditional Medicines Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Amirpour-Rostami, Sahar; Jafari, Mandana [Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Forootanfar, Amir [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Yousefizadeh, Zahra [The Student Research Committee, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shakibaie, Mojtaba, E-mail: shakiba@kmu.ac.ir [Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2015-04-01

    The present study was designed to isolate bacterial strain capable of tellurium nanorods' (Te NRs) production followed by purification and evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of Te NRs. Among 25 environmental samples collected for screening of Te NR-producer bacterial strains one bacterial colony (isolated from hot spring and identified as Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes strain Te) was selected and applied for biosynthesis of Te NRs. Thereafter, an organic–aqueous partitioning system was applied for the purification of the biogenic Te NRs and the purified Te NRs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The cytotoxic effect of biologically synthesized Te NRs and potassium tellurite on four cell lines of MCF-7, HT1080, HepG2 and A549 was then determined using the MTT assay method. The obtained results revealed lower toxicity for the rod-shaped biogenic tellurium nanostructures (~ 22 nm diameter by 185 nm length) compared to K{sub 2}TeO{sub 3}. - Highlights: • Te NR producing bacterial strain were isolated from hot springs. • Organic–aqueous partitioning system was applied for purification of Te nanorods. • The rod-shaped biogenic Te NPs showed lower cytotoxicity compared to K{sub 2}TeO{sub 3}.

  1. Microbial-assisted synthesis and evaluation the cytotoxic effect of tellurium nanorods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forootanfar, Hamid; Amirpour-Rostami, Sahar; Jafari, Mandana; Forootanfar, Amir; Yousefizadeh, Zahra; Shakibaie, Mojtaba

    2015-01-01

    The present study was designed to isolate bacterial strain capable of tellurium nanorods' (Te NRs) production followed by purification and evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of Te NRs. Among 25 environmental samples collected for screening of Te NR-producer bacterial strains one bacterial colony (isolated from hot spring and identified as Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes strain Te) was selected and applied for biosynthesis of Te NRs. Thereafter, an organic–aqueous partitioning system was applied for the purification of the biogenic Te NRs and the purified Te NRs were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), UV–visible spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques. The cytotoxic effect of biologically synthesized Te NRs and potassium tellurite on four cell lines of MCF-7, HT1080, HepG2 and A549 was then determined using the MTT assay method. The obtained results revealed lower toxicity for the rod-shaped biogenic tellurium nanostructures (~ 22 nm diameter by 185 nm length) compared to K 2 TeO 3 . - Highlights: • Te NR producing bacterial strain were isolated from hot springs. • Organic–aqueous partitioning system was applied for purification of Te nanorods. • The rod-shaped biogenic Te NPs showed lower cytotoxicity compared to K 2 TeO 3

  2. The analysis of anode sludges by x-ray-fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Austen, C.E.; Wall, G.J.

    1978-01-01

    A method is described for the analysis, by X-ray-fluorescence spectrometry, of anode sludges for the determination of antimony, bismuth, copper, iron, lead, nickel, selenium, silver, tellurium, tin, and zinc. The preparation of the samples involves fusion with a flux of barium peroxide and lithium hydroxide, and with dichromium trioxide as the internal standard, in a zirconium or vitreous-carbon crucible and casting of the melt in an aluminium mould; the fused disc so formed is then pulverized and briquetted to form pellets. Calibration curves, which are straight lines for all the elemets determined because the flux contains a heavy absorber, are established by measurement of pellets prepared from standard anode sludges, pure metals, compounds of the metals, or any combination of these materials. The precision of the results varies between 2 and 15 per cent relative standard deviation, depending on the concentration of the element being determined. The accuracy of the results is comparable with that obtained by wet-chemical methods. The laboratory method is given in an appendix

  3. Soil nuclide distribution coefficients and their statistical distributions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheppard, M.I.; Beals, D.I.; Thibault, D.H.; O'Connor, P.

    1984-12-01

    Environmental assessments of the disposal of nuclear fuel waste in plutonic rock formations require analysis of the migration of nuclides from the disposal vault to the biosphere. Analyses of nuclide migration via groundwater through the disposal vault, the buffer and backfill, the plutonic rock, and the consolidated and unconsolidated overburden use models requiring distribution coefficients (Ksub(d)) to describe the interaction of the nuclides with the geological and man-made materials. This report presents element-specific soil distribution coefficients and their statistical distributions, based on a detailed survey of the literature. Radioactive elements considered were actinium, americium, bismuth, calcium, carbon, cerium, cesium, iodine, lead, molybdenum, neptunium, nickel, niobium, palladium, plutonium, polonium, protactinium, radium, samarium, selenium, silver, strontium, technetium, terbium, thorium, tin, uranium and zirconium. Stable elements considered were antimony, boron, cadmium, tellurium and zinc. Where sufficient data were available, distribution coefficients and their distributions are given for sand, silt, clay and organic soils. Our values are recommended for use in assessments for the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program

  4. [Is plasma selenium correlated to transthyretin levels in critically ill patients?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freitas, Renata G B O N; Nogueira, Roberto Jose Negrão; Cozzolino, Silvia Maria Franciscato; Vasques, Ana Carolina Junqueira; Ferreira, Matthew Thomas; Hessel, Gabriel

    2017-06-05

    Selenium is an essential trace element, but critically ill patients using total parenteral nutrition (PN) do not receive selenium because this mineral is not commonly offered. Threfore, the eval uation of plasma selenium levels is very important for treating or preventing this deficiency. Recent studies have shown that transthyretin may reflect the selenium intake and could be considered a biomarker. However, this issue is still little explored in the literature. This study aims to investigate the correlation of transthyretin with the plasma selenium of critically ill patients receiving PN. This was a prospective cohort study with 44 patients using PN without selenium. Blood samples were carried out in 3 stages: initial, 7th and 14th day of PN. In order to evaluate the clinical condition and the inflammatory process, albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), transthyretin, creatinine and HDL cholesterol levels were observed. To assess the selenium status, plasma selenium and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in whole blood were measured. Descriptive analyses were performed and the ANOVA, Mann-Whitney and Spearman's coefficient tests were conducted; we assumed a significance level of 5%. A positive correlation of selenium with the GPx levels (r = 0.46; p = 0.03) was identified. During two weeks, there was a positive correlation of transthyretin with plasma selenium (r = 0.71; p = 0.05) regardless of the CRP values. Transthyretin may have reflected plasma selenium, mainly because the correlation was verified after the acute phase.

  5. Search for relevant indications for selenium supplementation in thyroid diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wojciechowska-Durczynska, Katarzyna; Lewinski, Andrzej

    2017-08-01

    Selenium plays a significant role in the thyroid function and its deficiency is considered by some authors to be a cause of thyroid disorders. The potential therapeutic influence of selenium supplementation in thyroid disease was investigated in several studies and some results were encouraging, however results were inconsistent and did not allow conclusion to be drawn. For that reason, we have performed a review study on relevance of selenium supplementation in thyroid disease. Till now, there is no strong evidence that selenium supplementation leads to clinical improvement in the course of autoimmune thyroiditis, nodular goitre or thyroid cancer. On the other hand, there is some evidence that selenium is effective in the treatment of orbitopathy; thus, the European Group on Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) recommends selenium administration in mild active orbitopathy.

  6. Continuous removal and recovery of tellurium in an upflow anaerobic granular sludge bed reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mal, Joyabrata, E-mail: joyabrata2006@gmail.com [UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft (Netherlands); Nancharaiah, Yarlagadda V. [Biofouling and Biofilm Processes Section, Water and Steam Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Kalpakkam, 603102, Tamil Nadu (India); Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushakti Nagar Complex, Mumbai 400094 (India); Maheshwari, Neeraj [CNRS UMR 7338, BMBI University de Technologie Compiegne, 60200 Compiegne (France); Hullebusch, Eric D. van [UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft (Netherlands); Université Paris-Est, Laboratoire Géomatériaux et Environnement (LGE), EA 4508, UPEM, 77454, Marne-la-Vallée (France); Lens, Piet N.L. [UNESCO-IHE, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft (Netherlands); Department of Chemistry and Bioengineering, Tampere University of Technology, P.O-Box 541, Tampere (Finland)

    2017-04-05

    Highlights: • Tellurite bioreduction coupled to recovery of biogenic Te(0) nanocrystals. • First report on continuous tellurite removal in a UASB reactor. • Biogenic Te(0) was mainly associated with loosely-bound EPS of granular sludge. • Repeated exposure to tellurite caused compositional changes in the EPS matrix. - Abstract: Continuous removal of tellurite (TeO{sub 3}{sup 2−}) from synthetic wastewater and subsequent recovery in the form of elemental tellurium was studied in an upflow anaerobic granular sludge bed (UASB) reactor operated at 30 °C. The UASB reactor was inoculated with anaerobic granular sludge and fed with lactate as carbon source and electron donor at an organic loading rate of 0.6 g COD L{sup −1} d{sup −1}. After establishing efficient and stable COD removal, the reactor was fed with 10 mg TeO{sub 3}{sup 2−} L{sup −1} for 42 d before increasing the influent concentration to 20 mg TeO{sub 3}{sup 2−} L{sup −1}. Tellurite removal (98 and 92%, respectively, from 10 and 20 mg Te L{sup −1}) was primarily mediated through bioreduction and most of the removed Te was retained in the bioreactor. Characterization using XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM-EDX and TEM confirmed association of tellurium with the granular sludge, typically in the form of elemental Te(0) deposits. Furthermore, application of an extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) extraction method to the tellurite reducing sludge recovered up to 78% of the tellurium retained in the granular sludge. This study demonstrates for the first time the application of a UASB reactor for continuous tellurite removal from tellurite-containing wastewater coupled to elemental Te(0) recovery.

  7. Selenium Speciation and Management in Wet FGD Systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Searcy, K; Richardson, M; Blythe, G; Wallschlaeger, D; Chu, P; Dene, C

    2012-02-29

    This report discusses results from bench- and pilot-scale simulation tests conducted to determine the factors that impact selenium speciation and phase partitioning in wet FGD systems. The selenium chemistry in wet FGD systems is highly complex and not completely understood, thus extrapolation and scale-up of these results may be uncertain. Control of operating parameters and application of scrubber additives have successfully demonstrated the avoidance or decrease of selenite oxidation at the bench and pilot scale. Ongoing efforts to improve sample handling methods for selenium speciation measurements are also discussed. Bench-scale scrubber tests explored the impacts of oxidation air rate, trace metals, scrubber additives, and natural limestone on selenium speciation in synthetic and field-generated full-scale FGD liquors. The presence and concentration of redox-active chemical species as well as the oxidation air rate contribute to the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) conditions in FGD scrubbers. Selenite oxidation to the undesirable selenate form increases with increasing ORP conditions, and decreases with decreasing ORP conditions. Solid-phase manganese [Mn(IV)] appeared to be the significant metal impacting the oxidation of selenite to selenate. Scrubber additives were tested for their ability to inhibit selenite oxidation. Although dibasic acid and other scrubber additives showed promise in early clear liquor (sodium based and without calcium solids) bench-scale tests, these additives did not show strong inhibition of selenite oxidation in tests with higher manganese concentrations and with slurries from full-scale wet FGD systems. In bench-tests with field liquors, addition of ferric chloride at a 250:1 iron-to-selenium mass ratio sorbed all incoming selenite to the solid phase, although addition of ferric salts had no impact on native selenate that already existed in the field slurry liquor sample. As ORP increases, selenite may oxidize to selenate more

  8. Enrichment of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) with functional selenium originating from garlic: effect of enrichment period and depuration on total selenium level and sensory properties

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schram, E.; Schelvis-Smit, A.A.M.; Heul, van der J.W.; Luten, J.B.

    2010-01-01

    We wanted to optimize the procedure for the selenium enrichment of farmed African catfish, using garlic as dietary selenium source. In the first experiment we established the relation between the length of the selenium enrichment period and the resulting total selenium level in the fillet of the

  9. Surface studies on graphite furnace platforms covered with Pd, Rh and Ir as modifiers in graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry of tellurium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pedro, Juana [Area de Química Analítica, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2829 (S3000GL.N), Santa Fe (Argentina); Stripekis, Jorge [Laboratorio de Análisis de Trazas, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Instituto Tecnológico de Buenos Aires, Av. Eduardo Madero 399 (1106), Buenos Aires (Argentina); Bonivardi, Adrian [Area de Química Analítica, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ingeniería Química, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santiago del Estero 2829 (S3000GL.N), Santa Fe (Argentina); Tudino, Mabel, E-mail: tudino@qi.fcen.uba.ar [Laboratorio de Análisis de Trazas, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria (1428), Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2015-05-01

    The main objective of this work is the study of correlations between the efficiency of the distribution of the permanent platinum group modifiers Pd, Rh and Ir over the graphite surface with the aim of improving analytical signal of tellurium. Modifier solution was deposited onto the platform and pyrolysed after drying. In the case of Pd, the physical vaporization/deposition technique was also tested. In order to analyze the differences amongst coverings (morphology, topology and distribution), the graphite surfaces were studied with scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray microscopy. Micrographs for physical vaporization and pyrolytic deposition of Pd were also analyzed in order to explain the lack of signal obtained for tellurium with the first alternative. Similar micrographs were obtained for pyrolytic deposition of Ir and Rh and then, compared to those of Pd. Ir showed the most homogeneous distribution on the graphite surface and the tallest and sharpest transient. With the aim of improving the analytical signal of tellurium, the correlation between the surface studies and the tellurium transient signal (height, area and shape) is discussed. - Highlights: • Distribution of Rh, Pd and Ir onto graphite furnaces is evaluated by SEM and EDX • Micrographs and spectra showed that surface distribution could influence Te signal. • Ir showed the best signal together with the most homogeneous surface distribution. • Pd-PVD micrographs revealed the absence of graphite and no signal for Te.

  10. Tellurium labeled analogues of the fatty acid hexadecenoic acid for imaging of myocardial tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mills, S.L.

    1980-01-01

    Non-invasive nuclear diagnostic procedures for the evaluation of acute myocardial infarction and ischemia are currently limited by problems associated with the availablity of radiopharmaceuticals, development of imaging equipment, and inherent characteristics of radionuclides. Myocardial tissue requires high levels of substrates which provide energy for the continuous functioning of this vital organ. Of the major sources of energy, the most utilized source is fatty acids. Tellurium-123m, with excellent gamma imaging characteristics was chosen as the radionuclide. A 16 carbon fatty acid, hexadecenoic acid, was chosen as the carrier molecule. The tellurium-123m fatty acid radiopharmaceuticals were formulated either in a solution of 20 percent ethanol, two percent polysorbate 80, and brought to volume with normal saline or in 12.5 percent human serum ablumin and brought to volume with normal saline. Biodistribution was performed in three animal species: Sprague-Dawley rats (three rats per time frame), Australian white rabbits (three rabbits per time frame), and mongrel dogs (one dog per time frame). Dosimetry calculations were performed to assess the radiation dose

  11. Analyses of Selenotranscriptomes and Selenium Concentrations in Response to Dietary Selenium Deficiency and Age Reveal Common and Distinct Patterns by Tissue and Sex in Telomere-Dysfunctional Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Lei; Zhang, Li; Zeng, Huawei; Wu, Ryan Ty; Wu, Tung-Lung; Cheng, Wen-Hsing

    2017-10-01

    Background: The hierarchies of tissue selenium distribution and selenotranscriptomes are thought to critically affect healthspan and longevity. Objective: We determined selenium status and selenotranscriptomes in response to long-term dietary selenium deficiency and age in tissues of male and female mice. Methods: Weanling telomerase RNA component knockout C57BL/6 mice were fed a selenium-deficient (0.03 mg Se/kg) Torula yeast-based AIN-93G diet or a diet supplemented with sodium selenate (0.15 mg Se/kg) until age 18 or 24 mo. Plasma, hearts, kidneys, livers, and testes were collected to assay for selenotranscriptomes, selected selenoproteins, and tissue selenium concentrations. Data were analyzed with the use of 2-factor ANOVA (diet × age) in both sexes. Results: Dietary selenium deficiency decreased ( P ≤ 0.05) selenium concentrations (65-72%) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) 3 (82-94%) and selenoprotein P (SELENOP) (17-41%) levels in the plasma of both sexes of mice and mRNA levels (9-68%) of 4, 4, and 12 selenoproteins in the heart, kidney, and liver of males, respectively, and 5, 16, and 14 selenoproteins, respectively, in females. Age increased selenium concentrations and SELENOP levels (27% and 30%, respectively; P ≤ 0.05) in the plasma of males only but decreased (12-46%; P selenium deficiency and age in ≥1 tissue or sex, or both. Dietary selenium deficiency upregulated (40-160%; P ≤ 0.05) iodothyronine deiodinase 2 ( Dio2 ) and selenoprotein N ( Selenon ) in the kidneys of males. Age upregulated (11-44%; P selenium status and selenotranscriptomes because of dietary selenium deficiency and age. © 2017 American Society for Nutrition.

  12. COMPARISON OF DETERMINING METHODS REGARDING SELENIUM CONTENT IN WHEAT PLANT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mihaela Monica Stanciu-Burileanu

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available As a metallic chemical element, selenium has received special attention from biologists because of its dual role as a trace element essential and toxic. The important part of enzymes that protect cells against the effects of free radicals that are produced during normal metabolism of oxygen. Also, selenium is essential for normal immune system and thyroid gland, The concentration of selenium in the soil, which varies by region, determines the default concentration of selenium in plants growing in the soil.The purpose of this paper is to present methods of comparison, dry oxidation at 450ºC and wet digestion – digestion with acids in high concentrations at microwave system digestion, for determining selenium content from wheat samples collected from the south-eastern part of Romania, namely Bărăgan Plain and Central-South Dobrogea. Selenium separation and dosage from obtained extracts carry out through a selective hydride generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. With the software SURFER, a tendency map of selenium distribution was drawn.

  13. Tellurium quantum dots: Preparation and optical properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Chaoyu; Li, Xueming; Tang, Libin; Lai, Sin Ki; Rogée, Lukas; Teng, Kar Seng; Qian, Fuli; Zhou, Liangliang; Lau, Shu Ping

    2017-08-01

    Herein, we report an effective and simple method for producing Tellurium Quantum dots (TeQDs), zero-dimensional nanomaterials with great prospects for biomedical applications. Their preparation is based on the ultrasonic exfoliation of Te powder dispersed in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Sonication causes the van der Waals forces between the structural hexagons of Te to break so that the relatively coarse powder breaks down into nanoscale particles. The TeQDs have an average size of about 4 nm. UV-Vis absorption spectra of the TeQDs showed an absorption peak at 288 nm. Photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and photoluminescence (PL) are used to study the optical properties of TeQDs. Both the PLE and PL peaks revealed a linear relationship against the emission and excitation energies, respectively. TeQDs have important potential applications in biological imaging and catalysis as well as optoelectronics.

  14. Selenium and the thyroid: A close-knit connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashok K Bhuyan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In areas with severe selenium deficiency higher incidence of thyroiditis has been reported due to a decreased activity of selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase enzyme within thyroid cells. Aims and Objective: To study the effect of selenium supplementation in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. Materials and Methods: This is a blinded placebo-controlled prospective study done in 60 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (as defined by an anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb level more than 150 IU/ml irrespective of the baseline thyroid status. Patients with overt hyperthyroidism who are on antithyroid drugs, patients on any other medication, which may alter the immunity status of the patients, and pregnant patients were excluded from the study. Patients were randomized into two age and TPOAb-matched groups; 30 patients received 200 μg of sodium selenite/day, orally, for 3 months, and 30 patients received placebo. All hypothyroid patients were given l-thyroxine replacement. Results: Of 30 patients in the selenium treated group, 6 patients were overtly hypothyroid, 15 were subclinical hypothyroid, 6 were euthyroid, and 3 were subclinical hyperthyroid. The mean TPOAb concentration decreased significantly by 49.5% (P < 0.013 in the selenium treated group versus 10.1% (P < 0.95 in the placebo-treated group. Conclusion: Selenium substitution has a significant impact on inflammatory activity in thyroid-specific autoimmune disease. It would be of interest to determine whether early treatment with selenium in patients with newly developed autoimmune thyroiditis may delay or even prevent the natural course of these diseases.

  15. Continuous reduction of tellurite to recoverable tellurium nanoparticles using an upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramos-Ruiz, Adriana; Sesma-Martin, Juan; Sierra-Alvarez, Reyes; Field, Jim A

    2017-01-01

    According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the European Union, tellurium is a critical element needed for energy and defense technology. Thus methods are needed to recover tellurium from waste streams. The objectives of this study was to determine the feasibility of utilizing upflow anaerobic sludge bed (UASB) reactors to convert toxic tellurite (Te IV ) oxyanions to non-toxic insoluble elemental tellurium (Te 0 ) nanoparticles (NP) that are amendable to separation from aqueous effluents. The reactors were supplied with ethanol as the electron donating substrate to promote the biological reduction of Te IV . One reactor was additionally amended with the redox mediating flavonoid compound, riboflavin (RF), with the goal of enhancing the bioreduction of Te IV . Its performance was compared to a control reactor lacking RF. The continuous formation of Te 0 NPs using the UASB reactors was found to be feasible and remarkably improved by the addition of RF. The presence of this flavonoid was previously shown to enhance the conversion rate of Te IV by approximately 11-fold. In this study, we demonstrated that this was associated with the added benefit of reducing the toxic impact of Te IV towards the methanogenic consortium in the UASB and thus enabled a 4.7-fold higher conversion rate of the chemical oxygen demand. Taken as a whole, this work demonstrates the potential of a methanogenic granular sludge to be applied as a bioreactor technology producing recoverable Te 0 NPs in a continuous fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Recent trends in selenium regulation and management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sobolewski, A.

    2010-01-01

    Selenium is a contaminant encountered at uranium mines. When discharged into water, it can build up in the food chain and become toxic to egg-laying fish and shorebirds. This presentation reviews recent developments in its regulation, management and treatment. Selenium will soon be regulated on the basis of its concentration in fish or bird eggs, not its dissolved concentrations, which challenges managers trying to establish acceptable discharge limits. Information supporting this change will be discussed. Recent developments to manage and treat selenium will also be reviewed, emphasizing new chemical and biological treatment processes applicable at uranium mines and mill sites. (author)

  17. Learning selenium testing tools with Python

    CERN Document Server

    Gundecha, Unmesh

    2014-01-01

    If you are a quality testing professional, or a software or web application developer looking to create automation test scripts for your web applications, with an interest in Python, then this is the perfect guide for you. Python developers who need to do Selenium testing need not learn Java, as they can directly use Selenium for testing with this book.

  18. Selenium Accumulating Leafy Vegetables Are a Potential Source of Functional Foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Petro E. Mabeyo

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Selenium deficiency in humans has been associated with various diseases, the risks of which can be reduced through dietary supplementation. Selenium accumulating plants may provide a beneficial nutrient for avoiding such illnesses. Thus, leafy vegetables such as Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus sp., Cucurbita maxima, Ipomoea batatas, Solanum villosum, Solanum scabrum, and Vigna unguiculata were explored for their capabilities to accumulate selenium when grown on selenium enriched soil and for use as a potential source of selenium enriched functional foods. Their selenium contents were determined by spectrophotometry using the complex of 3,3′-diaminobenzidine hydrochloride (DABH as a chromogen. The mean concentrations in the leaves were found to range from 7.90±0.40 to 1.95±0.12 μg/g dry weight (DW, with C. maxima accumulating the most selenium. In stems, the accumulated selenium content ranged from 1.12±0.10 μg/g in Amaranthus sp. to 5.35±0.78 μg/g DW in C. maxima and was hence significantly different (P<0.01. The cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 was used in cytotoxicity assays to determine the anticancer potential of these extracts. With exception of S. scabrum and S. villosum, no cytotoxicity was detected for the selenium enriched vegetable extracts up to 100 μg/mL concentration. Hence, following careful evaluation the studied vegetables may be considered as selenium enriched functional foods.

  19. The necessity of selenium substitution in total parenteral nutrition and artificial alimentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gramm, H J; Kopf, A; Brätter, P

    1995-03-01

    For the trace element selenium, in contrast to zinc, iron, copper, chromium, manganese and iodine, there is still no clear official recommendation with regard to routine substitution in artificial nutrition. An overview of the manifestations of selenium deficiency in humans during the period 1979-1995 shows that nutritive deficiencies are exclusively TPN-induced or the result of severe malnutrition. The pathology of TPN-induced selenium deficiency and the analytic assessment of selenium status are described. Patients undergoing long-term parenteral nutrition or suffering from an increased loss of intestinal secretions have to be characterized as being especially at risk for clinical selenium deficiency. The relationship of the serum selenium kinetics in pediatric and adult patients to the depletion of body compartments during the course of short-term and prolonged TPN is discussed. Because of the importance of the selenoproteins, the regularly occurring depletion during selenium-free TPN and the borderline supply of selenium in Germany the routine substitution of selenium in TPN is strongly recommended. The pharmaceutical industry should be encouraged to develop a trace element solution that includes selenium, so that the nutritive requirement of patients on TPN can be satisfied. Adequate intravenous dosage recommendations are based on maintenance of glutathione peroxidase homeostasis. The routine supplementation dosage may not meet the selenium requirements of intensive care patients under conditions of increased metabolic demands on their anti-oxidative system.

  20. Selenium supplementation for patients with Graves’ hyperthyroidism (the GRASS trial)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Watt, Torquil; Cramon, Per; Bjorner, Jakob Bue

    2013-01-01

    Graves' hyperthyroidism is an autoimmune disease causing hyperfunction of the thyroid gland. The concentration of selenium is high in the thyroid gland and two important groups of enzymes within the thyroid are selenoproteins, that is, they depend on selenium. Selenium may have beneficial effects...

  1. Characterization of tellurium-based films for NO{sub 2} detection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tsiulyanu, D. [Technical University, Department of Physics, bul. Dacia 41, MD-2060 Kishinau (Moldova, Republic of)]. E-mail: tsiu@cni.md; Tsiulyanu, A. [Technical University, Department of Physics, bul. Dacia 41, MD-2060 Kishinau (Moldova, Republic of); Liess, H.-D. [University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Institute of Physics, D-85577 Neubiberg (Germany); Eisele, I. [University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Institute of Physics, D-85577 Neubiberg (Germany)

    2005-08-01

    Sensing characteristics of tellurium-based thin films for NO{sub 2} monitoring was studied systematically. The influence of contact materials, thermal treatment, temperature and thickness of the samples on the electrical conductivity and sensitivity to NO{sub 2} with respect to scanning electron microscopy analyses is given. The possibility is shown to optimize the properties of the films for the development of a simple and stable NO{sub 2} sensor device with rapid response/recovery time and low operating temperature. The sensing mechanism is discussed for the direct interaction of gaseous species with lone-pair electrons of chalcogen atoms.

  2. Effects of organic selenium in broiler feed on the content of selenium and fatty acid profile in lipids of thigh muscle tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zlata Kralik

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of our study was to determine the effects of selenium supplementation to broiler feed on the content of selenium, total fatty acids in lipids and on the oxidative stability of broiler thigh muscle tissue. The experiment involved 40 broilers fattened for 42 days. During the first three weeks, all broilers consumed starter diet containing 22% crude protein. After three weeks, broilers were divided into two groups and fed finisher diets containing 18% crude protein and supplemented with 3% sunflower oil and 3% linseed oil. Group 1 was not administered artificial selenium; Group 2 was supplemented with organic selenium at the amount of 0.5 mg Se/kg of feed. Significantly higher (P P P > 0.05 and increase of linolenic acid and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (P < 0.05 in thigh muscle tissue of broilers. Since selenium and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are nutricines, our results show that the produced broiler meat may be considered as functional food.

  3. Optimization of Selenium-enriched Candida utilis by Response Surface Methodology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ZHANG Fan

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The fermentation conditions of selenium enrichment by Candida utilis were studied. Based on the results of the single factor experiment, three factors including the concentration of sodium selenite, inital pH and incubation temperature were selected. The response surface method was used to optimize the various factors. The optimal conditions were obtained as follows: incubation time was 30 h, time of adding selenium was mid-logarithmic, the sodium selenite concentration was 35 mg·L-1 with inital pH of 6.6, incubation concentration of 10%, incubation temperature of 27 ℃, the medium volume of 150 mL/500 mL, respectively. Under the optimal condition, the biomass was 6.87 g·L-1. The total selenium content of Candida utilis was 12 639.7 μg·L-1, and the selenium content of the cells was 1 839.8 μg·g-1, in which sodium selenite conversion rate was 79.1% and the organic selenium was higher than 90%. The actual value of selenium content was substantially consistent with the theoretical value, and the response surface methodology was applicable for the fermentation conditions of selenium enriched by Candida utilis.

  4. JV Task 96 - Phase 2 - Investigating the Importance of the Mercury-Selenium Interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nicholas Ralston; Laura Raymond

    2008-03-01

    In order to improve the understanding of the mercury issue, it is vital to study mercury's effects on selenium physiology. While mercury present in the environment or food sources may pose health risks, the protective effects of selenium have not been adequately considered in establishing regulatory policy. Numerous studies report that vulnerability to mercury toxicity is inversely proportional to selenium status or level. However, selenium status has not been considered in the development of the reference dosage levels for mercury exposure. Experimental animals fed low-selenium diets are far more vulnerable to mercury toxicity than animals fed normal selenium, and animals fed selenium-rich diets are even more resistant. Selenium-dependent enzymes in brain and endocrine tissues can be impaired by excessive mercury exposure, apparently because mercury has an extremely high binding affinity for selenium. When selenium becomes bound to mercury, it is unable to participate in the metabolic cycling of selenoprotein synthesis. Because of mercury-dependent impairments of selenoprotein synthesis, various antioxidant and regulatory functions in brain biochemistry are compromised. This report details a 2-year multiclient-funded research program designed to examine the interactions between mercury and selenium in animal models. The studies explored the effects of dietary intakes of toxic amounts of methylmercury and the protective effects of the normal dietary range of selenium in counteracting mercury toxicity. This study finds that the amounts of selenium present in ocean fish are sufficient to protect against far larger quantities of methylmercury than those present in typical seafoods. Toxic effects of methylmercury exposure were not directly proportional to mercury concentrations in blood, brain, or any other tissues. Instead, mercury toxicity was proportional to molar ratios of mercury relative to selenium. In order to accurately assess risk associated with

  5. Selenium toxicity: cause and effects in aquatic birds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spallholz, J.E.; Hoffman, D.J.

    2002-01-01

    There are several manners in which selenium may express its toxicity: (1) an important mechanism appears to involve the formation of CH3Se- which either enters a redox cycle and generates superoxide and oxidative stress, or forms free radicals that bind to and inhibit important enzymes and proteins. (2) Excess selenium as selenocysteine results in inhibition of selenium methylation metabolism. As a consequence, concentrations of hydrogen selenide, an intermediate metabolite, accumulate in animals and are hepatotoxic, possibly causing other selenium-related adverse effects. (3) It is also possible that the presence of excess selenium analogs of sulfur-containing enzymes and structural proteins play a role in avian teratogenesis. l-selenomethionine is the most likely major dietary form of selenium encountered by aquatic birds, with lesser amounts of l-selenocysteine ingested from aquatic animal foods. The literature is suggestive that l-selenomethionine is not any more toxic to adult birds than other animals. l-Selenomethionine accumulates in tissue protein of adult birds and in the protein of egg white as would be expected to occur in animals. There is no suggestion from the literature that the levels of l-selenomethionine that would be expected to accumulate in eggs in the absence of environmental concentration of selenium pose harm to the developing embryo. For several species of aquatic birds, levels of Se as selenomethionine in the egg above 3 ppm on a wet weight basis result in reduced hatchability and deformed embryos. The toxicity of l-selenomethionine injected directly into eggs is greater than that found from the entry of l-selenomethionine into the egg from the normal adult diet. This suggests that there is unusual if not abnormal metabolism of l-selenomethionine in the embryo not seen when l-selenomethionine is present in egg white protein where it likely serves as a source of selenium for glutathione peroxidase synthesis in the developing aquatic chick.

  6. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and silver colloidal solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen Thi Phuong Phong; Ngo Hoang Minh; Ngo Vo Ke Thanh; Dang Mau Chien

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, silver colloidal solutions have been synthesized rapidly in green conditions by using microwave irradiation and non-toxic chemistry substances (acid oxalic, silver nitrate, polyvinyl pyrolidone (PVP; Mw = 55 000)). The particle size and morphology of these solutions can be controlled by altering several factors like the time, the power of microwave exposure, and the ratio of silver oxalate and PVP etc. The silver nanoparticles were fabricated by thermal decomposition of silver oxalate. The synthesized silver colloidal solutions and silver nanoparticles were characterized by several analytical techniques like UV- VIS, XRD, TEM, FESEM/EDS and ICP-AAS studies. Finally, we used the synthesized silver colloidal solutions for antibacterial purpose. The obtained results showed that the synthesized silver colloidal solutions, even at very low concentrations, have highly efficient anti-bacterial property.

  7. Dietary Selenium in Adjuvant Therapy of Viral and Bacterial Infections12

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbrenner, Holger; Al-Quraishy, Saleh; Dkhil, Mohamed A; Wunderlich, Frank; Sies, Helmut

    2015-01-01

    Viral and bacterial infections are often associated with deficiencies in macronutrients and micronutrients, including the essential trace element selenium. In selenium deficiency, benign strains of Coxsackie and influenza viruses can mutate to highly pathogenic strains. Dietary supplementation to provide adequate or supranutritional selenium supply has been proposed to confer health benefits for patients suffering from some viral diseases, most notably with respect to HIV and influenza A virus (IAV) infections. In addition, selenium-containing multimicronutrient supplements improved several clinical and lifestyle variables in patients coinfected with HIV and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Selenium status may affect the function of cells of both adaptive and innate immunity. Supranutritional selenium promotes proliferation and favors differentiation of naive CD4-positive T lymphocytes toward T helper 1 cells, thus supporting the acute cellular immune response, whereas excessive activation of the immune system and ensuing host tissue damage are counteracted through directing macrophages toward the M2 phenotype. This review provides an up-to-date overview on selenium in infectious diseases caused by viruses (e.g., HIV, IAV, hepatitis C virus, poliovirus, West Nile virus) and bacteria (e.g., M. tuberculosis, Helicobacter pylori). Data from epidemiologic studies and intervention trials, with selenium alone or in combination with other micronutrients, and animal experiments are discussed against the background of dietary selenium requirements to alter immune functions. PMID:25593145

  8. Isotopically labeled sulfur compounds and synthetic selenium and tellurium analogues to study sulfur metabolism in marine bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson L. Brock

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Members of the marine Roseobacter clade can degrade dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP via competing pathways releasing either methanethiol (MeSH or dimethyl sulfide (DMS. Deuterium-labeled [2H6]DMSP and the synthetic DMSP analogue dimethyltelluriopropionate (DMTeP were used in feeding experiments with the Roseobacter clade members Phaeobacter gallaeciensis DSM 17395 and Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3, and their volatile metabolites were analyzed by closed-loop stripping and solid-phase microextraction coupled to GC–MS. Feeding experiments with [2H6]DMSP resulted in the incorporation of a deuterium label into MeSH and DMS. Knockout of relevant genes from the known DMSP demethylation pathway to MeSH showed in both species a residual production of [2H3]MeSH, suggesting that a second demethylation pathway is active. The role of DMSP degradation pathways for MeSH and DMS formation was further investigated by using the synthetic analogue DMTeP as a probe in feeding experiments with the wild-type strain and knockout mutants. Feeding of DMTeP to the R. pomeroyi knockout mutant resulted in a diminished, but not abolished production of demethylation pathway products. These results further corroborated the proposed second demethylation activity in R. pomeroyi. Isotopically labeled [2H3]methionine and 34SO42−, synthesized from elemental 34S8, were tested to identify alternative sulfur sources besides DMSP for the MeSH production in P. gallaeciensis. Methionine proved to be a viable sulfur source for the MeSH volatiles, whereas incorporation of labeling from sulfate was not observed. Moreover, the utilization of selenite and selenate salts by marine alphaproteobacteria for the production of methylated selenium volatiles was explored and resulted in the production of numerous methaneselenol-derived volatiles via reduction and methylation. The pathway of selenate/selenite reduction, however, proved to be strictly separated from sulfate reduction.

  9. Rethinking mercury: the role of selenium in the pathophysiology of mercury toxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiller, Henry A

    2018-05-01

    There is increasing evidence that the pathophysiological target of mercury is in fact selenium, rather than the covalent binding of mercury to sulfur in the body's ubiquitous sulfhydryl groups. The role of selenium in mercury poisoning is multifaceted, bidirectional, and central to understanding the target organ toxicity of mercury. An initial search was performed using Medline/PubMed, Toxline, Google Scholar, and Google for published work on mercury and selenium. These searches yielded 2018 citations. Publications that did not evaluate selenium status or evaluated environmental status (e.g., lake or ocean sediment) were excluded, leaving approximately 500 citations. This initial selection was scrutinized carefully and 117 of the most relevant and representative references were selected for use in this review. Binding of mercury to thiol/sulfhydryl groups: Mercury has a lower affinity for thiol groups and higher affinity for selenium containing groups by several orders of magnitude, allowing for binding in a multifaceted way. The established binding of mercury to thiol moieties appears to primarily involve the transport across membranes, tissue distribution, and enhanced excretion, but does not explain the oxidative stress, calcium dyshomeostasis, or specific organ injury seen with mercury. Effects of mercury on selenium and the role this plays in the pathophysiology of mercury toxicity: Mercury impairs control of intracellular redox homeostasis with subsequent increased intracellular oxidative stress. Recent work has provided convincing evidence that the primary cellular targets are the selenoproteins of the thioredoxin system (thioredoxin reductase 1 and thioredoxin reductase 2) and the glutathione-glutaredoxin system (glutathione peroxidase). Mercury binds to the selenium site on these proteins and permanently inhibits their function, disrupting the intracellular redox environment. A number of other important possible target selenoproteins have been identified

  10. Reduced selenium-binding protein 1 in breast cancer correlates with poor survival and resistance to the anti-proliferative effects of selenium.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sheng Zhang

    Full Text Available Supplemental dietary selenium is associated with reduced incidence of many cancers. The antitumor function of selenium is thought to be mediated through selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1. However, the significance of SELENBP1 expression in breast cancer is still largely unknown. A total of 95 normal and tumor tissues assay and 12 breast cancer cell lines were used in this study. We found that SELENBP1 expression in breast cancer tissues is reduced compared to normal control. Low SELENBP1 expression in ER(+ breast cancer patients was significantly associated with poor survival (p<0.01, and SELENBP1 levels progressively decreased with advancing clinical stages of breast cancer. 17-β estradiol (E2 treatment of high SELENBP1-expressing ER(+ cell lines led to a down-regulation of SELENBP1, a result that did not occur in ER(- cell lines. However, after ectopic expression of ER in an originally ER(- cell line, down-regulation of SELENBP1 upon E2 treatment was observed. In addition, selenium treatment resulted in reduced cell proliferation in endogenous SELENBP1 high cells; however, after knocking-down SELENBP1, we observed no significant reduction in cell proliferation. Similarly, selenium has no effect on inhibition of cell proliferation in low endogenous SELENBP1 cells, but the inhibitory effect is regained following ectopic SELENBP1 expression. Furthermore, E2 treatment of an ER silenced high endogenous SELENBP1 expressing cell line showed no abolishment of cell proliferation inhibition upon selenium treatment. These data indicate that SELENBP1 expression is regulated via estrogen and that the cell proliferation inhibition effect of selenium treatment is dependent on the high level of SELENBP1 expression. Therefore, the expression level of SELENBP1 could be an important marker for predicting survival and effectiveness of selenium supplementation in breast cancer. This is the first study to reveal the importance of monitoring SELENBP1 expression

  11. Influence of dietary sodium selenite on tissue selenium levels of growing pigs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moksnes, K.; Tollersrud, S.; Larsen, H.J.

    1982-01-01

    Twenty Norwegian Landrace pigs were divided into 5 groups and fed a basal diet consisting of a mixture of dried skim milk and whey powder together with ground barley. The diet was supplemented with 0, 0.2, 0.8, 1.2, and 2.2 μg/g selenium as sodium selenite and was fed for 12 weeks. The muscle selenium level was increased by a factor of about 4 and the liver selenium by a factor of about 12 when the dietary selenium supplement was increased from zero to 2.2μg/g. There was a significant linear correlation between dietary selenium and selenium concentrations in tissues. Possible benefit for humans consuming meat from animals having received the selenium doses used in this experiment are discussed. (author)

  12. Low selenium and reduced cognitive function in a cohort elderly study

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Jianchao Bian; Sujuan Gao; Qiliang Qin; Zhongjie Yun; Yuan Liu; Shuliang Song; Chuanjiao Liu; Xiaohong Luo; Jie Gao; Chaoke Liang

    2010-01-01

    Cognitive function in the elderly is affected by various environmental,social,and individual factors.Studies show that chemical trace elements are closely related to cognitive function.As a protective factor,selenium promotes cognition in the elderly.However,study results into the effects of selenium on cognition have varied.By eliminating unstable environmental and other related factors,the present study selected elderly individuals from rural areas of the Shandong province to verify whether low selenium exposure is a risk factor for decreased cognitive function.Results demonstrated that age,sex,education,occupation,hypertension,stroke,and body selenium levels were factors affecting cognitive function in the elderly,and that selenium was an important protective factor.Moreover,results supported the hypothesis that a lifelong low selenium level is associated with low cognitive function.

  13. Selenium as an essential micronutrient: roles in cell cycle and apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Huawei

    2009-03-23

    Selenium is an essential trace element for humans and animals, and selenium deficiency is associated with several disease conditions such as immune impairment. In addition, selenium intakes that are greater than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) appear to protect against certain types of cancers. In humans and animals, cell proliferation and death must be regulated to maintain tissue homeostasis, and it has been well documented that numerous human diseases are directly related to the control of cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Thus, the elucidation of the mechanisms by which selenium regulates the cell cycle and apoptosis can lead to a better understanding of the nature of selenium's essentiality and its role in disease prevention. This article reviews the status of knowledge concerning the effect of selenium on cell cycle and apoptosis.

  14. Strong nonlinear photonic responses from microbiologically synthesized tellurium nanocomposites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, K.-S.; Wang, Jingyuan; Dias, S.; Dewald, J.; Alley, N.J.; Baesman, S.M.; Oremland, R.S.; Blau, W.J.; Curran, S.A.

    2010-01-01

    A new class of nanomaterials, namely microbiologically-formed nanorods composed of elemental tellurium [Te(0)] that forms unusual nanocomposites when combined with poly(m-phenylenevinylene-co-2,5-dioctoxy-phenylenevinylene) (PmPV) is described. These bio-nanocomposites exhibit excellent broadband optical limiting at 532 and 1064 nm. Nonlinear scattering, originating from the laser induced solvent bubbles and microplasmas, is responsible for this nonlinear behavior. The use of bacterially-formed Te(0) when combined with an organic chemical host (e.g., PmPV) is a new green method of nanoparticle syntheses. This opens the possibilities of using unique, biologically synthesized materials to advance future nanoelectronic and nanophotonic applications. ?? 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Extraction-spectrophotometric method for silicon determination in high-purity substances. 1. Silicon determination in tellurium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shaburova, V P; Yudelevich, I G [AN SSSR, Novosibirsk (USSR). Inst. Neorganicheskoj Khimii

    1989-01-01

    The extraction-spectrophotometric method for silicon determination in tellurium based on extraction isolation of the base by tributyl phosphate from hydrochloride solutions and with addition of HNO/sub 3/ and spectrophotometric silicon determination using malachite green is developed. The method permits to determine 2x10/sup -1/-3x10/sup -4/ % Si.

  16. Improvement of physical properties of ZnO thin films by tellurium doping

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sönmezoğlu, Savaş, E-mail: svssonmezoglu@kmu.edu.tr; Akman, Erdi

    2014-11-01

    Highlights: • We report the synthesis of tellurium-doped zinc oxide (Te–ZnO) thin films using sol–gel method. • Highly c-axis oriented Te-doped ZnO thin films were grown on FTO glasses as substrate. • 1.5% Te-doping ratio could improve the physical properties of ZnO thin films. - Abstract: This investigation addressed the structural, optical and morphological properties of tellurium incorporated zinc oxide (Te–ZnO) thin films. The obtained results indicated that Te-doped ZnO thin films exhibit an enhancement of band gap energy and crystallinity compared with non-doped films. The optical transmission spectra revealed a shift in the absorption edge toward lower wavelengths. X-ray diffraction measurement demonstrated that the film was crystallized in the hexagonal (wurtzite) phase and presented a preferential orientation along the c-axis. The XRD obtained patterns indicate that the crystallite size of the thin films, ranging from 23.9 to 49.1 nm, changed with the Te doping level. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy results demonstrated that the grain size and surface roughness of the thin films increased as the Te concentration increased. Most significantly, we demonstrate that it is possible to control the structural, optical and morphological properties of ZnO thin films with the isoelectronic Te-incorporation level.

  17. Selenium intake and metabolic syndrome: A systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Retondario, Anabelle; Fernandes, Ricardo; Rockenbach, Gabriele; Alves, Mariane de Almeida; Bricarello, Liliana Paula; Trindade, Erasmo Benicio Santos de Moraes; Vasconcelos, Francisco de Assis Guedes de

    2018-03-02

    Metabolic syndrome is a multi-causal disease. Its treatment includes lifestyle changes with a focus on weight loss. This systematic review assessed the association between Selenium intake and metabolic syndrome. Data were collected mainly from four databases: PubMed, CENTRAL (Cochrane), Scopus and Web of Knowledge. Keywords related to metabolic syndrome, selenium, as well as metabolic syndrome features were searched. This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. A systematic review protocol was registered at PROSPERO (n. 42016046321). Two reviewers independently screened 2957 abstracts. Six studies were included to perform data extraction with standardized spreadsheets. The risk of bias was assessed by using specific tools according to the design of the relevant studies. An assessment was carried out based on the appropriateness of the study reports accordingly to STROBE and the CONSORT-based checklist for each study design. Three studies found no association between Selenium intake and metabolic syndrome; two of them found an inverse association; and one study found a direct association between Selenium intake and metabolic syndrome. One study also showed an inverse association between Selenium intake and the prevalence of high waist circumference, high diastolic blood pressure, and hyperglycaemia in women. Overall, based on the argumentation and results of this study, it is possible to conclude that Selenium intake and metabolic syndrome are not clearly associated in adults and elderly. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

  18. Activation analysis of selenium in odorous vegetable foods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Shogo; Hirai, Shoji; Noda, Katsuhiko.

    1981-01-01

    The selenium in odorous vegetables was analyzed by nondestructive neutron activation analysis using 75 Se, by the γ-ray coincidence method with a Ge(Li) and a NaI(Tl) detectors of definite energy ranges. By means of the coincidence counting, the background spectrum in 75 Se in the vicinity of 265 KeV was able to be reduced to about 1/20 of that by the former detector alone, so that the 75 Se detection sensitivity was raised over fourfold. Thus the selenium in odorous vegetables was able to be determined down to the content as low as 0.02 μg/g. The selenium content in garlic bulbs was 0.02 - 0.31 μg/g, and in onion bulbs 0.02 - 0.05 μg/g, both of which agreed well with those by fluorometry. In other odorous vegetables, the selenium content was as little as 0.1 μg/g or lower. It has been said that the selenium content is relatively large along with sulfur because of the same group, but it was found to be fairly small in the odorous vegetables. (Mori, K.)

  19. [Plasma selenium and peripartum cardiomyopathy in Bamako, Mali].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cénac, A; Touré, K; Diarra, M B; Sergeant, C; Jobic, Y; Sanogo, K; Dembele, M; Fayol, V; Simonoff, M

    2004-01-01

    Peripartum heart failure due to unexplained dilated cardiomyopathy is a common disorder as Savannak-Sahelian Africa. One of the many suspected risk factors identified is selenium deficiency. The purpose of this study was to measure plasma selenium levels in patients with peripartum heart failure due to cardiomyopathy in Bamako, Republic of Mali and compare data with healthy Sahalian women with the same obstetrical status. Plasma selenium was measured in a patient group consisting of 28 Malian women presenting peripartum heart failure and in a control group of 28 healthy breast-feeding Nigerien women of comparable age. The criteria for matching the two groups was parity (similar number of deliveries) since multiparity is a risk factor for peripartum cardiomyopathy. The Wilcoxon test (nonparametric) was used to compare the 2 groups considering up value < 0.05 as significant. Plasma selenium was significantly lower in patients from Mali than in controls from Niger (65 +/- 17 ng/ml vs. 78 +/- 17 ng/ml, p = 0.01). The results of this study showing lower plasma selenium in Bamako patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy than in a matching healthy control population confirms the previous data from the Niamey study.

  20. Selenium biofortification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plant foods are the major dietary sources of selenium (Se) in most countries around the world, followed by meats and seafood. For this reason, it is vital to increase Se uptake by plants and to produce crops with higher Se concentrations and bioavailability in their edible tissues. One of the most p...

  1. Selenium and Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritz, Heidi; Kennedy, Deborah; Fergusson, Dean; Fernandes, Rochelle; Cooley, Kieran; Seely, Andrew; Sagar, Stephen; Wong, Raimond; Seely, Dugald

    2011-01-01

    Background Selenium is a natural health product widely used in the treatment and prevention of lung cancers, but large chemoprevention trials have yielded conflicting results. We conducted a systematic review of selenium for lung cancers, and assessed potential interactions with conventional therapies. Methods and Findings Two independent reviewers searched six databases from inception to March 2009 for evidence pertaining to the safety and efficacy of selenium for lung cancers. Pubmed and EMBASE were searched to October 2009 for evidence on interactions with chemo- or radiation-therapy. In the efficacy analysis there were nine reports of five RCTs and two biomarker-based studies, 29 reports of 26 observational studies, and 41 preclinical studies. Fifteen human studies, one case report, and 36 preclinical studies were included in the interactions analysis. Based on available evidence, there appears to be a different chemopreventive effect dependent on baseline selenium status, such that selenium supplementation may reduce risk of lung cancers in populations with lower baseline selenium status (serumselenium (≥121.6 ng/mL). Pooling data from two trials yielded no impact to odds of lung cancer, OR 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.61–1.43); other cancers that were the primary endpoints of these trials, OR 1.51 (95%CI 0.70–3.24); and all-cause-death, OR 0.93 (95%CI 0.79–1.10). In the treatment of lung cancers, selenium may reduce cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and side effects associated with radiation therapy. Conclusions Selenium may be effective for lung cancer prevention among individuals with lower selenium status, but at present should not be used as a general strategy for lung cancer prevention. Although promising, more evidence on the ability of selenium to reduce cisplatin and radiation therapy toxicity is required to ensure that therapeutic efficacy is maintained before any broad clinical recommendations can be made in this context. PMID:22073154

  2. High performance supercapacitor and non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensor based on tellurium nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Manikandan

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Tellurium nanoparticles (Te Nps were synthesized by wet chemical method and characterized by XRD, Raman, FESEM, TEM, XPS, UV–Vis and FL. The Nps were coated on graphite foil and Glassy carbon electrode to prepare the electrodes for supercapacitor and biosensor applications. The supercapacitor performance is evaluated in 2 M KOH electrolyte by both Cyclic Voltammetry (CV and galvanostatic charge-discharge method. From charge-discharge method, Te Nps show a specific capacitance of 586 F/g at 2 mA/cm2 and 100 F/g at 30 mA/cm2 as well as an excellent cycle life (100% after 1000 cycles. In addition, the H2O2 sensor performance of Te Nps modified glassy carbon electrode is checked by CV and Chronoamperometry (CA in phosphate buffer solution (PBS. In the linear range of 0.67 to 8.04 μM of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, Te NPs show a high sensitivity of 0.83 mA mM−1 cm−2 with a correlation coefficient of 0.995. The detection limit is 0.3 μM with a response time less than 5 s. Keywords: Tellurium nanoparticles, Supercapacitor, Biosensor, Hydrogen peroxide

  3. Mixed Surfactant Template Method for Preparation of Nanometer Selenium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhi-Lin Li

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Selenium nanoparticles have been synthesized in an aqueous solution by using sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyvinyl alcohol as a soft template. The factors on synthesis, such as reaction time, concentration of reactants and ultrasonic irradiation were studied. The uniform stable selenium nanospheres were obstained in the conditions of 1.0 (mass fraction sodium dodecyl sulfate, 1.0 (mass fraction polyvinyl alcohol, n(Vc:n(H2SeO3=7:1 and 7 minutes after the initiation of the reaction at room temperature. The average particle size of selenium is about 30 nm. The product was characterized by UV and TEM. Finally the applications of the red element nanometer selenium in anti-older cosmetics are presented.

  4. Effects of selenium oxyanions on the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

    KAUST Repository

    Espinosa-Ortiz, Erika J.

    2014-10-24

    The ability of Phanerochaete chrysosporium to reduce the oxidized forms of selenium, selenate and selenite, and their effects on the growth, substrate consumption rate, and pellet morphology of the fungus were assessed. The effect of different operational parameters (pH, glucose, and selenium concentration) on the response of P. chrysosporium to selenium oxyanions was explored as well. This fungal species showed a high sensitivity to selenium, particularly selenite, which inhibited the fungal growth and substrate consumption when supplied at 10 mg L−1 in the growth medium, whereas selenate did not have such a strong influence on the fungus. Biological removal of selenite was achieved under semi-acidic conditions (pH 4.5) with about 40 % removal efficiency, whereas less than 10 % selenium removal was achieved for incubations with selenate. P. chrysosporium was found to be a selenium-reducing organism, capable of synthesizing elemental selenium from selenite but not from selenate. Analysis with transmission electron microscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy, and a 3D reconstruction showed that elemental selenium was produced intracellularly as nanoparticles in the range of 30–400 nm. Furthermore, selenite influenced the pellet morphology of P. chrysosporium by reducing the size of the fungal pellets and inducing their compaction and smoothness.

  5. The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 is decreased in uterine leiomyoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quddus M Ruhul

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Selenium has been shown to inhibit cancer development and growth through the mediation of selenium-binding proteins. Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 has been reported in cancers of the prostate, stomach, colon, and lungs. No information, however, is available concerning the roles of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma. Methods Using Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, we examined the expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma and normal myometrium in 20 patients who had undergone hysterectomy for uterine leiomyoma. Results and Discussion The patient age ranged from 34 to 58 years with a mean of 44.3 years. Proliferative endometrium was seen in 8 patients, secretory endometrium in 7 patients, and atrophic endometrium in 5 patients. Two patients showed solitary leiomyoma, and eighteen patients revealed 2 to 5 tumors. Tumor size ranged from 1 to 15.5 cm with a mean of 4.3 cm. Both Western Blot analysis and immunohistochemistry showed a significant lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 in leiomyoma than in normal myometrium. Larger tumors had a tendency to show a lower level of selenium-binding protein 1 than smaller ones, but the difference did not reach a statistical significance. The expression of selenium-binding protein 1 was the same among patients with proliferative, secretory, and atrophic endometrium in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Also, we did not find a difference of selenium-binding protein 1 level between patients younger than 45 years and older patients in either leiomyoma or normal myometrium. Conclusions Decreased expression of selenium-binding protein 1 in uterine leiomyoma may indicate a role of the protein in tumorigenesis. Our findings may provide a basis for future studies concerning the molecular mechanisms of selenium-binding protein 1 in tumorigenesis as well as the possible use of selenium in prevention and treatment of uterine

  6. HORMONAL REGULATION OF SELENIUM ACCUMULATION BY PLANTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Golubkina

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Hormonal regulation is considered to be a unique mechanism controlling growth and development of living organism. The review discusses the correlations between pant hormonal status of non-accumulators and hyper-accumulators of Se with the accumulation levels of this microelement. The phenomenon of stimulation and redistribution of selenium as a result of phytohormone treatment, the peculiarities of phytohormones effect among different species and cultivars, and influence of plant sexualization on selenium accumulation are described in article. Data of hormonal regulation of selenium level for spinach, garlic, perennial onion, Brassica chinenesis and Valeriana officialis are presented in the review.

  7. Assessment of dissolved-selenium concentrations and loads in the lower Gunnison River Basin, Colorado, as part of the Selenium Management Program, from 2011 to 2016

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henneberg, Mark F.

    2018-04-23

    The Gunnison Basin Selenium Management Program implemented a water-quality monitoring network in 2011 in the lower Gunnison River Basin in Colorado. Selenium is a trace element that bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains and can cause reproductive failure, deformities, and other harmful effects. This report presents the percentile values of selenium because regulatory agencies in Colorado make decisions based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act Section 303(d) that uses percentile values of concentration. Also presented are dissolved-selenium loads at 18 sites in the lower Gunnison River Basin for water years (WYs) 2011–2016 (October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2016). Annual dissolved-selenium loads were calculated for five sites with continuous U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations. Annual dissolved-selenium loads for WY 2011 through WY 2016 ranged from 179 and 391 pounds (lb) at Uncompahgre River at Colona to 11,100 and 17,300 lb at Gunnison River near Grand Junction (herein called Whitewater), respectively. Instantaneous loads were calculated for five sites with continuous U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations and 13 ancillary sites where discrete water-quality sampling also took place, using discrete water-quality samples and the associated discharge measurements collected during the period. Median instantaneous loads ranged from 0.01 pound per day (lb/d) at Smith Fork near Lazear to 33.0 lb/d at Whitewater. Mean instantaneous loads ranged from 0.06 lb/d at Smith Fork near Lazear to 36.2 lb/d at Whitewater. Most tributary sites in the basin had a median instantaneous dissolved-selenium load of less than 20.0 lb/day. In general, dissolved-selenium loads at Gunnison River main-stem sites showed an increase from upstream to downstream. The State of Colorado water-quality standard for dissolved selenium of 4.6 micrograms per liter (µg/L) was compared to the 85th percentiles for dissolved

  8. Preconcentration of silver as silver xanthate on activated carbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramadevi, P.; Naidu, U.V.; Naidu, G.R.K.

    1988-01-01

    Silver from aqueous solution was preconcentrated by adsorption on activated carbon as silver xanthate. Factors influencing the adsorption of silver were studied. Optimum conditions for the preconcentration of silver were established. (author) 9 refs.; 3 tabs

  9. Intrinsic two-dimensional states on the pristine surface of tellurium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Pengke; Appelbaum, Ian

    2018-05-01

    Atomic chains configured in a helical geometry have fascinating properties, including phases hosting localized bound states in their electronic structure. We show how the zero-dimensional state—bound to the edge of a single one-dimensional helical chain of tellurium atoms—evolves into two-dimensional bands on the c -axis surface of the three-dimensional trigonal bulk. We give an effective Hamiltonian description of its dispersion in k space by exploiting confinement to a virtual bilayer, and elaborate on the diminished role of spin-orbit coupling. These intrinsic gap-penetrating surface bands were neglected in the interpretation of seminal experiments, where two-dimensional transport was otherwise attributed to extrinsic accumulation layers.

  10. Nuclear medicine. Progress report for quarter ending June 30, 1982

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knapp, F.F. Jr.; Ambrose, K.R.; Butler, T.A.; Goodman, M.M.; Hoeschele, J.D.; Srivastava, P.C.

    1982-09-01

    The oxidation products of tellurium and selenium fatty acids were shown to differ and may relate to the unique prolonged retention of tellurium fatty acids in the heart. The studies suggest that the trapping of tellurium fatty acids in the heart may result from the formation of an insoluble oxidation product after entry into the cells of the heart muscle. Also described in this report is the synthesis of several barbituric acid analogues for evaluation as potential cerebral perfusion agents. The present studies indicate that the iodovinyl-alkyl barbiturates cross the intact blood-brain barrier but undergo in vivo deiodination as measured by a high uptake of radioiodine in the thyroid. During this period four /sup 191/Os-osmate shipments were made to Medical Cooperative investigators for evaluation of the ultrashort-lived /sup 191//sup m/Ir (T/sub 1/2/ = 4.9 sec) obtained from the /sup 191//sup m/Ir generator. Seven shipments of the /sup 195//sup m/Pt-labeled cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) antitumor drug were made to collaborators and fice shipments of radiolabeled tellurium fatty acids were made to the Massachusetts General Hospital.

  11. Determination of selenium status using the nail biologic monitor in a canine model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steven Morris, J.; Spate, V.L.; Ruth Ann Ngwenyama; Waters, D.J.

    2012-01-01

    Toenails and fingernails are routinely used to estimate selenium status in epidemiological studies; however, literature validating nail selenium concentration as a surrogate for critical organs is limited. In this study diets of intact male dogs were selenium supplemented at two physiological levels (3 and 6 μg/kg/day) in two different forms, selenomethionine and selenium-enriched bioformed yeast. The selenium-adequate basal diet consumed by the treatment and control groups during the 4-week run-in period and throughout the trial contained 0.3 ppm selenium. After 7 months the dogs in the two treatment groups and the control group were euthanized. Representative tissue samples from prostate, brain, liver, heart and skeletal muscle were collected, rinsed and frozen. Toenail clippings from multiple toes were also collected. Selenium was determined by neutron activation analysis using Se77m (half life = 17.4 s) at the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center. NIST SRM 1577, Bovine Liver was analyzed as a quality control. The analysts were blinded to control and treatment group assignments. As expected, tissue selenium levels increased proportionally with supplementation. A slightly greater increase in tissue selenium was observed for the purified selenomethionine compared to the bioformed yeast; however this trend was significant only for brain tissue. Toenail selenium concentrations and tissue selenium were highly correlated (p < 0.003) with Pearson coefficients of 0.759 (skeletal muscle), 0.745 (heart), 0.729 (brain), 0.723 (prostate), and 0.632 (liver). The toenail biologic monitor accurately assesses selenium status in skeletal muscle, heart, brain, prostate, and liver in the canine model. (author)

  12. Supplementation of Merino ewes with vitamin E plus selenium increases α-tocopherol and selenium concentrations in plasma of the lamb but does not improve their immune function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterndale, S; Broomfield, S; Currie, A; Hancock, S; Kearney, G A; Lei, J; Liu, S; Lockwood, A; Scanlan, V; Smith, G; Thompson, A N

    2018-05-01

    Vitamin E and selenium have been reported to improve immune function across a range of species. Ewes lambing on poor-quality dry pasture in autumn in Western Australia are at risk of being deficient in vitamin E and selenium at lambing thus predisposing their lambs to deficiencies and increasing the risk of infection and disease. This study tested the hypotheses that (i) supplementation of autumn-lambing ewes with vitamin E plus selenium in late gestation will increase the concentrations of vitamin E and selenium in plasma in the ewe and lamb and (ii) that the increased concentrations of vitamin E and selenium in plasma in the lambs will improve their innate and adaptive immune responses and thus survival. Pregnant Merino ewes were divided into a control group (n=58) which received no supplementation or a group supplemented with vitamin E plus selenium (n=55). On days 111, 125 and 140 of pregnancy ewes in the vitamin E plus selenium group were given 4 g all-rac-α-tocopherol acetate orally. On day 111 the ewes were also given 60 mg of selenium as barium selenate by subcutaneous injection. The concentrations of α-tocopherol and selenium were measured in ewes and/or lambs from day 111 of pregnancy to 14 weeks of age±10 days (weaning). Immune function of the lamb was assessed by analysing the numbers and phagocytic capacities of monocytes and polymorphonuclear leucocytes and plasma IgG and anti-tetanus toxoid antibody concentrations between birth and 14 weeks of age±10 days. Maternal supplementation with vitamin E plus selenium increased the concentration of α-tocopherol in plasma (1.13 v. 0.67 mg/l; P<0.001) and selenium in whole blood (0.12 v. 0.07 mg/l; P<0.01) of the ewes at lambing compared with controls. Supplementation also increased the concentration of α-tocopherol (0.14 v. 0.08 mg/l; P<0.001) and selenium (0.08 v. 0.05 mg/l; P<0.01) in lambs at birth compared with controls. There was no significant effect of supplementation on immune function or

  13. A Better Understanding of Protein Structure and Function by the Synthesis and Incorporation of Selenium- and Tellurium Containing Tryptophan Analogs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Helmey, Sherif Samir [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Bioscience Division; Belmont Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Physics; Rice, Ambrose Eugene [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Bioscience Division; Belmont Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Physics; Hatch, Duane Michael [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Bioscience Division; Belmont Univ., Nashville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Physics; Silks, Louis A. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Bioscience Division; Marti-Arbona, Ricardo [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States). Bioscience Division

    2016-08-17

    Unnatural heavy metal-containing amino acid analogs have shown to be very important in the analysis of protein structure, using methods such as X-ray crystallography, mass spectroscopy, and NMR spectroscopy. Synthesis and incorporation of selenium-containing methionine analogs has already been shown in the literature however with some drawbacks due to toxicity to host organisms. Thus synthesis of heavy metal tryptophan analogs should prove to be more effective since the amino acid tryptophan is naturally less abundant in many proteins. For example, bioincorporation of β-seleno[3,2-b]pyrrolyl-L-alanine ([4,5]SeTrp) and β-selenolo[2,3-b]pyrrolyl-L-alanine ([6,7]SeTrp) has been shown in the following proteins without structural or catalytic perturbations: human annexin V, barstar, and dihydrofolate reductase. The reported synthesis of these Se-containing analogs is currently not efficient for commercial purposes. Thus a more efficient, concise, high-yield synthesis of selenotryptophan, as well as the corresponding, tellurotryptophan, will be necessary for wide spread use of these unnatural amino acid analogs. This research will highlight our progress towards a synthetic route of both [6,7]SeTrp and [6,7]TeTrp, which ultimately will be used to study the effect on the catalytic activity of Lignin Peroxidase (LiP).

  14. Antibacterial activity and toxicity of silver - nanosilver versus ionic silver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kvitek, L; Panacek, A; Prucek, R; Soukupova, J; Vanickova, M; Zboril, R; Kolar, M

    2011-01-01

    The in vitro study of antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (NPs), prepared via modified Tollens process, revealed high antibacterial activity even at very low concentrations around several units of mg/L. These concentrations are comparable with concentrations of ionic silver revealing same antibacterial effect. However, such low concentrations of silver NPs did not show acute cytotoxicity to mammalian cells - this occurs at concentrations higher than 60 mg/L of silver, while the cytotoxic level of ionic silver is much more lower (approx. 1 mg/L). Moreover, the silver NPs exhibit lower acute ecotoxicity against the eukaryotic organisms such as Paramecium caudatum, Monoraphidium sp. and D. melanogaster. The silver NPs are toxic to these organisms at the concentrations higher than 30 mg/L of silver. On contrary, ionic silver retains its cytoxicity and ecotoxicity even at the concentration equal to 1 mg/L. The performed experiments demonstrate significantly lower toxicity of silver NPs against the eukaryotic organisms than against the prokaryotic organisms.

  15. Antibacterial activity and toxicity of silver - nanosilver versus ionic silver

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kvitek, L; Panacek, A; Prucek, R; Soukupova, J; Vanickova, M; Zboril, R [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, 17. Listopadu 12, 77146 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Kolar, M, E-mail: ales.panacek@upol.cz [Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University, Hnevotinska 3, 77520 Olomouc (Czech Republic)

    2011-07-06

    The in vitro study of antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles (NPs), prepared via modified Tollens process, revealed high antibacterial activity even at very low concentrations around several units of mg/L. These concentrations are comparable with concentrations of ionic silver revealing same antibacterial effect. However, such low concentrations of silver NPs did not show acute cytotoxicity to mammalian cells - this occurs at concentrations higher than 60 mg/L of silver, while the cytotoxic level of ionic silver is much more lower (approx. 1 mg/L). Moreover, the silver NPs exhibit lower acute ecotoxicity against the eukaryotic organisms such as Paramecium caudatum, Monoraphidium sp. and D. melanogaster. The silver NPs are toxic to these organisms at the concentrations higher than 30 mg/L of silver. On contrary, ionic silver retains its cytoxicity and ecotoxicity even at the concentration equal to 1 mg/L. The performed experiments demonstrate significantly lower toxicity of silver NPs against the eukaryotic organisms than against the prokaryotic organisms.

  16. Mining-Related Selenium Contamination in Alaska, and the State of Current Knowledge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aibyek Khamkhash

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Selenium pollution has been a topic of extensive research dating back further than the last decade and has attracted significant attention from several environmental and regulatory agencies in order to monitor and control its discharge from myriad industrial sources. The mining industry is a prime contributor of hazardous selenium release in the aquatic systems and is responsible for both acute and chronic impacts on living organisms. Herein we provide an overview of selenium contamination issues, with a specific focus on selenium release from mining industries, including a discussion of various technologies commonly employed to treat selenium-impacted waters from mining discharge. Different cases pertaining to selenium release from Alaskan mines (during years 2000–2015 are also presented, along with measures taken to mitigate high concentration releases. For continued resource exploration and economic development activities, as well as environmental preservation, it is important to fundamentally understand such emerging and pressing issues as selenium contamination and investigate efficient technological approaches to counter these challenges.

  17. Serum selenium levels and the risk of progression of laryngeal cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubiński, Jan; Marciniak, Wojciech; Muszynska, Magdalena; Jaworowska, Ewa; Sulikowski, Mieczyslaw; Jakubowska, Anna; Kaczmarek, Katarzyna; Sukiennicki, Grzegorz; Falco, Michal; Baszuk, Piotr; Mojsiewicz, Magdalena; Kotsopoulos, Joanne; Sun, Ping; Narod, Steven A; Lubiński, Jan A

    2018-01-01

    Observational studies have reported an inverse relationship between selenium status (blood or toenail) and the risk of laryngeal cancer; however, the impact of low serum selenium level on survival has not been evaluated. We conducted a prospective study of 296 patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in Szczecin, Poland. Serum selenium was measured at diagnosis and prior to treatment. Patients were followed from the date of diagnosis to death at five years. Vital status was obtained by linkage to the Polish National Death Registry. The five-year survival after diagnosis was 82.0% (95% CI: 68% to 91%) for individuals in the highest quartile of serum selenium (> 66.8 μg/L) and was 28.6% (95% CI 19% to 42%) for individuals in the lowest quartile (selenium, compared to those in the highest quartile. The corresponding multivariate HR was 3.07 (95% CI 1.59 to 5.94). This study suggests that a selenium level in excess of 70 μg/L is associated with improved outcome among patients undergoing treatment for laryngeal cancer. Further studies are needed to evaluate if selenium supplementation to achieve this level might improve overall prognosis.

  18. Effect of tellurium on viscosity and liquid structure of GaSb melts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ji Leilei [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Jinan 250022 (China); Geng Haoran [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Jinan 250022 (China)], E-mail: mse_genghr@ujn.edu.cn; Sun Chunjing [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan 250061 (China); Teng Xinying; Liu Yamei [School of Material Science and Engineering, Jinan University, Jinan 250022 (China)

    2008-04-03

    The behavior of GaSb melt with tellurium addition was investigated using viscometer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Normally, the viscosity of all melts measured decreased with the increasing temperature. However, anomalous transition points were observed in the temperature dependence of viscosity for Ga-Sb-Te system. Corresponded with the abnormal points on the viscosity-temperature curves, there were thermal effect peaks on the DSC curves. Furthermore, viscous activation energy and flow units of these melts and their structural features were discussed in this paper.

  19. Selenium content of tissues in Finnish infants and adults with various diseases, and studies on the effects of selenium supplementation in neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Westermarck, T.

    1977-01-01

    A low blood selenium level has previously been observed in healthy inhabitants of Finland. In this study even lower blood selenium values were observed in patients with acrodermatitis enteropathica, dystrophia musculorum progressiva (Duchenne), infantile and juvenile type of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), severe mental retardation caused by various factors, and myocardial infarction. The selenium content of the brain, heart, kidney and liver in patients of different ages was also determined. The highest selenium level was found in the kidney. The mean liver selenium concentrations in stillborn, premature and full-term neonates were 1.11 plus minus 0.23 (8), 1.21 plus minus 0.17 (12) and 0.93 plus minus 0.16 μg/g dry weight (12) respectively (the number of subjects in parentheses). The selenium values are considerably higher than those in infants of from one to nine months of age and adults, whose liver selenium values were 0.58 plus minus 0.21 (8) and 0.67 plus minus 0.08 μg/g dry weight (8) respectively. The vitamin E levels of serum in patients with NCL, as well as in subjects with severe mental retardation (controls), were low compared with values in healthy normal subjects. Sodium selenite supplementation in patients with NCL produced at least a transitory improvement without causing any toxic effects during one year of administration. (author)

  20. The Thermodynamics of Selenium Minerals in Near-Surface Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Krivovichev

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Selenium compounds are relatively rare as minerals; there are presently only 118 known mineral species. This work is intended to codify and systematize the data of mineral systems and the thermodynamics of selenium minerals, which are unstable (selenides or formed in near-surface environments (selenites, where the behavior of selenium is controlled by variations of the redox potential and the acidity of solutions at low temperatures and pressures. These parameters determine the migration of selenium and its precipitation as various solid phases. All selenium minerals are divided into four groups—native selenium, oxide, selenides, and oxysalts—anhydrous selenites (I and hydrous selenites and selenates (II. Within each of the groups, minerals are codified according to the minimum number of independent elements necessary to define the composition of the mineral system. Eh–pH diagrams were calculated and plotted using the Geochemist’s Workbench (GMB 9.0 software package. The Eh–pH diagrams of the Me–Se–H2O systems (where Me = Co, Ni, Fe, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ag, Bi, As, Sb, Al and Ca were plotted for the average contents of these elements in acidic waters in the oxidation zones of sulfide deposits. The possibility of the formation of Zn, Cd, Ag and Hg selenites under natural oxidation conditions in near surface environments is discussed.

  1. Evaluation of the inorganic selenium biotransformation in selenium-enriched yogurt by HPLC-ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alzate, Adriana; Cañas, Benito; Pérez-Munguía, Sandra; Hernández-Mendoza, Hector; Pérez-Conde, Concepción; Gutiérrez, Ana Maria; Cámara, Carmen

    2007-11-28

    Selenium is an essential element in the human diet. Interestingly, there has been an increased consumption of dietary supplements containing this element in the form of either inorganic or organic compounds. The effect of using selenium as a dietary supplement in yogurt has been evaluated. For this purpose, different concentrations of inorganic Se (ranging from 0.2 to 5000 microg g(-1)) have been added to milk before the fermentation process. Biotransformation of inorganic Se into organic species has been carefully evaluated by ion-exchange, reversed-phase, or size-exclusion chromatography, coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Yogurt fermentation in the presence of up to 2 microg g(-1) of Se(IV) produces a complete incorporation of this element into proteins as has been demonstrated applying a dialysis procedure. Analysis by SEC-ICP-MS showed that most of them have a molecular mass in the range of 30-70 kDa. Species determination after enzymatic hydrolysis has allowed the identification of Se-cystine using two different chromatographic systems. The biotransformation process that takes place during yogurt fermentation is very attractive because yogurt can act as a source of selenium supplementation.

  2. Selenium transformation in coal mine spoils: Its environmental impact assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harness, J.; Atalay, A.; Koll, K.J.; Zhang, H.; Maggon, D.

    1991-12-31

    The objective of this program was to conduct an environmental impact assessment study for selenium from coal mine spoils. The use of in-situ lysimetry to predict selenium speciation, transformation, and mobility under natural conditions was evaluated. The scope of the study was to construct and test field-scale lysimeter and laboratory mini-column to assess mobility and speciation of selenium in coal mine overburden and soil systems; to conduct soil and groundwater sampling throughout the state of Oklahoma for an overall environmental impact assessment of selenium; and to conduct an in-depth literature review on the solubility, speciation, mobility, and toxicity of selenium from various sources. Groundwater and surface soil samples were also collected from each county in Oklahoma. Data collected from the lysimeter study indicated that selenium in the overburden of the abandoned mine site was mainly found in the selenite form. The amount of selenite found was too low and immobile to be of concern to the environment. The spoil had equilibrated long enough (over 50 years) that most of the soluble forms of selenium have already been lost. Examination of the overburden indicated the presence of pyrite crystals that precipitated over time. The laboratory mini-column study indicated that selenite is quite immobile and remained on the overburden material even after leaching with dilute acid. Data from groundwater samples indicated that based on the current permissible level for selenium in groundwater (0.01 mg Se/L), Oklahoma groundwater is widely contaminated with the element. However, according to the new regulation (0.05 mg Se/L), which is to be promulgated in 1992, only 9 of the 77 counties in the state exceed the limit.

  3. Bioaccumulation and toxicity of selenium compounds in the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umysová, Dáša; Vítová, Milada; Doušková, Irena; Bišová, Kateřina; Hlavová, Monika; Čížková, Mária; Machát, Jiří; Doucha, Jiří; Zachleder, Vilém

    2009-01-01

    Background Selenium is a trace element performing important biological functions in many organisms including humans. It usually affects organisms in a strictly dosage-dependent manner being essential at low and toxic at higher concentrations. The impact of selenium on mammalian and land plant cells has been quite extensively studied. Information about algal cells is rare despite of the fact that they could produce selenium enriched biomass for biotechnology purposes. Results We studied the impact of selenium compounds on the green chlorococcal alga Scenedesmus quadricauda. Both the dose and chemical forms of Se were critical factors in the cellular response. Se toxicity increased in cultures grown under sulfur deficient conditions. We selected three strains of Scenedesmus quadricauda specifically resistant to high concentrations of inorganic selenium added as selenite (Na2SeO3) – strain SeIV, selenate (Na2SeO4) – strain SeVI or both – strain SeIV+VI. The total amount of Se and selenomethionine in biomass increased with increasing concentration of Se in the culturing media. The selenomethionine made up 30–40% of the total Se in biomass. In both the wild type and Se-resistant strains, the activity of thioredoxin reductase, increased rapidly in the presence of the form of selenium for which the given algal strain was not resistant. Conclusion The selenium effect on the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was not only dose dependent, but the chemical form of the element was also crucial. With sulfur deficiency, the selenium toxicity increases, indicating interference of Se with sulfur metabolism. The amount of selenium and SeMet in algal biomass was dependent on both the type of compound and its dose. The activity of thioredoxin reductase was affected by selenium treatment in dose-dependent and toxic-dependent manner. The findings implied that the increase in TR activity in algal cells was a stress response to selenium cytotoxicity. Our study provides a new

  4. Bioaccumulation and toxicity of selenium compounds in the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Doucha Jiří

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Selenium is a trace element performing important biological functions in many organisms including humans. It usually affects organisms in a strictly dosage-dependent manner being essential at low and toxic at higher concentrations. The impact of selenium on mammalian and land plant cells has been quite extensively studied. Information about algal cells is rare despite of the fact that they could produce selenium enriched biomass for biotechnology purposes. Results We studied the impact of selenium compounds on the green chlorococcal alga Scenedesmus quadricauda. Both the dose and chemical forms of Se were critical factors in the cellular response. Se toxicity increased in cultures grown under sulfur deficient conditions. We selected three strains of Scenedesmus quadricauda specifically resistant to high concentrations of inorganic selenium added as selenite (Na2SeO3 – strain SeIV, selenate (Na2SeO4 – strain SeVI or both – strain SeIV+VI. The total amount of Se and selenomethionine in biomass increased with increasing concentration of Se in the culturing media. The selenomethionine made up 30–40% of the total Se in biomass. In both the wild type and Se-resistant strains, the activity of thioredoxin reductase, increased rapidly in the presence of the form of selenium for which the given algal strain was not resistant. Conclusion The selenium effect on the green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda was not only dose dependent, but the chemical form of the element was also crucial. With sulfur deficiency, the selenium toxicity increases, indicating interference of Se with sulfur metabolism. The amount of selenium and SeMet in algal biomass was dependent on both the type of compound and its dose. The activity of thioredoxin reductase was affected by selenium treatment in dose-dependent and toxic-dependent manner. The findings implied that the increase in TR activity in algal cells was a stress response to selenium cytotoxicity

  5. Response of selenium changes in blood using cyclic activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spyrou, N.M.; Akanle, O.B.; Damyanova, A.A.

    1986-01-01

    A study was undertaken to investigate the response of selenium uptake and washout in whole blood and its components in healthy subjects, aged 20 to 30 yr, who were given selenium as a supplement to their usual diet, in the form of a yeast tablet (200 mg) containing 100 μg of the element together with vitamins A, C, and E (natural). Selenium has gained worldwide interest not only as an essential trace element but as a potent modifier of environmental hazards and as a naturally occurring toxicant. It is important therefore to investigate the character and the degree of the changes in healthy people on selenium supplementation. Cyclic activation analysis was used for the determination of selenium concentration through the detection of /sup 77m/Se (17.5 s), because of the increased sensitivity of the method and the large number of samples involved

  6. Removal of Selenium and Nitrate in Groundwater Using Organic Carbon-Based Reactive Mixtures

    Science.gov (United States)

    An, Hyeonsil; Jeen, Sung-Wook

    2016-04-01

    Treatment of selenium and nitrate in groundwater was evaluated through column experiments. Four columns consisting of reactive mixtures, either organic carbon-limestone (OC-LS) or organic carbon-zero valent iron (OC-ZVI), were used to determine the removal efficiency of selenium with different concentrations of nitrate. The source waters were collected from a mine site in Korea or were prepared artificially based on the mine drainage water or deionized water, followed by spiking of elevated concentrations of Se (40 mg/L) and nitrate (100 or 10 mg/L as NO3-N). The results for the aqueous chemistry showed that selenium and nitrate were effectively removed both in the mine drainage water and deionized water-based artificial input solution. However, the removal of selenium was delayed when selenium and nitrate coexisted in the OC-LS columns. The removal of selenium was not significant when the influent nitrate concentration was 100 mg/L as NO3-N, while most of nitrate was gradually removed within the columns. In contrast, 94% of selenium was removed when the influent nitrate concentration was reduced to 10 mg/L as NO3-N. In the OC-ZVI column, selenium and nitrate was removed almost simultaneously and completely even with the high nitrate concentration; however, a high concentration of ammonia was produced as a by-product of abiotic reaction between ZVI and nitrate. The elemental analysis for the solid samples after the termination of the experiments showed that selenium was accumulated in the reactive materials where removal of aqueous-phase selenium mostly occurred. The X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) study indicated that selenium existed in the forms of SeS2 and Se(0) in the OC-LS column, while selenium was present in the forms of FeSe, SeS2 and absorbed Se(IV) in the OC-ZVI column. This study shows that OC-based reactive mixtures have an ability to remove selenium and nitrate in groundwater. However, the removal of selenium was influenced by the high

  7. Metabolism of manganese, iron, copper, and selenium in calves

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ho, S.Y.

    1981-01-01

    Sixteen male Holstein calves were used to study manganese and iron metabolism. The calves were fed one of the following diets for 18 days: control, control + iron, control + manganese, and control + iron and manganese. All calves were dosed orally with manganese-54. Tissue concentrations of manganese, iron and manganese-54 were determined. Small intestinal iron was lower in calves fed the high manganese diet than in controls. Tissue manganese-54 was lower in calves fed a high manganese diet. Fecal manganese content increased in calves fed both high manganese and high manganese-high iron diets. Serum total iron was not affected by the dietary treatments. To study the effects of high dietary levels of copper and selenium on the intracellular distributions of these two elements in liver and kidney cytosol, calves were fed one of four diets for 15 days. These were 0 and 100 ppM supplemental copper and 0 and 1 ppM added selenium. The control diet containing 0.1 ppM of selenium and 15 ppM of copper. All calves were orally dosed 48 hrs prior to sacrifice with selenium-75. A high copper diet increased copper concentrations in all intracellular liver fractions and most kidney fractions. Only the effects in the liver were significant. Less copper was found in the mitochondria fractions in liver and kidney of calves fed a high selenium diet. Three major copper-binding protein peaks were separated from the soluble fractions of calf liver and kidney. Peak 1 appeared to be the major copper-binding protein in liver and kidney cytosol of copper-loaded animals. Added selenium alone or in combination with copper accentuated the copper accumulation in this peak. Most of selenium-75 was recovered in the same peak as the copper. The results of this experiment indicated that the large molecular proteins in liver and kidney cytosol of calves play an important role in copper and selenium-75 metabolism

  8. Selenium containing clays minerals as additive for the discoloration of glass

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Timmer, K.; Limpt, J.A.C. van; Fischer, H.R.

    2010-01-01

    While selenium is applied as decolorizing agent for flint container glass or tableware glass, the retention of selenium in glass however is very low. Generally more than 75% of the total selenium input sublimes from the glass melt and leaves the clay minerals due to the high volatility of

  9. Designing the selenium and bladder cancer trial (SELEBLAT, a phase lll randomized chemoprevention study with selenium on recurrence of bladder cancer in Belgium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goossens Maria E

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In Belgium, bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in males (5.2% and the sixth most frequent cause of death from cancer in males (3.8%. Previous epidemiological studies have consistently reported that selenium concentrations were inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer. This suggests that selenium may also be suitable for chemoprevention of recurrence. Method The SELEBLAT study opened in September 2009 and is still recruiting all patients with non-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder on TURB operation in 15 Belgian hospitals. Recruitment progress can be monitored live at http://www.seleblat.org. Patients are randomly assigned to selenium yeast (200 μg/day supplementation for 3 years or matching placebo, in addition to standard care. The objective is to determine the effect of selenium on the recurrence of bladder cancer. Randomization is stratified by treatment centre. A computerized algorithm randomly assigns the patients to a treatment arm. All study personnel and participants are blinded to treatment assignment for the duration of the study. Design The SELEnium and BLAdder cancer Trial (SELEBLAT is a phase III randomized, placebo-controlled, academic, double-blind superior trial. Discussion This is the first report on a selenium randomized trial in bladder cancer patients. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00729287

  10. Ecologic study of serum selenium and upper gastrointestinal cancers in Iran.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nouarie, Mehdi; Pourshams, Akram; Kamangar, Farin; Sotoudeh, Masood; Derakhshan, Mohammad Hossein; Akbari, Mohammad Reza; Fakheri, Hafez; Zahedi, Mohammad Javad; Caldwell, Kathleen; Abnet, Christian C; Taylor, Philip R; Malekzadeh, Reza; Dawsey, Sanford M

    2004-09-01

    Both observational and experimental studies have shown that higher selenium status reduces the risk of upper gastrointestinal cancers in selenium deficient populations. Recent cancer registry data have shown very different rates of esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC) in four Provinces of Iran, namely Ardabil, Mazandaran, Golestan, and Kerman. The aim of this study was to have a preliminary assessment of the hypothesis that high rates of EC in Golestan and high rates of GC in Ardabil may be partly attributable to selenium deficiency. We measured serum selenium in 300 healthy adults from Ardabil (n = 100), Mazandaran (n = 50), Golestan (n = 100), and Kerman (n = 50), using inductively coupled plasma, with dynamic reaction cell, mass spectrometry (ICP-DRC-MS) at the US Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta, Georgia). The median serum selenium concentrations were very different in the four Provinces. The medians (IQR) for selenium in Ardabil, Mazandarn, Golestan, and Kerman were 82 (75-94), 123 (111-132), 155 (141-173), and 119 (110-128) microg/L, respectively (P<0.001). The results of linear regression showed that the Province variable, by itself, explained 76% of the variance in log selenium (r2 = 0.76). The proportion of the populations with a serum selenium more than 90 microg/L (the concentration at which serum selenoproteins are saturated) was 100% in Golestan, Kerman, and Mazandaran but only 29% in Ardabil. Our findings suggest that selenium deficiency is not a major contributor to the high incidence of EC seen in northeastern Iran, but it may play a role in the high incidence of GC in Ardabil Province. Copyright 2004 The WJG Press ISSN

  11. Plasma and breast-milk selenium in HIV-infected Malawian mothers are positively associated with infant selenium status but are not associated with maternal supplementation: results of the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flax, Valerie L; Bentley, Margaret E; Combs, Gerald F; Chasela, Charles S; Kayira, Dumbani; Tegha, Gerald; Kamwendo, Debbie; Daza, Eric J; Fokar, Ali; Kourtis, Athena P; Jamieson, Denise J; van der Horst, Charles M; Adair, Linda S

    2014-04-01

    Selenium is found in soils and is essential for human antioxidant defense and immune function. In Malawi, low soil selenium and dietary intakes coupled with low plasma selenium concentrations in HIV infection could have negative consequences for the health of HIV-infected mothers and their exclusively breastfed infants. We tested the effects of lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) that contained 1.3 times the Recommended Dietary Allowance of sodium selenite and antiretroviral drugs (ARV) on maternal plasma and breast-milk selenium concentrations. HIV-infected Malawian mothers in the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition study were randomly assigned at delivery to receive: LNS, ARV, LNS and ARV, or a control. In a subsample of 526 mothers and their uninfected infants, we measured plasma and breast-milk selenium concentrations at 2 or 6 (depending on the availability of infant samples) and 24 wk postpartum. Overall, mean (± SD) maternal (range: 81.2 ± 20.4 to 86.2 ± 19.9 μg/L) and infant (55.6 ± 16.3 to 61.0 ± 15.4 μg/L) plasma selenium concentrations increased, whereas breast-milk selenium concentrations declined (14.3 ± 11.5 to 9.8 ± 7.3 μg/L) from 2 or 6 to 24 wk postpartum (all P milk selenium from 2 or 6 to 24 wk postpartum (both P milk selenium, but maternal selenium concentrations were positively associated with infant plasma selenium at 2 or 6 and 24 wk postpartum (P milk selenium concentrations. Future research should examine effects of more readily incorporated forms of selenium (ie, selenomethionine) in HIV-infected breastfeeding women.

  12. Synthesis of Novel E-2-Chlorovinyltellurium Compounds Based on the Stereospecific Anti-addition of Tellurium Tetrachloride to Acetylene

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Svetlana V. Amosova

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available The reaction of tellurium tetrachloride with acetylene proceeds in a stereospecific anti-addition manner to afford the novel products E-2-chlorovinyltellurium trichloride and E,E-bis(2-chlorovinyltellurium dichloride. Reaction conditions for the selective preparation of each of these products were found. The latter was obtained in 90% yield in CHCl3 under a pressure of acetylene of 10–15 atm, whereas the former product was formed in up to 72% yield in CCl4 under a pressure of acetylene of 1–3 atm. Synthesis of the previously unknown E,E-bis(2-chlorovinyl telluride, E,E-bis(2-chlorovinyl ditelluride, E-2-chlorovinyl 1,2,2-trichloroethyl telluride and E,E-bis(2-chlorovinyl-tellurium dibromide is described.

  13. The application of three-phase liquid-liquid extraction to the analysis of bismuth and tellurium in sulphide concentrates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicholas, D.J.

    1976-01-01

    An extraction system consisting of one aqueous and two organic phases is described. Diantipyrylmethane (DAM) is used as the extractant for bismuth and tellurium, which are extracted into the smaller of the two organic phases from nitric acid and perchloric acid respectively. The extraction efficiency is in the range of 90 to 95 per cent, compensation for incomplete extraction being made by the technique of standard addition. Copper, lead, and zinc are not extracted in either procedure. When the solutions contain high concentrations of iron, thioglycolic acid is used as a masking agent for iron in the extraction of bismuth. Atomic-absorption spectrophotometry is used for the analysis of the third phase after it has been diluted with methanol. The precision for bismuth and tellurium is in the range of 3 to 4 per cent. The accuracy, as ascertained from comparative analyses of sulphide concentrates, is good

  14. Tellurium stable isotope fractionation in chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fehr, Manuela A.; Hammond, Samantha J.; Parkinson, Ian J.

    2018-02-01

    New methodologies employing a 125Te-128Te double-spike were developed and applied to obtain high precision mass-dependent tellurium stable isotope data for chondritic meteorites and some terrestrial samples by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Analyses of standard solutions produce Te stable isotope data with a long-term reproducibility (2SD) of 0.064‰ for δ130/125Te. Carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites display a range in δ130/125Te of 0.9‰ (0.2‰ amu-1) in their Te stable isotope signature, whereas ordinary chondrites present larger Te stable isotope fractionation, in particular for unequilibrated ordinary chondrites, with an overall variation of 6.3‰ for δ130/125Te (1.3‰ amu-1). Tellurium stable isotope variations in ordinary chondrites display no correlation with Te contents or metamorphic grade. The large Te stable isotope fractionation in ordinary chondrites is likely caused by evaporation and condensation processes during metamorphism in the meteorite parent bodies, as has been suggested for other moderately and highly volatile elements displaying similar isotope fractionation. Alternatively, they might represent a nebular signature or could have been produced during chondrule formation. Enstatite chondrites display slightly more negative δ130/125Te compared to carbonaceous chondrites and equilibrated ordinary chondrites. Small differences in the Te stable isotope composition are also present within carbonaceous chondrites and increase in the order CV-CO-CM-CI. These Te isotope variations within carbonaceous chondrites may be due to mixing of components that have distinct Te isotope signatures reflecting Te stable isotope fractionation in the early solar system or on the parent bodies and potentially small so-far unresolvable nucleosynthetic isotope anomalies of up to 0.27‰. The Te stable isotope data of carbonaceous and enstatite chondrites displays a general correlation with the oxidation state and hence might

  15. Selenium content in tissues and meat quality in rabbits fed selenium yeast

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Dokoupilová, A.; Marounek, Milan; Skřivanová, V.; Březina, P.

    2007-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 6 (2007), s. 165-169 ISSN 1212-1819 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : rabbits * selenium * meat Subject RIV: GH - Livestock Nutrition Impact factor: 0.633, year: 2007

  16. Features of selenium metabolism in humans living under the conditions of North European Russia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parshukova, Olga; Potolitsyna, Natalya; Shadrina, Vera; Chernykh, Aleksei; Bojko, Evgeny

    2014-08-01

    Selenium supplementation and its effects on Northerners have been little studied. The aim of our study was to assess the selenium levels of the inhabitants of North European Russia, the seasonal aspects of selenium supplementation, and the interrelationships between selenium levels and the levels of thyroid gland hormones. To study the particular features of selenium metabolism in Northerners over the course of 1 year, 19 healthy male Caucasian volunteers (18-21 years old) were recruited for the present study. The subjects were military guards in a Northern European region of Russia (Syktyvkar, Russia, 62°N latitude) who spent 6-10-h outdoors daily. The study was conducted over a 12-month period. Selenium levels, glutathione peroxidase (GP) activity, as well as total triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxin (T4), free thyroxin, free triiodothyronine, and thyrotropin (TSH) levels, were determined in the blood serum. The study subjects showed low levels of plasma selenium throughout the year. We observed a noticeable decrease in plasma selenium levels during the period from May to August, with the lowest levels in July. Selenium levels in the military guards correlated with the levels of selenium-dependent GP enzyme activity throughout the year. Additionally, we demonstrated a significant correlation between selenium and pituitary-thyroid axis hormones (total T3, free T4, and TSH) in periods in which plasma selenium levels were lower than the established normal ranges. Over the course of 1 year, low levels of plasma selenium affect GP activity and thyroid hormone levels in humans living in North European Russia.

  17. Use of sodium hydroxide treated selenium deficient barley to induce vitamin E and selenium deficiency in yearling cattle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rice, D A; McMurray, C H

    1986-02-15

    Selenium deficient barley grown in Northern Ireland was treated with sodium hydroxide to deplete it of vitamin E. Housed cattle fed a complete diet based on this treated barley developed nutritional degenerative myopathy, showing that spontaneous myopathy in yearling cattle can be the result of vitamin E and selenium deficiency alone. The diet used is as effective and cheaper than others presently in use for inducing degenerative myopathy.

  18. Loss of selenium in drying and storage of agronomic plant species

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Gunnar Gissel

    1970-01-01

    In two experiments with Se75, loss of selenium from agricultural species was noted during both drying and storage. The loss of selenium during drying was to some extent overshadowed by the influence of self-absorption caused by the water in the fresh material. The results showed that even plant...... material of non-indicator plantslose volatile selenium at drying temperatures of 60°C or higher, and in some cases even at temperatures below 60°C. The results also showed that storage as briquettes gives the lowest storage loss of selenium....

  19. Association between Toenail Mercury and Metabolic Syndrome Is Modified by Selenium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kyong Park

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Although Asian populations consume relatively large amounts of fish and seafood and have a high prevalence of metabolic diseases, few studies have investigated the association between chronic mercury exposure and metabolic syndrome and its effect modification by selenium. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from the Trace Element Study of Korean Adults in the Yeungnam area. Participants included 232 men and 269 women, aged 35 years or older, who had complete data regarding demographic, lifestyle, diet, toenail mercury and selenium levels, and health. Toenail mercury and selenium concentrations were measured using instrumental neutron-activation analysis. The metabolic biomarker levels were obtained through biannual medical checkups. Results: Higher toenail mercury levels were associated with habitual consumption of whale and shark meats, older age, obesity, smoking, alcohol drinking, and higher household income. Multivariable analysis showed a positive association between toenail mercury exposure and metabolic syndrome. In addition, this association was significantly stronger at lower selenium levels and was weaker at higher selenium levels. Conclusion: The possible harmful effects of mercury on metabolic syndrome may be attenuated by high levels of selenium. Future studies are needed to suggest optimal dietary guidelines regarding fish and selenium intakes, particularly for Asians with high levels of fish intake.

  20. Inter-individual variation of selenium in maternal plasma, cord plasma and placenta

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Anne M.; Huel, Guy; Godin, Jean; Hellier, Georgette; Sahuquillo, Josiane; Moreau, Thierry; Blot, Phillipe

    1994-01-01

    Selenium (Se) in high doses has been known to cause injury to the fetus and newborn. The major difficulty in assessing the effects of selenium on human reproduction stems from the need for a suitable means of estimating maternal and fetal exposure. The present investigation, therefore, examines the respective reliability of maternal plasma, cord plasma and placenta as epidemiological indicators as well as inter-individual variation of this trace element. An unselected population of 128 pregnancies was studied. Obstetrical characteristics were noted. Selenium concentrations were determined for maternal plasma, cord plasma, and placental tissue by fluorometric analysis. Maternal plasma selenium concentrations (Se-Bm) were significantly greater than fetal concentrations (Se-Bc). Placental selenium (Se-Pl) levels were four times that of fetal levels. Variability of Se-Bc is best explained by placental concentrations. Maternal weight and ethnic origin are significantly correlated with Se-Bc. Female newborn have higher selenium levels than male newborn. The present study demonstrates the significance of the placenta as an indicator of fetal selenium exposure

  1. Preparation and characterization of a laboratory scale selenomethionine-enriched bread. Selenium bioaccessibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez-Martínez, María; Pérez-Corona, Teresa; Caímara, Carmen; Madrid, Yolanda

    2015-01-14

    This study focuses on the preparation at lab scale of selenomethionine-enriched white and wholemeal bread. Selenium was supplemented either by adding selenite directly to the dough or by using lab-made selenium-enriched yeast. The best results were obtained when using fresh selenium-enriched yeast. The optimum incubation time for selenomethionine-enriched yeast preparation, while keeping formation of selenium byproducts to a minimum, was 96 h. Selenium content measured by isotope dilution analysis (IDA)-ICP-MS in Se-white and Se-wholemeal bread was 1.28 ± 0.02 μg g–1 and 1.16 ± 0.02 μg g–1 (expressed as mean ± SE, 3 replicates), respectively. HPLC postcolumn IDA-ICP-MS measurements revealed that selenomethionine was the main Se species found in Se-enriched bread, which accounted for ca. 80% of total selenium. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion assay provided selenium bioaccessibility values of 100 ± 3% and 40 ± 1% for white and wholemeal Se-enriched bread, respectively, being selenomethionine the main bioaccessible Se species in white bread, while in wholemeal bread this compound was undetectable.

  2. Chalcogen doping of silicon via intense femtosecond-laser irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sheehy, Michael A.; Tull, Brian R.; Friend, Cynthia M.; Mazur, Eric

    2007-01-01

    We have previously shown that doping silicon with sulfur via femtosecond-laser irradiation leads to near-unity absorption of radiation from ultraviolet wavelengths to below band gap short-wave infrared wavelengths. Here, we demonstrate that doping silicon with two other group VI elements (chalcogens), selenium and tellurium, also leads to near-unity broadband absorption. A powder of the chalcogen dopant is spread on the silicon substrate and irradiated with femtosecond-laser pulses. We examine and compare the resulting morphology, optical properties, and chemical composition for each chalcogen-doped substrate before and after thermal annealing. Thermal annealing reduces the absorption of below band gap radiation by an amount that correlates with the diffusivity of the chalcogen dopant used to make the sample. We propose a mechanism for the absorption of below band gap radiation based on defects in the lattice brought about by the femtosecond-laser irradiation and the presence of a supersaturated concentration of chalcogen dopant atoms. The selenium and tellurium doped samples show particular promise for use in infrared photodetectors as they retain most of their infrared absorptance even after thermal annealing-a necessary step in many semiconductor device manufacturing processes

  3. Recent Microextraction Techniques for Determination and Chemical Speciation of Selenium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ibrahim Ahmed S. A.

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Research designed to improve extraction has led to the development of microextraction techniques (ME, which involve simple, low cost, and effective preconcentrationof analytes in various matrices. This review is concerned with the principles and theoretical background of ME, as well as the development of applications for selenium analysis during the period from 2008 to 2016. Among all ME, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction was found to be most favorable for selenium. On the other hand, atomic absorption spectrometry was the most frequently used instrumentation. Selenium ME have rarely been coupled to spectrophotometry and X-ray spectrophotometry methods, and there is no published application of ME with electrochemical techniques. We strongly support the idea of using a double preconcentration process, which consists of microextraction prior to preconcentration, followed by selenium determination using cathodic stripping voltammetry (ME-CSV. More attention should focus on the development of accurate, precise, and green methods for selenium analysis.

  4. Selenium Exposure and Cancer Risk: an Updated Meta-analysis and Meta-regression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Xianlei; Wang, Chen; Yu, Wanqi; Fan, Wenjie; Wang, Shan; Shen, Ning; Wu, Pengcheng; Li, Xiuyang; Wang, Fudi

    2016-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between selenium exposure and cancer risk. We identified 69 studies and applied meta-analysis, meta-regression and dose-response analysis to obtain available evidence. The results indicated that high selenium exposure had a protective effect on cancer risk (pooled OR = 0.78; 95%CI: 0.73–0.83). The results of linear and nonlinear dose-response analysis indicated that high serum/plasma selenium and toenail selenium had the efficacy on cancer prevention. However, we did not find a protective efficacy of selenium supplement. High selenium exposure may have different effects on specific types of cancer. It decreased the risk of breast cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, and prostate cancer, but it was not associated with colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, and skin cancer. PMID:26786590

  5. Selenium status and cancer mortality in subjects residing in four Canadian provinces

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, J.S.; Horsman, T.L.; Spate, V.L.; Baskett, C.K.; Mason, M.M.; Nichols, T.A.; Rohan, T.; Soskolne, C.L.; Jain, M.

    2001-01-01

    Selenium status in male and female Canadian subjects was measured relative to cancer mortality in their respective provinces. Toenail specimens from 755 subjects, 377 males and 378 females, living in Vancouver (186), Edmonton (188), Toronto (197) and Montreal (184) were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis giving means of 0.968 ± 0.177, 0.950 ± 0.148, 0.932 ± 0.135 and 0.896 ± 0.127 ppm Se, respectively. The effect of selenium determinants such as gender, selenium supplementation and smoking on selenium status is presented. Details of the observed inverse relationship of selenium status and cancer mortality are discussed. (author)

  6. Characterization of selenium doped silica glasses synthesized by sol-gel method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, R.A.; Toffoli, S.M.

    2012-01-01

    Selenium is a rare element in nature. It is used in the food, pharmaceutical, and glass industries. In commercial glasses, selenium is the element responsible for most of the pink or light red color, but its effect is primarily dependent on the oxidation state of the element in the glassy matrix. Besides, selenium is highly volatile, and as high as 80 wt% may be lost in the furnace during the industrial glass elaboration. The sol– gel method yields synthesized materials of high purity and homogeneity, and uses low processing temperatures. Samples of silica glass were obtained by sol-gel method, incorporating precursors of selenium, with the main objective of reducing selenium losses during its heating. The results of optical absorption, XRD and thermal analysis (TGA, DSC) of the glasses are presented and discussed. (author)

  7. Concentrations of boron, molybdenum, and selenium in chinook salmon

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, Steven J.; Wiedmeyer, Raymond H.

    1990-01-01

    The concentrations of boron, molybdenum, and selenium in young chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha were determined in three partial life cycle chronic toxicity studies. In each study, fish were exposed to a mixture of boron, molybdenum, selenate, and selenite in the proportions found in subsurface agricultural drainage water in the basin of the San Joaquin Valley, California. Tests were conducted in well water and in site-specific fresh and brackish waters. No boron or molybdenum was detected in fish exposed to concentrations as high as 6,046 μg boron/L and 193 μg molybdenum/L for 90 d in well water or fresh water; however, whole-body concentrations of selenium increased with increasing exposure concentrations in well water and fresh water, but not in brackish water. Concentrations of selenium in chinook salmon were strongly correlated with reduced survival and growth of fish in well water and with reduced survival in a 15-d seawater challenge test of fish from fresh water. Concentrations of selenium in fish seemed to reach a steady state after 60 d of exposure in well water or fresh water. Fish in brackish water had only background concentrations of selenium after 60 d of exposure, and no effects on survival and growth in brackish water or on survival in a 10-d seawater challenge test were exhibited. This lack of effect in brackish water was attributed to initiation of the study with advanced fry, which were apparently better able to metabolize the trace element mixture than were the younger fish used in studies with well water and fresh water. In all three experimental waters, concentration factors (whole-body concentration/waterborne concentration) for selenium decreased with increasing exposure concentrations, suggesting decreased uptake or increased excretion, or both, of selenium at the higher concentrations.

  8. The influence of composition of fluoride electrolytes and conditions of the electrodeposition on some properties of tellurium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bugelis, V.M.; Kum, G.N.; Abrarov, O.A.; Madumarov, A.; Navalikhin, L.V.; Ajnakulov, Eh.B.

    1981-01-01

    Effect of electrolytic bath content, cathode current density, illumination and temperature on specific resistance, photosensitivity, structure and chemical purity of plated tellurium coatings is studied. Deposition is realized from moderately acid fluoride electrolytes at the constant temperature with a platinum working electrode. X-ray studies of precipitates obtained are carried out

  9. Selenium in the Blackfoot, Salt, and Bear River Watersheds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

    2005-01-01

    Nine stream sites in the Blackfoot River, Salt River, and Bear River watersheds in southeast Idaho, USA were sampled in May 2001 for water, surficial sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Selenium was measured in these aquatic ecosystem components, and a hazard assessment was performed on the data. Water quality characteristics such as pH, hardness, and specific conductance were relatively uniform among the nine sites. Of the aquatic components assessed, water was the least contaminated with selenium because measured concentrations were below the national water quality criterion of 5 μ g/L at eight of the nine sites. In contrast, selenium was elevated in sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish from several sites, suggesting deposition in sediments and food web cycling through plants and invertebrates. Selenium was elevated to concentrations of concern in fish at eight sites (> 4 μ g/g in whole body). A hazard assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment suggested a moderate hazard at upper Angus Creek (UAC) and Smoky Creek (SC), and high hazard at Little Blackfoot River (LiB), Blackfoot River gaging station (BGS), State Land Creek (SLC), upper (UGC) and lower Georgetown Creek (LGC), Deer Creek (DC), and Crow Creek (CC). The results of this study indicate that selenium concentrations from the phosphate mining area of southeast Idaho were sufficiently elevated in several ecosystem components to cause adverse effects to aquatic resources in southeastern Idaho.

  10. Selenium Treatment Technologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selenium (Se) is a metalloid that is a dietary requirement in small quantities, but toxic at higher quantities. It also is known to bioaccumulate. In oxic environments, it exists as selenate (+6) and selenite (+4), both of which are soluble. Selenite will sorb more strongly to...

  11. Effect of selenium on malignant tumor cells of brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Z; Kimura, M; Itokawa, Y; Nakatsu, S; Oda, Y; Kikuchi, H

    1995-07-01

    Some reports have demonstrated that selenium can inhibit tumorigenesis in some tissues of animal. However, little is known about the inhibitory effect on malignant tumor cells of brain. The purpose of our study was to determine the biological effect of selenium on growth of rat glioma and human glioblastoma cell lines. Cell lines C6 and A172 were obtained from Japanese Cancer Research Resources Bank, Tokyo, Japan (JCRB). Cells were cultured in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum at 37 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of air and 5% CO2. Antiproliferative effects of selenium were evaluated using growth rate assay quantifying cell number by MTT assay. An antiproliferative effect of selenium was found in two cell lines, which was more effective on human A172 glioblastoma and less effective on rat C6 glioma.

  12. Radiation protection effect of selenium on the Rat's prostate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Hyung Seok; Choi, Jun Hyeok; Jung, Do Young; Kim, Jang Oh; Shin, Ji Hye; Kim, Joo Hee; Min, Byung In [Inje University, Kimhae (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-06-15

    High-tech medical equipment has increased the utilization of radiation in the medical field. As a result, research on radiation protection using natural materials has become an important social issue. Selenium is a natural substance that is highly expressed in prostate known that an essential role in prostate cells. Selenium was orally administered to Rat and irradiated with 10 Gy of radiation. Then, the prostate tissue was used as a target organ for 1 day, 7 days and 21 days to investigate the radiation protection effect of selenium through changes of blood components, Superoxide Dismutase and histological changes. As a result, there was a significant protective effect of hematopoietic immune system(hemoglobin concentration, neutrophil, platelet) in the group irradiated with selenium(p<0.05). The observation of tissue changes selenium is an effective component to increase Superoxide Dismutase activity, and it was confirmed that it has an effect of inhibiting the expression of hypertrophy of prostate by irradiation. Therefore, it is considered that selenium can be utilized as a radioprotective agent by inducing prevention of prostate-related diseases.

  13. Oral toxicity of silver ions, silver nanoparticles and colloidal silver--a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hadrup, Niels; Lam, Henrik R

    2014-02-01

    Orally administered silver has been described to be absorbed in a range of 0.4-18% in mammals with a human value of 18%. Based on findings in animals, silver seems to be distributed to all of the organs investigated, with the highest levels being observed in the intestine and stomach. In the skin, silver induces a blue-grey discoloration termed argyria. Excretion occurs via the bile and urine. The following dose-dependent animal toxicity findings have been reported: death, weight loss, hypoactivity, altered neurotransmitter levels, altered liver enzymes, altered blood values, enlarged hearts and immunological effects. Substantial evidence exists suggesting that the effects induced by particulate silver are mediated via silver ions that are released from the particle surface. With the current data regarding toxicity and average human dietary exposure, a Margin of Safety calculation indicates at least a factor of five before a level of concern to the general population is reached. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. EFFECT OF SELENIUM SUPPLEMENTATION ON PIG PRODUCTION PROPERTIES, ANTIOXIDANT STATUS AND MEAT QUALITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomislav Šperanda

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Food containing functional ingredients to achieve a positive effect on health and reducing the risk of infection is increasing production. It is also very important to improve the quality of pork with respect to change the genetic makeup of pigs that raised leanness, being inversely correlated with the quality of meat. This study monitored the effectiveness of addition of higher doses of organic selenium in the diet of fattening pigs in relation to their growth, immunity, antioxidant power, the quality of meat and possibility of meat enriching with selenium. The experiment was carried out on 100 pigs (crossbred WJxSLxP of both sexes, from 28 kg to 98 kg body weight during a period of 98 days. Piglets fed the finished feed mixture for fattening up to 60 kg (ST-1 and a mixture for fattening up to 100 kg (DM-2 in addition, by the groups as follows: K-0. 3 mg/kg organic selenium, P1-0.5 mg/kg inorganic selenium, P2-0.5 mg/kg organic selenium, P3-0.5 mg/ kg organic selenium +0.2% zeolite clinoptilolite treated vibrotehnology and P4-gradual increase in selenium so that the concentration of the last month was 0.7 mg/ kg diet of organic selenium. All groups of pigs fed high concentration of organic selenium had a higher proportion of lymphocytes, especially CD4 T lymphocytes. Glutathione peroxidase activity was higher in all groups fed elevated selenium levels and significantly higher in the P3 and P4 groups 71st and 98th days of the trials. Glutathione reductase was significantly higher in the P3 and P4 group 98th days compared to the control. Antioxidant indicators suggested increased antioxidant protection in groups supplemented with 0.5 ppm organic selenium and selenium formulations of the same with the addition of zeolite under stress intensive pig production. No differences were found in the products of lipid peroxidation (TBARS in raw meat or in meat after a week in refrigerator storage. By histological examination statistically higher level of

  15. Total selenium in irrigation drain inflows to the Salton Sea, California, April 2009

    Science.gov (United States)

    May, Thomas W.; Walther, Michael J.; Saiki, Michael K.; Brumbaugh, William G.

    2009-01-01

    This report presents the results for the final sampling period (April 2009) of a 4-year monitoring program to characterize selenium concentrations in selected irrigation drains flowing into the Salton Sea, California. Total selenium and total suspended solids were determined in water samples. Total selenium, percent total organic carbon, and particle size were determined in sediments. Mean total selenium concentrations in water ranged from 0.98 to 22.9 micrograms per liter. Total selenium concentrations in sediment ranged from 0.078 to 5.0 micrograms per gram dry weight.

  16. Oral toxicity of silver ions, silver nanoparticles and colloidal silver – a review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hadrup, Niels; Lam, Henrik Rye

    2014-01-01

    Orally administered silver has been described to be absorbed in a range of 0.4-18% in mammals with a human value of 18%. Based on findings in animals, silver seems to be distributed to all of the organs investigated, with the highest levels being observed in the intestine and stomach. In the skin......, silver induces a blue-grey discoloration termed argyria. Excretion occurs via the bile and urine. The following dose-dependent animal toxicity findings have been reported: death, weight loss, hypoactivity, altered neurotransmitter levels, altered liver enzymes, altered blood values, enlarged hearts...... and immunological effects. Substantial evidence exists suggesting that the effects induced by particulate silver are mediated via silver ions that are released from the particle surface. With the current data regarding toxicity and average human dietary exposure, a Margin of Safety calculation indicates at least...

  17. Shape coexistence in selenium isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Ying; Cao Zhongbin; Xu Furong

    2010-01-01

    Nuclear shape change and shape coexistence in the Selenium isotopes have been investigated by Total-Routhian-Surface (TRS) calculations. It is found that nuclear shapes vary significantly with increasing neutron number. The TRS calculations for the ground states of 66,72,92,94 Se isotopes show that both neutron-deficient and neutron-dripline Selenium isotopes have oblate and prolate shape coexistence. The cranking shell-model calculations for 72,94 Se give that prolate and oblate shape coexistence in low rotational frequency. However, oblate rotational bands disappear and prolate rotational bands become yrast bands with increasing rotational frequency, which is due to the intrusion of the g 9/2 orbitals. (authors)

  18. Redox-Active Selenium Compounds—From Toxicity and Cell Death to Cancer Treatment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sougat Misra

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is generally known as an antioxidant due to its presence in selenoproteins as selenocysteine, but it is also toxic. The toxic effects of selenium are, however, strictly concentration and chemical species dependent. One class of selenium compounds is a potent inhibitor of cell growth with remarkable tumor specificity. These redox active compounds are pro-oxidative and highly cytotoxic to tumor cells and are promising candidates to be used in chemotherapy against cancer. Herein we elaborate upon the major forms of dietary selenium compounds, their metabolic pathways, and their antioxidant and pro-oxidant potentials with emphasis on cytotoxic mechanisms. Relative cytotoxicity of inorganic selenite and organic selenocystine compounds to different cancer cells are presented as evidence to our perspective. Furthermore, new novel classes of selenium compounds specifically designed to target tumor cells are presented and the potential of selenium in modern oncology is extensively discussed.

  19. Binding and Conversion of Selenium in Candida utilis ATCC 9950 Yeasts in Bioreactor Culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marek Kieliszek

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is considered an essential component of all living organisms. The use of yeasts as a selenium supplement in human nutrition has gained much interest over the last decade. The accumulation and biochemical transformation of selenium in yeast cells is particularly interesting to many researchers. In this article, we present the results of the determination of selenium and selenomethionine content in the biomass of feed yeast Candida utilis ATCC 9950 obtained from the culture grown in a bioreactor. The results indicated that C. utilis cells performed the biotransformation of inorganic selenium(IV to organic derivatives (e.g., selenomethionine. Selenium introduced (20–30 mg Se4+∙L−1 to the experimental media in the form of sodium(IV selenite (Na2SeO3 salt caused a significant increase in selenium content in the biomass of C. utilis,irrespective of the concentration. The highest amount of selenium (1841 μg∙gd.w.−1 was obtained after a 48-h culture in media containing 30 mg Se4+∙L−1. The highest content of selenomethionine (238.8 μg∙gd.w.−1 was found after 48-h culture from the experimental medium that was supplemented with selenium at a concentration of 20 mg Se4+∙L−1. Biomass cell in the cultures supplemented with selenium ranged from 1.5 to 14.1 g∙L−1. The results of this study indicate that yeast cell biomass of C. utilis enriched mainly with the organic forms of selenium can be a valuable source of protein. It creates the possibility of obtaining selenium biocomplexes that can be used in the production of protein-selenium dietary supplements for animals and humans

  20. Thermodynamic assessment of the palladium-tellurium (Pd-Te) system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gosse, S.; Gueneau, C.

    2011-01-01

    Among the fission products formed in nuclear fuels, the platinum-group metal palladium and the chalcogen element tellurium exhibit strong interaction. It is therefore of interest to be able to predict the chemical equilibria involving the Pd and Te fission products. A thermodynamic assessment is carried out using the Calphad (Calculation of Phase Diagram) method to investigate the behaviour of Pd-Te alloy system in nuclear fuels under irradiation and under waste disposal conditions. The Pd-Te binary description was optimized using experimental data found in literature including thermodynamic properties and phase diagram data. To validate the calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties, the results are compared with data from the literature. Both calculated and experimental phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties are in good agreement in the whole Pd-Te composition range. (authors)

  1. Selenium supplementation for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Zuuren, Esther J; Albusta, Amira Y; Fedorowicz, Zbys; Carter, Ben; Pijl, Hanno

    2013-06-06

    Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a common auto-immune disorder. The most common presenting symptoms may include anxiety, negative mood, depression, dry skin, cold intolerance, puffy eyes, muscle cramps and fatigue, deep voice, constipation, slow thinking and poor memory. Clinical manifestations of the disease are defined primarily by low levels of thyroid hormones; therefore it is treated by hormone replacement therapy, which usually consists of levothyroxine (LT4). Selenium might reduce antibody levels and result in a decreased dosage of LT4 and may provide other beneficial effects (e.g. on mood and health-related quality of life). To assess the effects of selenium supplementation on Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We searched the following databases up to 2 October 2012: CENTRAL in The Cochrane Library (2012, Issue 10), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science; we also screened reference lists of included studies and searched several online trial registries for ongoing trials (5 November 2012). Randomised controlled clinical trials that assessed the effects of selenium supplementation for adults diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Study selection, data extraction, assessment of risk of bias, and analyses were carried out by two independent review authors. We assessed the quality of the evidence of included studies using GRADE. We were unable to conduct a meta-analysis because clinical heterogeneity between interventions that were investigated is substantial. Four studies at unclear to high risk of bias comprising 463 participants were included. The mean study duration was 7.5 months (range 3 to 18 months). One of our primary outcomes-'change from baseline in health related quality of life'-and two of our secondary outcomes-'change from baseline in LT4 replacement dosage at end of the study' and 'economic costs'-were not assessed in any of the studies. One study at high risk of bias showed statistically significant improvement in subjective well-being with sodium

  2. The determination of some trace elements in sulphide concentrates by spectrophotometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shelton, B.J.; Komarkova, E.; Josephson, M.; Cook, E.B.T.; Dixon, K.

    1977-01-01

    The report describes the determination of trace amounts (as low as 1 to 10 p.p.m. depending on the element) of arsenic, germanium, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, selenium, tellurium, tin, and titanium in sulphide concentrates. The proposed methods, which are detailed in the appendices, are adaptations of established procedures that were modified to allow for the complex nature of the concentrates to be analysed

  3. Selenium Poisoning of Wildlife and Western Agriculture: Cause and Effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Korte, N.E.

    2000-02-01

    This project examined the hypothesis that selenium contamination is not the principal cause of the decline of endemic fish species in the Upper Colorado Basin. Activities employed to test this hypothesis included a reconnaissance of locations altered by recent road construction, a re-interpretation of available literature regarding selenium toxicity, and the interpretation of unpublished data obtained from the Upper Colorado Basin Fish Recovery Program. The project demonstrates that most of the evidence implicating selenium is circumstantial.

  4. 21 CFR 522.2100 - Selenium, vitamin E injection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Selenium, vitamin E injection. 522.2100 Section... § 522.2100 Selenium, vitamin E injection. (a)(1) Specifications. The drug is an emulsion containing in... of vitamin E (68 I.U.) (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate). (2) Sponsor. See No. 000061 in § 510.600(c...

  5. Identification and characterization of a selenium-dependent glutathione peroxidase in Setaria cervi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, Anchal; Rathaur, Sushma

    2005-01-01

    Setaria cervi a bovine filarial parasite secretes selenium glutathione peroxidase during in vitro cultivation. A significant amount of enzyme activity was detected in the somatic extract of different developmental stages of the parasite. Among different stages, microfilariae showed a higher level of selenium glutathione peroxidase activity followed by males then females. However, when the activity was compared in excretory secretory products of these stages males showed higher activity than microfilariae and female worms. The enzyme was purified from female somatic extract using a combination of glutathione agarose and gel filtration chromatography, which migrated as a single band of molecular mass ∼20 kDa. Selenium content of purified enzyme was estimated by atomic absorption spectroscopy and found to be 3.5 ng selenium/μg of protein. Further, inhibition of enzyme activity by potassium cyanide suggested the presence of selenium at the active site of enzyme. This is the first report of identification of selenium glutathione peroxidase from any filarial parasite

  6. Effect of sample preparation methods on photometric determination of the tellurium and cobalt content in the samples of copper concentrates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viktoriya Butenko

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Methods of determination of cobalt and nickel in copper concentrates currently used in factory laboratories are very labor intensive and time consuming. The limiting stage of the analysis is preliminary chemical sample preparation. Carrying out the decomposition process of industrial samples with concentrated mineral acids in open systems does not allow to improve the metrological characteristics of the methods, for this reason improvement the methods of sample preparation is quite relevant and has a practical interest. The work was dedicated to the determination of the optimal conditions of preliminary chemical preparation of copper concentrate samples for the subsequent determination of cobalt and tellurium in the obtained solution using tellurium-spectrophotometric method. Decomposition of the samples was carried out by acid dissolving in individual mineral acids and their mixtures by heating in an open system as well as by using ultrasonification and microwave radiation in a closed system. In order to select the optimal conditions for the decomposition of the samples in a closed system the phase contact time and ultrasonic generator’s power were varied. Intensification of the processes of decomposition of copper concentrates with nitric acid (1:1, ultrasound and microwave radiation allowed to transfer quantitatively cobalt and tellurium into solution spending 20 and 30 min respectively. This reduced the amount of reactants used and improved the accuracy of determination by running the process in strictly identical conditions.

  7. A critical compilation and review of default soil solid/liquid partition coefficients, Kd, for use in environmental assessments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thibault, D.H.; Sheppard, M.I.; Smith, P.A.

    1990-03-01

    Environmental assessments of the Canadian concept for disposal of nuclear fuel waste in plutonic rock formations require analyses of the migration of nuclides from the disposal vault to the biosphere. Analyses of nuclide migration via groundwater through the geosphere, unconsolidated overburden and soil use models requiring solid/liquid partition coefficients (K d ) to describe the interaction of the nuclides with the solid materials. This report presents element-specific soil solid/liquid partition coefficients based on a detailed survey of the literature. Values for clays, silt, sand and organic soils are summarized. Partition coefficients for the following elements are presented: americium, antimony, arsenic, barium, boron, cadmium, calcium, carbon, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, copper, curium, europium, iodine, iron, lead, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, neptunium, nickel, niobium, palladium, phosphorus, plutonium, polonium, radium, ruthenium, samarium, selenium, silver, strontium, technetium, tellurium, terbium, thorium, tin, tritium, uranium, zinc, and zirconium. The values compiled in this study are compared with earlier K d value compendiums and are the values recommended for the use in the soil, deep sediment and overburden models for the Environmental Impact Statement on the concept for disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste

  8. Dielectric relaxation of selenium-tellurium mixed former glasses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palui, A.; Ghosh, A.

    2017-05-01

    We report the study of dielectric properties of mixed network former glasses of composition 0.3Ag2O-0.7(xSeO2-(1-x)TeO2); x=0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 in a wide frequency 10 Hz - 2 MHz and temperature range 223 K - 403 K. The experimental data have been analyzed in the framework of complex dielectric permittivity. The dielectric permittivity data have been analyzed using the Cole-Cole function. The inverse temperature dependence of relaxation time obtained from real part of dielectric permittivity data follows the Arrhenius relation. The activation energy shows mixed glass former effect with variation of mixed former ratio. A non-zero value of shape parameters is observed and it is almost independent of temperature and composition.

  9. NMR spectroscopy of selenium and tellurium organic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalabin, G.A.; Projdakov, A.G.; Radchenko, S.I.

    1980-01-01

    13 C NMR spectra of the substituted methylthio (seleno, telluro) acetylenes, CH 3 EC 1 identity sign C 2 R, E=S, Se, Te are measured. High sensitivity of the chemical shifts of ternary bond carbons to specific effects of heteroatoms is established. The substituent nature produces considerable effect on the sensitivity of C 1 -carbon atom to these effects. Chemical shifts of the substituent carbons do not depend on heteroatoms nature

  10. Copper and selenium supplementation in the diet of Brangus steers on the nutritional characteristics of meat

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arlindo Saran Netto

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-eight Brangus cattle were used to determine the effect of copper and selenium supplementation on the carcass characteristics, fatty acid composition of the longissimus dorsi muscle and on the copper and selenium concentrations in the liver. The treatments were: no supplementation of copper or selenium; 2 mg Se/kg DM as sodium selenite; 40 mg Cu/kg DM as copper sulfate; and 2 mg Se/kg DM as sodium selenite and 40 mg Cu/kg DM as copper sulfate. The fat thickness, rib eye area and fatty acid composition of the longissimus dorsi muscle were not affected by treatments. There was no effect on carcass yield and cooling loss with the supplementation of copper, selenium or selenium × copper in the levels studied. For the ether extract concentration in the longissimus dorsi muscle, no differences were found according to the treatments with selenium, copper or selenium × copper. The treatments with selenium and selenium × copper showed higher selenium concentrations in the liver than the control and copper treatments. For the copper concentration in the liver, the copper and selenium × copper treatments showed higher values than the control and selenium treatments. Despite the little effect on the meat composition, the results of this experiment demonstrate no interaction between selenium and copper in the levels studied.

  11. Preliminary study of daily selenium level intake in algeria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benamar, M.A.; Tchantchane, A.; Tobbeche, S.

    1992-10-01

    The amount of selenium in onions and potatoes was measured by Pixe (particle Induced X-ray Emission) in the Nuclear Center at Bordeaux-Gradignan (CNBG). The goal of this work is to investigate the level of selenium concentration that may be consumed by different class of people

  12. Distribution and retention of inhaled selenium compounds in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkstaller, M.A.; Cuddihy, R.G.

    1978-01-01

    Selenium containing compounds released into the atmosphere during coal combustion are principally of the elemental form or the dioxide. These compounds differ greatly in their chemical properties. Fischer-344 rats were exposed via inhalation to both the dioxide and the red elemental form of selenium. Subsequently, measurements were made of internal absorption, organ distribution and retention, and modes of excretion. A radiotracer, 75 Se, was incorporated into the aerosol to facilitate these measurements. Retention of both aerosols in the total body showed long term components with half lives of 43 and 15 days accounting for 25 to 35% of the initially deposited selenium. Excretion occurred principally by way of urine. For both aerosols, selenium absorbed into the systemic circulation was mainly found in the liver, kidney, blood, gastrointestinal tract and bone

  13. 21 CFR 520.2100 - Selenium, vitamin E capsules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 6 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Selenium, vitamin E capsules. 520.2100 Section 520... to 1 milligram of selenium) and 56.2 milligrams of vitamin E (68 I.U.) (as d-alpha tocopheryl acid... of vitamin E (17 I.U.) (as d-alpha tocopheryl acid succinate.) (b) Sponsor. See No. 000061 in § 510...

  14. Comparison of pre-treatment and post-treatment use of selenium in retinal ischemia reperfusion injury

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alper Yazici

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion (IR model and compare pre-treatment and post-treatment use. METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group (n=8 was treated with intraperitoneal (i.p. selenium 0.5 mg/kg for 7d and terminated 24h after the IR injury. Selenium post-treatment group (n=8 was treated with i.p. selenium 0.5 mg/kg for 7d after the IR injury with termination at the end of the 7d period. Sham group (n=8 received i.p. saline injections identical to the selenium volume for 7d with termination 24h after the IR injury. Control group (n=8 received no intervention. Main outcome measures were retina superoxide dismutase (SOD, glutathione (GSH, total antioxidant status (TAS, malondialdehyde (MDA, DNA fragmentation levels, and immunohistological apoptosis evaluation. RESULTS: Compared to the Sham group, selenium pre-treatment had a statistical difference in all parameters except SOD. Post-treatment selenium also resulted in statistical differences in all parameters except the MDA levels. When comparing selenium groups, the pre-treatment selenium group had a statistically higher success in reduction of markers of cell damage such as MDA and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, the post-selenium treatment group had resulted in statistically higher levels of GSH. Histologically both selenium groups succeeded to limit retinal thickening and apoptosis. Pre-treatment use was statistically more successful in decreasing apoptosis in ganglion cell layer compared to post-treatment use. CONCLUSION: Selenium was successful in retinal protection in IR injuries. Pre-treatment efficacy was superior in terms of prevention of tissue damage and apoptosis.

  15. Influence of Selenium on the Production of T-2 Toxin by Fusarium poae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Bolun; Zhang, Yan; Tong, Bei; Yin, Hong

    2017-07-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of selenium on the production of T-2 toxin by a Fusarium poae strain cultured in a synthetic medium containing different concentrations of selenium. The T-2 toxin contents in fermentative products were evaluated by a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the production of T-2 toxin was correlated with the concentration of selenium added to the medium. In all three treatments, the addition of 1 mg/L selenium to the medium resulted in a lower toxin yield than the control (0 mg/L); the yield of the toxin began to increase when selenium concentration was 10 mg/L, while it decreased again at 20 mg/L. In summary, T-2 toxin yield in the fermentative product was affected by the addition of selenium to the medium, and a selenium concentration of 20 mg/L produced the maximum inhibitory effect of T-2 toxin yield in the fermentative product of F. poae.

  16. Effect of selenium-enriched organic material amendment on selenium fraction transformation and bioavailability in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dan; Dinh, Quang Toan; Anh Thu, Tran Thi; Zhou, Fei; Yang, Wenxiao; Wang, Mengke; Song, Weiwei; Liang, Dongli

    2018-05-01

    To exploit the plant byproducts from selenium (Se) biofortification and reduce environmental risk of inorganic Se fertilizer, pot experiment was conducted in this study. The effects of Se-enriched wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (WS + Se) and pak choi (Brassica chinensis L.) (P + Se) amendment on organo-selenium speciation transformation in soil and its bioavailability was evaluated by pak choi uptake. The Se contents of the cultivated pak choi in treatments amended with the same amount of Se-enriched wheat straw and pak choi were 1.7 and 9.7 times in the shoots and 2.3 and 6.3 times in the roots compared with control treatment. Soil respiration rate was significantly increased after all organic material amendment in soil (p organic materials and thus resulted in soluble Se (SOL-Se), exchangeable Se (EX-Se), and fulvic acid-bound Se (FA-Se) fraction increasing by 25.2-29.2%, 9-13.8%, and 4.92-8.28%, respectively. In addition, both Pearson correlation and cluster analysis showed that EX-Se and FA-Se were better indicators for soil Se availability in organic material amendment soils. The Marquardt-Levenberg Model well described the dynamic kinetics of FA-Se content after Se-enriched organic material amendment in soil mainly because of the mineralization of organic carbon and organo-selenium. The utilization of Se in P + Se treatment was significantly higher than those in WS + Se treatment because of the different mineralization rates and the amount of FA-Se in soil. Se-enriched organic materials amendment can not only increase the availability of selenium in soil but also avoid the waste of valuable Se source. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Treating chronic arsenic toxicity with high selenium lentil diets

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sah, Shweta [Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 (Canada); Vandenberg, Albert [Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8 (Canada); Smits, Judit, E-mail: judit.smits@ucalgary.ca [Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 (Canada)

    2013-10-01

    Arsenic (As) toxicity causes serious health problems in humans, especially in the Indo-Gangetic plains and mountainous areas of China. Selenium (Se), an essential micronutrient is a potential mitigator of As toxicity due to its antioxidant and antagonistic properties. Selenium is seriously deficient in soils world-wide but is present at high, yet non-toxic levels in the great plains of North America. We evaluate the potential of dietary Se in counteracting chronic As toxicity in rats through serum biochemistry, blood glutathione levels, immunotoxicity (antibody response), liver peroxidative stress, thyroid response and As levels in tissues and excreta. To achieve this, we compare diets based on high-Se Saskatchewan (SK) lentils versus low-Se lentils from United States. Rats drank control (0 ppm As) or As (40 ppm As) water while consuming SK lentils (0.3 ppm Se) or northwestern USA lentils (< 0.01 ppm Se) diets for 14 weeks. Rats on high Se diets had higher glutathione levels regardless of As exposure, recovered antibody responses in As-exposed group, higher fecal and urinary As excretion and lower renal As residues. Selenium deficiency caused greater hepatic peroxidative damage in the As exposed animals. Thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), were not different. After 14 weeks of As exposure, health indicators in rats improved in response to the high Se lentil diets. Our results indicate that high Se lentils have a potential to mitigate As toxicity in laboratory mammals, which we hope will translate into benefits for As exposed humans. - Highlights: • We reduce chronic arsenic toxicity in rats with a whole food solution. • High selenium lentils decrease liver damage and increase blood glutathione levels. • High selenium lentil diets increase urinary and fecal arsenic excretion. • High selenium lentil diets decrease arsenic levels in kidney, the storage organ. • High selenium lentil diets reverse arsenic suppression of the B cell

  18. Treating chronic arsenic toxicity with high selenium lentil diets

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sah, Shweta; Vandenberg, Albert; Smits, Judit

    2013-01-01

    Arsenic (As) toxicity causes serious health problems in humans, especially in the Indo-Gangetic plains and mountainous areas of China. Selenium (Se), an essential micronutrient is a potential mitigator of As toxicity due to its antioxidant and antagonistic properties. Selenium is seriously deficient in soils world-wide but is present at high, yet non-toxic levels in the great plains of North America. We evaluate the potential of dietary Se in counteracting chronic As toxicity in rats through serum biochemistry, blood glutathione levels, immunotoxicity (antibody response), liver peroxidative stress, thyroid response and As levels in tissues and excreta. To achieve this, we compare diets based on high-Se Saskatchewan (SK) lentils versus low-Se lentils from United States. Rats drank control (0 ppm As) or As (40 ppm As) water while consuming SK lentils (0.3 ppm Se) or northwestern USA lentils (< 0.01 ppm Se) diets for 14 weeks. Rats on high Se diets had higher glutathione levels regardless of As exposure, recovered antibody responses in As-exposed group, higher fecal and urinary As excretion and lower renal As residues. Selenium deficiency caused greater hepatic peroxidative damage in the As exposed animals. Thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), were not different. After 14 weeks of As exposure, health indicators in rats improved in response to the high Se lentil diets. Our results indicate that high Se lentils have a potential to mitigate As toxicity in laboratory mammals, which we hope will translate into benefits for As exposed humans. - Highlights: • We reduce chronic arsenic toxicity in rats with a whole food solution. • High selenium lentils decrease liver damage and increase blood glutathione levels. • High selenium lentil diets increase urinary and fecal arsenic excretion. • High selenium lentil diets decrease arsenic levels in kidney, the storage organ. • High selenium lentil diets reverse arsenic suppression of the B cell

  19. Selenium recovery from kiln powder of cement manufacturing by chemical leaching and bioreduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soda, S; Hasegawa, A; Kuroda, M; Hanada, A; Yamashita, M; Ike, M

    2015-01-01

    A novel process by using chemical leaching followed by bacterial reductive precipitation was proposed for selenium recovery from kiln powder as a byproduct of cement manufacturing. The kiln powder at a slurry concentration of 10 w/v% with 0.25 M Na2CO3 at 28°C produced wastewater containing about 30 mg-Se/L selenium. The wastewater was diluted four-fold and adjusted to pH 8.0 as preconditioning for bioreduction. A bacterial strain Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I, capable of reducing selenate and selenite into insoluble elemental selenium, could recover about 90% selenium from the preconditioned wastewater containing selenium of 5 mg-Se/L when supplemented with lactate or glycerol. The selenium concentrations in the treated wastewater were low around the regulated effluent concentration of 0.1 mg-Se/L in Japan.

  20. Selenium Enrichment of Horticultural Crops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puccinelli, Martina; Malorgio, Fernando; Pezzarossa, Beatrice

    2017-06-04

    The ability of some crops to accumulate selenium (Se) is crucial for human nutrition and health. Selenium has been identified as a cofactor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which is a catalyzer in the reduction of peroxides that can damage cells and tissues, and can act as an antioxidant. Plants are the first link in the food chain, which ends with humans. Increasing the Se quantity in plant products, including leafy and fruity vegetables, and fruit crops, without exceeding the toxic threshold, is thus a good way to increase animal and human Se intake, with positive effects on long-term health. In many Se-enriched plants, most Se is in its major organic form. Given that this form is more available to humans and more efficient in increasing the selenium content than inorganic forms, the consumption of Se-enriched plants appears to be beneficial. An antioxidant effect of Se has been detected in Se-enriched vegetables and fruit crops due to an improved antioxidative status and to a reduced biosynthesis of ethylene, which is the hormone with a primary role in plant senescence and fruit ripening. This thus highlights the possible positive effect of Se in preserving a longer shelf-life and longer-lasting quality.

  1. Selenium Enrichment of Horticultural Crops

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martina Puccinelli

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The ability of some crops to accumulate selenium (Se is crucial for human nutrition and health. Selenium has been identified as a cofactor of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which is a catalyzer in the reduction of peroxides that can damage cells and tissues, and can act as an antioxidant. Plants are the first link in the food chain, which ends with humans. Increasing the Se quantity in plant products, including leafy and fruity vegetables, and fruit crops, without exceeding the toxic threshold, is thus a good way to increase animal and human Se intake, with positive effects on long-term health. In many Se-enriched plants, most Se is in its major organic form. Given that this form is more available to humans and more efficient in increasing the selenium content than inorganic forms, the consumption of Se-enriched plants appears to be beneficial. An antioxidant effect of Se has been detected in Se-enriched vegetables and fruit crops due to an improved antioxidative status and to a reduced biosynthesis of ethylene, which is the hormone with a primary role in plant senescence and fruit ripening. This thus highlights the possible positive effect of Se in preserving a longer shelf-life and longer-lasting quality.

  2. Determination of molybdenum and selenium in bioenvironmental samples using neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abu-Samra, A.; Morris, J.S.; Koirtyohann, S.R.; Vogt, J.R.

    1974-01-01

    Because of the increasing interest as to their roles in biological systems, a procedure has been developed by which molybdenum and selenium can be determined at nanogram levels in these types of samples. Results from the analysis of orchard leaves and bovine liver are presented. The samples are packaged in pre-cleaned quartz vials prepared from GE-204 tubing. If both selenium and molybdenum are to be determined, the samples are irradiated for 40 or more hours at a thermal neutron flux of 8 x 10 13 n cm -2 sec -1 . After the samples have decayed for approximately 48 hours the vials are unpackaged, cleaned in aqua-regia, and broken. The irradiation period can be reduced to 24 hours if molybdenum is to be determined individually or if the selenium content is known to be 1 microgram or more. The sample is digested with carriers and the selenium is then distilled as a volatile selenium halide. Elemental selenium is precipitated by reduction with SO 2 produced through the protonation of the hydrogen sulfite ion and subsequent decomposition of the resulting sulfurous acid. The 401 keV summation peak of 75 Se is normally used for quantitative determination. The chemical yield is determined by drying and weighing the elemental selenium

  3. Production of selenium-72 and arsenic-72

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phillips, D.R.

    1994-12-06

    Methods and apparatus are described for producing selenium-72, separating it from its daughter isotope arsenic-72, and generating multiple portions of a solution containing arsenic-72 from a reusable parent substance comprised of selenium-72. The invention provides apparatus which can be located at a site where arsenic-72 is used, for purposes such as PET imaging, to produce arsenic-72 as needed, since the half-life of arsenic-72 is very short. 2 figures.

  4. LIGHT INDUCED TELLURIUM ENRICHMENT ON CDZNTE CRYSTAL SURFACES DETECTED BY RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hawkins, S; Eliel Villa-Aleman, E; Martine Duff, M; Douglas Hunter, D

    2007-01-01

    Synthetic CdZnTe or 'CZT' crystals can be grown under controlled conditions to produce high quality crystals to be used as room temperature radiation detectors. Even the best crystal growth methods result in defects, such as tellurium secondary phases, that affect the crystal's performance. In this study, CZT crystals were analyzed by micro Raman spectroscopy. The growth of Te rich areas on the surface was induced by low powered lasers. The growth was observed versus time with low power Raman scattering and was observed immediately under higher power conditions. The detector response was also measured after induced Te enrichment

  5. Serum selenium concentration is associated with metabolic factors in the elderly: a cross-sectional study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huang Hui-Ying

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Selenium is an essential micronutrient known for its antioxidant function. However, the association of serum selenium with lipid profiles and fasting glucose are inconsistent in populations with average intake of selenium. Furthermore, there were few studies conducted specifically for the elderly. This study examined the relationship of serum selenium concentration with serum lipids and fasting glucose in the Taiwanese elderly population. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 200 males and females aged 65-85 years (mean 71.5 ± 4.6 years from Taipei, Taiwan. Serum selenium was measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. The association between serum selenium and metabolic factors was examined using a multivariate linear regression analysis after controlling several confounders. Results The mean serum selenium concentration was 1.14 μmol/L, without significant difference between sexes. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol increased significantly with serum selenium concentration (P P P P Conclusions Total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol, and fasting serum glucose concentrations increased significantly with serum selenium concentration in the Taiwanese elderly. The underlying mechanism warrants further research.

  6. Equilibrium evaporation test of lead-bismuth eutectic and of tellurium in lead-bismuth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, Shuji; Nishimura, Masahiro; Hamada, Hirotsugu; Miyahara, Shinya; Sasa, Toshinobu; Kurata, Yuji

    2005-01-01

    A series of equilibrium evaporation experiment was performed to acquire the essential and the fundamental knowledge about the transfer behavior of lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) and impurity tellurium in LBE from liquid to gas phase. The experiments were conducted using the transpiration method in which saturated vapor in an isothermal evaporation pot was transported by inert carrier gas and collected outside of the pot. The size of the used evaporation pot is 8 cm inner diameter and 15 cm length. The weight of the LBE pool in the pot is about 500 g. The investigated temperature range was 450degC to 750degC. From this experiment and discussion using the data in literature, we have obtained several instructive and useful data on the LBE evaporation behavior such as saturated vapor pressure of LBE, vapor concentration of Pb, Bi and Bi 2 in LBE saturated gas phase, and activity coefficient of Pb in the LBE. The LBE vapor pressure equation is represented as the sum of Pb, Bi and Bi 2 vapor in the temperature range between 550degC and 750degC as logP[Pa]=10.2-10100/T[k]. The gas-liquid equilibrium partition coefficient of tellurium in LBE is in the range of 10 to 100, with no remarkable temperature dependency between 450degC and 750degC. This research was founded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). (author)

  7. Relationship between soil contents and plasma levels of selenium ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The soil contents of trace elements selenium, chromium and manganese were measured to determine their impact on the plasma levels of 160 healthy adult Nigerians in five different experimental locations in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, South - South Nigeria. The mean (±SD) soil selenium, chromium and ...

  8. Low blood selenium: A probable factor in essential hypertension ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Blood selenium (BSe) and plasma glutathione peroxidase (plGSH-Px) activity were measured as biochemical markers of selenium status of 103 hypertensive patients (44 males and 59 females) and 88 apparently healthy subjects (40 males and 48 females). The hypertensive patients were classified into three groups based ...

  9. Facile Hydrothermal Synthesis of Tellurium Nanostructures for Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Panahi-Kalamuei

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Tellurium (Te nanostructures have been successfully synthesized via a simple hydrothermal methodfrom the reaction of a TeCl4 aqueous solution with thioglycolic acid (TGA as a reductant. TGA can be easily oxidized to the corresponding disulfide [SCH2CO2H]2, which in turn can reduce TeCl4 to Te. The obtained Te was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS, and DRS. The effect of reducing agent on morphology and size of the products were also studied. Additionally, Te thin film was deposited on the FTO-TiO2 by Dr- blading then employed to solar cell application and measured open circuit voltage (Voc, short circuit current (Isc, and fill factor (FF were determined as well. The studies showed that particle morphology and sizes play crucial role on solar cell efficiencies.

  10. Intracellular Diagnostics: Hunting for the Mode of Action of Redox-Modulating Selenium Compounds in Selected Model Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dominika Mániková

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Redox-modulating compounds derived from natural sources, such as redox active secondary metabolites, are currently of considerable interest in the field of chemoprevention, drug and phytoprotectant development. Unfortunately, the exact and occasionally even selective activity of such products, and the underlying (bio-chemical causes thereof, are often only poorly understood. A combination of the nematode- and yeast-based assays provides a powerful platform to investigate a possible biological activity of a new compound and also to explore the “redox link” which may exist between its activity on the one side and its chemistry on the other. Here, we will demonstrate the usefulness of this platform for screening several selenium and tellurium compounds for their activity and action. We will also show how the nematode-based assay can be used to obtain information on compound uptake and distribution inside a multicellular organism, whilst the yeast-based system can be employed to explore possible intracellular mechanisms via chemogenetic screening and intracellular diagnostics. Whilst none of these simple and easy-to-use assays can ultimately substitute for in-depth studies in human cells and animals, these methods nonetheless provide a first glimpse on the possible biological activities of new compounds and offer direction for more complicated future investigations. They may also uncover some rather unpleasant biochemical actions of certain compounds, such as the ability of the trace element supplement selenite to induce DNA strand breaks.

  11. Antimicrobial effects of silver zeolite, silver zirconium phosphate silicate and silver zirconium phosphate against oral microorganisms

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Sirikamon Saengmee-anupharb; Toemsak Srikhirin; Boonyanit Thaweboon; Sroisiri Thaweboon; Taweechai Amornsakchai; Surachai Dechkunakorn; Theeralaksna Suddhasthira

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial activities of silver inorganic materials, including silver zeolite (AgZ), silver zirconium phosphate silicate (AgZrPSi) and silver zirconium phosphate (AgZrP), against oral microorganisms. In line with this objective, the morphology and structure of each type of silver based powders were also investigated. Methods: The antimicrobial activities of AgZ, AgZrPSi and AgZrP were tested against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus casei, Candidaalbicans and Staphylococcus aureus using disk diffusion assay as a screening test. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum lethal concentration (MLC) were determined using the modified membrane method. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the morphology and structure of these silver materials. Results: All forms of silver inorganic materials could inhibit the growth of all test microorganisms. The MIC of AgZ, AgZrPSi and AgZrP was 10.0 g/L whereas MLC ranged between 10.0-60.0 g/L. In terms of morphology and structure, AgZrPSi and AgZrP had smaller sized particles (1.5-3.0 µm) and more uniformly shaped than AgZ. Conclusions: Silver inorganic materials in the form of AgZ, AgZrPSi and AgZrP had antimicrobial effects against all test oral microorganisms and those activities may be influenced by the crystal structure of carriers. These results suggest that these silver materials may be useful metals applied to oral hygiene products to provide antimicrobial activity against oral infection.

  12. Antimicrobial effects of silver zeolite,silver zirconium phosphate silicate and silver zirconium phosphate against oral microorganisms

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Sirikamon; Saengmee-anupharb; Toemsak; Srikhirin; Boonyanit; Thaweboon; Sroisiri; Thaweboon; Taweechai; Amornsakchai; Surachai; Dechkunakorn; Theeralaksna; Suddhasthira

    2013-01-01

    Objective:To evaluate the antimicrobial activities of silver inorganic materials,including silver zeolite(AgZ),silver zirconium phosphate silicate(AgZrPSi)and silver zirconium phosphate(AgZrp),against oral microorganisms.In line with this objective,the morphology and structure of each type of silver based powders were also investigated.Methods:The antimicrobial activities of AgZ,AgZrPSi and AgZrP were tested against Streptococcus mutans,Lactobacillus casei,Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus using disk diffusion assay as a screening test.The minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)and minimum lethal concentration(MLC)were determined using the modified membrane method.Scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the morphology and structure of these silver materials.Results:All forms of silver inorganic materials could inhibit the growth of all test microorganisms.The MIC of AgZ,AgZrPSi and AgZrP was 10.0 g/L whereas MLC ranged between 10.0-60.0 g/L.In terms of morphology and structure.AgZrPSi and AgZrP had smaller sized particles(1.5-3.0μm)and more uniformly shaped than AgZ.Conclusions:Silver inorganic materials in the form of AgZ,AgZrPSi and AgZrP had antimicrobial effects against all test oral microorganisms and those activities may be influenced by the crystal structure of carriers.These results suggest that these silver materials may be useful metals applied to oral hygiene products to provide antimicrobial activity against oral infection.

  13. Effect of foliar application of selenium on its uptake and speciation in carrot

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kápolna, Emese; Hillestrøm, Peter René; Laursen, K.H.

    2009-01-01

    Carrot (Daucus carota) shoots were enriched by selenium using foliar application. Solutions of sodium selenite or sodium selenate at 10 and 100 mu g Se ml(-1), were sprayed on the carrot leaves and the selenium content and uptake rate of selenium were estimated by ICP-MS analysis. Anion and cation......(-1) (dry mass) in the carrot root whereas the selenium concentration in the controls was below the limit of detection at 0.045 mu g Se g(-1) (dry mass). Selenate-enriched carrot leaves accumulated as much as 80 mu g Se g(-1) (dry mass), while the selenite-enriched leaves contained approximately 50 mu...... g Se g(-1) (dry mass). The speciation analyses showed that inorganic selenium was present in both roots and leaves. The predominant metabolised organic forms of selenium in the roots were selenomethionine and gamma-glutamyl-selenomethyl-selenocysteine, regardless of which of the inorganic species...

  14. Effect of Se-enriched Organic Fertilizers on Selenium Accumulation in Corn and Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LI Sheng-nan

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The effect of two Se-enriched organic fertilizers (cow dung and rice straw biochar on selenium accumulation of corn growing in selenium deficient soil was studied with pot experiment. The results showed that corn accumulated more selenium and the selenium was much easier to convert from root to shoot in the corn plant with the application of Se-enriched cow dung than Se-enriched rice straw biochar. With the application of more organic fertilizer such as 25 t·hm-2 Se-enriched cow dung or 40 t·hm-2 Se-enriched rice straw biochar, the accumulation of selenium and growth status of corn were getting better than the other treatments. At the same time, as the application amount of Se-enriched organic fertilizers (cow dung and rice straw biochar increased, the total selenium content in the soil also increased, which positively correlated with each other.

  15. AN ANALYTICAL METHOD FOR CHEMICAL SPECIATION OF SELENIUM IN SOIL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Constantin Luca

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Selenium is an essential microelement, sometimes redoubtable, through its beneficial role - risk depending on its concentration in the food chain, at low dose is an important nutrient in the life of humans and animals, contrary at high doses, it becomes toxic. Selenium may be find itself in the environment (soil, sediment, water in many forms (oxidized, reduced, organometallic which determine their mobility and toxicity. Determination of chemical speciation (identification of different chemical forms provides much more complete information for a better understanding of the behavior and the potential impact on the environment. In this work we present the results of methodological research on the extraction of sequential forms of selenium in the soil and the coupling of analytical methods capable of identifying very small amounts of selenium in soils An efficient scheme of sequential extractions forms of selenium (SES consisting in atomic absorption spectrometry coupled with hydride generation (HGAAS has been developed into five experimental steps, detailed in the paper. This operational scheme has been applied to the analysis of chemical speciation in the following areas: the Bărăgan Plain and Central Dobrogea of Romania.

  16. Hypercholesterolemia and apolipoprotein B expression: Regulation by selenium status

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bansal Mohinder P

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Apolipoprotein B (apoB contains ligand-binding domain for the binding of LDL to LDL-R site, which enables the removal of LDL from circulation. Our recent data showed that selenium (Se is involved in the lipid metabolism. The present study was aimed to understand the effect of Se deficiency (0.02 ppm and selenium supplementation (1 ppm on apoB expression in liver during hypercholesterolemia in male Sprague Dawley rats. Animals were fed with control and high cholesterol diet (2% for 1 and 2 months. ApoB levels by ELISA and protein expression by western blot was done. Hepatic LDL receptor (LDL-R activity (in vivo and mRNA expression by RT-PCR was monitored. Results In selenium deficiency and on high cholesterol diet (HCD feeding apoB levels increased and LDL-R expression decreased significantly after 2 months. On 1 ppm selenium supplementation apoB expression significantly decreased and LDL-R expression increased after 2 months. But after one month of treatment there was no significant change observed in apoB and LDL-R expression. Conclusion So the present study demonstrates that Se deficiency leads to up regulation of apoB expression during experimental hypercholesterolemia. Selenium supplementation upto 1 ppm leads to downregulation of apoB expression. Further, this study will highlight the nutritional value of Se supplementation in lipid metabolism.

  17. Morphology and thermodynamic characteristics of selenium-containing nanostructures based on polymethacrylic acid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valueva, S. V.; Borovikova, L. N.; Vylegzhanina, M. E.; Sukhanova, T. E.

    2010-09-01

    The morphology and thermodynamic characteristics of nanostructures formed as a result of the reduction of the selenium ion in a selenite-ascorbate redox system in water solutions of polymethacrylic acid were studied by molecular optics and atomic-force microscopy. The dependence of the morphology of the selenium-containing nanostructures on the mass selenium-to-polymer ratio (ν) in solution was determined. It was established that a large number of macromolecules (up to 4300) is adsorbed on the selenium nanoparticles, leading to the formation of nanostructures with super-high molecular mass and an almost spherical form. It was shown that the density of the nanostructures, as calculated on the basis of the experimental data on the size and molecular mass of the nanocomposite, depends substantially on the selenium concentrations in the solution. The thermodynamic state of the solutions of nanostructures is described.

  18. Systematic trends in the design and study of new organic conductors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowan, D.O.; Bailey, A.B.; Duan, H.; Fortkort, J.A.; Liu, C.Y.; Mays, M.D.; McCullough, R.D.; Bryden, W.A.; Poehler, T.O.; Kistenmacher, T.J.

    1989-01-01

    The recent synthesis of tetratellurafulvalene (TTeF) makes it possible to examine in a more systematic fashion how structural modification affect the ionization potential, polarizability, on-site Coulomb repulsion, bandwidths (in sack dp-π orbital overlap), dimensionality (between stack dp-π and σ orbital overlap) and how these factors influence the electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility of mixed valence salts derived from sulfur, selenium, and tellurium π-donors

  19. Aquatic selenium pollution is a global environmental safety issue

    Science.gov (United States)

    A. Dennis Lemly

    2004-01-01

    Selenium pollution is a worldwide phenomenon and is associated with a broad spectrum of human activities, ranging from the most basic agricultural practices to the most high-tech industrial processes. Consequently, selenium contamination of aquatic habitats can take place in urban, suburban, and rural settings alike--from mountains to plains, from deserts to...

  20. Enrichment of African catfish with functional selenium originating from garlic

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schram, E.; Pedrero, Z.; Camara, C.; Heul, van der J.W.; Luten, J.B.

    2008-01-01

    We wanted to create functional seafood with high concentrations of organic selenium (seleno-methyl-selenocysteine and ¿-glutamyl-seleno-methyl-selenocysteine) with anti-carcinogenic properties for human consumers. Garlic containing high concentrations of these organic selenium compounds was used as

  1. Selenium enrichment pattern in flowering Chinese cabbage, cabbage and asparagus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mo, H.Z.; Yang Zhu, Yang; Zhang, M.

    2006-01-01

    CONCLUSIONS - Within a certain range, selenium accumulation in three studied vegetables was lineally correlated with spraying concentration. However, a too high concentration caused the reduction of vegetable output and damage in quality. - Twice spraying with lower concentration of selenium was a

  2. Cross sectional study of serum selenium concentration and esophageal squamous dysplasia in western Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritchett, Natalie R; Burgert, Stephen L; Murphy, Gwen A; Brockman, John D; White, Russell E; Lando, Justus; Chepkwony, Robert; Topazian, Mark D; Abnet, Christian C; Dawsey, Sanford M; Mwachiro, Michael M

    2017-12-08

    Low serum selenium status has been associated with increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). East Africa is a region of high ESCC incidence and is known to have low soil selenium levels, but this association has not previously been evaluated. In this study we assessed the association of serum selenium concentration and the prevalence of esophageal squamous dysplasia (ESD), the precursor lesion of ESCC, in a cross-sectional study of subjects from Bomet, Kenya. 294 asymptomatic adult residents of Bomet, Kenya completed questionnaires and underwent endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining and biopsy for detection of ESD. Serum selenium concentrations were measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis. Odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (95% CI) for associations between serum selenium and ESD were calculated using unconditional logistic regression. The mean serum selenium concentration was 85.5 (±28.3) μg/L. Forty-two ESD cases were identified (14% of those screened), including 5 (12%) in selenium quartile 1 (Q1), 5 (12%) in Q2, 15 (36%) in Q3, and 17 (40%) in Q4. Higher serum selenium was associated with prevalence of ESD (Q4 vs Q1: OR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.05-8.74) and this association remained after adjusting for potential confounders (Q4 vs Q1: OR: 3.87; 95% CI: 1.06-14.19). This is the first study to evaluate the association of serum selenium concentration and esophageal squamous dysplasia in an African population at high risk for ESCC. We found a positive association between higher serum selenium concentration and prevalence of ESD, an association contrary to our original hypothesis. Further work is needed to better understand the role of selenium in the etiology of ESCC in this region, and to develop effective ESCC prevention and control strategies.

  3. Neutron activation analysis applied to the determination of selenium in bovine plasma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hevia, Sonia E.; Resnizky, Sara M.; Gil, Susana B.; Pawlak, Eva

    1999-01-01

    The procedure used to determine selenium in bovine plasma by neutron irradiation of the samples, followed by a radiochemical separation, is described. This procedure allows the direct determination of the value of the selenium plasmatic level, instead of the indirect conventional method that determines the blood glutathion peroxidase enzyme, as an indicator of the selenium content in the blood. (author)

  4. Determination of gold, indium, tellurium and thallium in the same sample digest of geological materials by atomic-absorption spectroscopy and two-step solvent extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubert, A.E.; Chao, T.T.

    1985-01-01

    A rock, soil, or stream-sediment sample is decomposed with hydrofluoric acid, aqua regia, and hydrobromic acid-bromine solution. Gold, thallium, indium and tellurium are separated and concentrated from the sample digest by a two-step MIBK extraction at two concentrations of hydrobromic add. Gold and thallium are first extracted from 0.1M hydrobromic acid medium, then indium and tellurium are extracted from 3M hydrobromic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid to eliminate iron interference. The elements are then determined by flame atomic-absorption spectrophotometry. The two-step solvent extraction can also be used in conjunction with electrothermal atomic-absorption methods to lower the detection limits for all four metals in geological materials. ?? 1985.

  5. Mobilization of selenium from the Mancos Shale and associated soils in the lower Uncompahgre River Basin, Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mast, M. Alisa; Mills, Taylor J.; Paschke, Suzanne S.; Keith, Gabrielle; Linard, Joshua I.

    2014-01-01

    This study investigates processes controlling mobilization of selenium in the lower part of the Uncompahgre River Basin in western Colorado. Selenium occurs naturally in the underlying Mancos Shale and is leached to groundwater and surface water by limited natural runoff, agricultural and domestic irrigation, and leakage from irrigation canals. Soil and sediment samples from the study area were tested using sequential extractions to identify the forms of selenium present in solid phases. Selenium speciation was characterized for nonirrigated and irrigated soils from an agricultural site and sediments from a wetland formed by a leaking canal. In nonirrigated areas, selenium was present in highly soluble sodium salts and gypsum. In irrigated soils, soluble forms of selenium were depleted and most selenium was associated with organic matter that was stable under near-surface weathering conditions. Laboratory leaching experiments and geochemical modeling confirm that selenium primarily is released to groundwater and surface water by dissolution of highly soluble selenium-bearing salts and gypsum present in soils and bedrock. Rates of selenium dissolution determined from column leachate experiments indicate that selenium is released most rapidly when water is applied to previously nonirrigated soils and sediment. High concentrations of extractable nitrate also were found in nonirrigated soils and bedrock that appear to be partially derived from weathered organic matter from the shale rather than from agricultural sources. Once selenium is mobilized, dissolved nitrate derived from natural sources appears to inhibit the reduction of dissolved selenium leading to elevated concentrations of selenium in groundwater. A conceptual model of selenium weathering is presented and used to explain seasonal variations in the surface-water chemistry of Loutzenhizer Arroyo, a major tributary contributor of selenium to the lower Uncompahgre River.

  6. Selenium status, thyroid volume, and multiple nodule formation in an area with mild iodine deficiency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Lone Banke; Schomburg, Lutz; Kohrle, Josef

    2011-01-01

    ) introduction of iodine fortification. Serum selenium concentration and urinary iodine were measured, and the thyroid gland was examined by ultrasonography in the same subjects. Associations between serum selenium concentration and thyroid parameters were examined in multiple linear regression models...... or logistic regression models.Results: Serum selenium concentration was found to be significantly, negatively associated with thyroid volume (P=0.006), and a low selenium status significantly increased the risk for thyroid enlargement (P=0.007). Furthermore, low serum selenium status had a tendency...

  7. Biomarkers of selenium status

    Science.gov (United States)

    The essential trace element selenium (Se) has multiple biological activities, which depend on the level of Se intake. Relatively low Se intakes determine the expression of selenoenzymes in which it serves as an essential constituent. Higher intakes have been shown to have anti-tumorigenic potentia...

  8. Selenium transformation in coal mine spoils: Its environmental impact assessment. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harness, J.; Atalay, A.; Koll, K.J.; Zhang, H.; Maggon, D.

    1991-12-31

    The objective of this program was to conduct an environmental impact assessment study for selenium from coal mine spoils. The use of in-situ lysimetry to predict selenium speciation, transformation, and mobility under natural conditions was evaluated. The scope of the study was to construct and test field-scale lysimeter and laboratory mini-column to assess mobility and speciation of selenium in coal mine overburden and soil systems; to conduct soil and groundwater sampling throughout the state of Oklahoma for an overall environmental impact assessment of selenium; and to conduct an in-depth literature review on the solubility, speciation, mobility, and toxicity of selenium from various sources. Groundwater and surface soil samples were also collected from each county in Oklahoma. Data collected from the lysimeter study indicated that selenium in the overburden of the abandoned mine site was mainly found in the selenite form. The amount of selenite found was too low and immobile to be of concern to the environment. The spoil had equilibrated long enough (over 50 years) that most of the soluble forms of selenium have already been lost. Examination of the overburden indicated the presence of pyrite crystals that precipitated over time. The laboratory mini-column study indicated that selenite is quite immobile and remained on the overburden material even after leaching with dilute acid. Data from groundwater samples indicated that based on the current permissible level for selenium in groundwater (0.01 mg Se/L), Oklahoma groundwater is widely contaminated with the element. However, according to the new regulation (0.05 mg Se/L), which is to be promulgated in 1992, only 9 of the 77 counties in the state exceed the limit.

  9. Enhanced osteoblast adhesion on nanostructured selenium compacts for anti-cancer orthopedic applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Phong Tran

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Phong Tran1, Thomas J Webster21Physics Department; 2Division of Engineering and Department of Orthopedics, Brown University, Providence, USAAbstract: Metallic bone implants possess numerous problems limiting their long-term efficacy, such as poor prolonged osseointegration, stress shielding, and corrosion under in vivo environments. Such problems are compounded for bone cancer patients since numerous patients receive orthopedic implants after cancerous bone resection. Unfortunately, current orthopedic materials were not originally developed to simultaneously increase healthy bone growth (as in traditional orthopedic implant applications while inhibiting cancerous bone growth. The long-term objective of the present research is to investigate the use of nano-rough selenium to prevent bone cancer from re-occurring while promoting healthy bone growth for this select group of cancer patients. Selenium is a well known anti-cancer chemical. However, what is not known is how healthy bone cells interact with selenium. To determine this, selenium, spherical or semispherical shots, were pressed into cylindrical compacts and these compacts were then etched using 1N NaOH to obtain various surface structures ranging from the micron, submicron to nano scales. Changes in surface chemistry were also analyzed. Through these etching techniques, results of this study showed that biologically inspired surface roughness values were created on selenium compacts to match that of natural bone roughness. Moreover, results showed that healthy bone cell adhesion increased with greater nanometer selenium roughness (more closely matching that of titanium. In this manner, this study suggests that nano-rough selenium should be further tested for orthopedic applications involving bone cancer treatment.Keywords: selenium, nano-rough, osteoblast, cancer, chemopreventive

  10. Selenium poisoning of fish by coal ash wastewater in Herrington Lake, Kentucky.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lemly, A Dennis

    2018-04-15

    Selenium pollution from the E.W. Brown Electric Generating Station was investigated in Herrington Lake, KY. Coal ash wastewater is discharged as surface water overflow from ash disposal ponds into the lake via a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Kentucky Division of Water, but the permit does not restrict or limit the amount of selenium released. Unpermitted discharges occur from seeps and drainage through leaks in ash pond dams. Together, these discharges have resulted in selenium concentrations in water, sediment, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish that are 2-9 times the level that is toxic for fish reproduction and survival. A large proportion (12.2%, or 25 times background) of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides, the only species examined) exhibited spinal and/or craniofacial malformations that are consistent with selenium poisoning. Teratogenic Deformity Index values indicated a 3.05% population-level impact on the bass fishery, with total selenium-induced mortality (including pre-swimup mortality) estimated to be in excess of 25% per year. These findings confirm that coal ash discharges into Herrington Lake are contributing selenium to the Lake that is poisoning fish. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Electrically Conductive Silver Paste Obtained by Use of Silver Neodecanoate as Precursor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Longguang; Liu, Jianguo; Zeng, Xiaoyan; Ren, Zhao

    2015-02-01

    An electrically conductive silver paste has been prepared from an organometallic compound, silver neodecanoate, as silver precursor. The precursor was highly soluble in organic solvents and decomposed into metallic silver at low sintering temperatures (writing process, enabling production of silver lines on a substrate. The electrical resistivity of the silver lines was 9 × 10-6 Ω cm after sintering at 115°C for 60 min, 5.8 × 10-6 Ω cm when sintered at 150°C for 60 min, and 3 × 10-6 Ω cm when sintered above 300°C, values which are similar to those of bulk silver. Hence, the prepared paste can be successfully used on flexible substrates such as polymers.

  12. Leaching of Silver from Silver-Impregnated Food Storage Containers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauri, James F.; Niece, Brian K.

    2011-01-01

    The use of silver in commercial products has proliferated in recent years owing to its antibacterial properties. Food containers impregnated with micro-sized silver promise long food life, but there is some concern because silver can leach out of the plastic and into the stored food. This laboratory experiment gives students the opportunity to…

  13. Silver niobates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanirbergenov, B.; Rozhenko, S.P.

    1979-01-01

    By means of determination of residual concentrations and pH measurements investigated are the AgNO 3 -KNbO 3 -H 2 O, AgNO 3 -K 3 NbO 4 -H 2 O, AgNO 3 -K 8 Nb 16 O 19 -H 2 O systems and established is formation of meta-, ortho-and hexaniobates of silver. AgNbO 3 x H 2 O, Ag 8 Nb 6 O 19 x 6H 2 O and Ag 3 NbO 3 x 2.5H 2 O are separated from aqueous solution. Using the methods of differential-thermal, thermogravimetric and X-ray-phase analyses it is shown that silver metaniobate transforms into the crystal state at 530 deg C. Ortho- and hexaniobate of silver decompose at 500 deg C with formation of silver metaniobate and metal silver

  14. Plasma Selenium Biomarkers in Low Income Black and White Americans from the Southeastern United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hargreaves, Margaret K.; Liu, Jianguo; Buchowski, Maciej S.; Patel, Kushal A.; Larson, Celia O.; Schlundt, David G.; Kenerson, Donna M.; Hill, Kristina E.; Burk, Raymond F.; Blot, William J.

    2014-01-01

    Biomarkers of selenium are necessary for assessing selenium status in humans, since soil variation hinders estimation of selenium intake from foods. In this study, we measured the concentration of plasma selenium, selenoprotein P (SEPP1), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX3) activity and their interindividual differences in 383 low-income blacks and whites selected from a stratified random sample of adults aged 40–79 years, who were participating in a long-term cohort study in the southeastern United States (US). We assessed the utility of these biomarkers to determine differences in selenium status and their association with demographic, socio-economic, dietary, and other indicators. Dietary selenium intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire designed for the cohort, matched with region-specific food selenium content, and compared with the US Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) set at 55 µg/day. We found that SEPP1, a sensitive biomarker of selenium nutritional status, was significantly lower among blacks than whites (mean 4.4±1.1 vs. 4.7±1.0 mg/L, p = 0.006), with blacks less than half as likely to have highest vs. lowest quartile SEPP1 concentration (Odds Ratio (OR) 0.4, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.2–0.8). The trend in a similar direction was observed for plasma selenium among blacks and whites, (mean 115±15.1 vs. 118±17.7 µg/L, p = 0.08), while GPX3 activity did not differ between blacks and whites (136±33.3 vs. 132±33.5 U/L, p = 0.320). Levels of the three biomarkers were not correlated with estimated dietary selenium intake, except for SEPP1 among 10% of participants with the lowest selenium intake (≤57 µg/day). The findings suggest that SEPP1 may be an effective biomarker of selenium status and disease risk in adults and that low selenium status may disproportionately affect black and white cohort participants. PMID:24465457

  15. Selenium deficiency and pregnancy outcome in pregnant women with HIV in Lagos, Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okunade, Kehinde S; Olowoselu, Olusola F; Osanyin, Gbemisola E; John-Olabode, Sarah; Akanmu, Sulaimon A; Anorlu, Rose I

    2018-04-16

    To investigate the prevalence of maternal selenium deficiency and its effects on pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women with HIV in Lagos, Nigeria. The present descriptive cross-sectional study enrolled women aged 15-49 years with HIV who were at 14-26 weeks of a singleton pregnancy and were attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria, between August 1, 2016, and April 30, 2017. Participants were selected by consecutive sampling and baseline data were collected through interviews. Venous blood samples were obtained to measure selenium concentrations, and associations between low maternal selenium concentrations (defined as <0.89 μmol/L) and pregnancy outcomes were examined using bivariate and multivariate analysis. The final analysis included 113 patients; selenium deficiency was recorded in 23 (20.4%) patients. Women with selenium deficiency had an approximately eight-fold higher risk of preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio 7.61, 95% confidence interval 4.37-18.89; P=0.031) and of delivering a term neonate with a low delivery weight (adjusted odds ratio 8.11, 95% confidence interval 3.27-17.22; P=0.012), compared with women with a normal selenium concentration. The prevalence of selenium deficiency among pregnant women with HIV in Lagos was relatively high. The significant associations observed between maternal selenium deficiency and adverse pregnancy outcomes could have implications for the future management of HIV in pregnancy. © 2018 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

  16. Blood selenium concentrations and enzyme activities related to glutathione metabolism in wild emperor geese

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franson, J. Christian; Hoffman, David J.; Schmutz, Joel A.

    2002-01-01

    In 1998, we collected blood samples from 63 emperor geese (Chen canagica) on their breeding grounds on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta (YKD) in western Alaska, USA. We studied the relationship between selenium concentrations in whole blood and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase in plasma. Experimental studies have shown that plasma activities of these enzymes are useful biomarkers of selenium-induced oxidative stress, but little information is available on their relationship to selenium in the blood of wild birds. Adult female emperor geese incubating their eggs in mid-June had a higher mean concentration of selenium in their blood and a greater activity of glutathione peroxidase in their plasma than adult geese or goslings that were sampled during the adult flight feathermolting period in late July and early August. Glutathione peroxidase activity was positively correlated with the concentration of selenium in the blood of emperor geese, and the rate of increase relative to selenium was greater in goslings than in adults. The activity of glutathione reductase was greatest in the plasma of goslings and was greater in molting adults than incubating females but was not significantly correlated with selenium in the blood of adults or goslings. Incubating female emperor geese had high selenium concentrations in their blood, accompanied by increased glutathione peroxidase activity consistent with early oxidative stress. These findings indicate that further study of the effects of selenium exposure, particularly on reproductive success, is warranted in this species.

  17. Radio protective effects of selenium on rats

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bakir, A.; Alya, G

    2005-11-01

    Potential radio-protective effects of different selenium supplement concentrations of 4, 8, 15 and 30 ppm were evaluated in rats. Four groups of rats were administered different concentrations of selenium in drinking water for 30 days before irradiation starting from the ablactation which considered as day 0. The results showed that the sodium selenite of 4 ppm and 8 ppm enhance the 30-day survival of irradiated rats at 7 Gy ( sup 6 sup 0 Co source, whole body irradiation dose rate of 1 Gy x min sup - sup 1) compared to the control group. The mean cumulated probability of survival of rats was 69%+-6 (mean+-S.E.) and 77%+-6 in 4 and 8 ppm groups, respectively, versus 42%+-9 for control group (P<0.001). It was also indicated that sodium selenite with concentrations of 15 and 30 ppm had no significant reduction in mortality. The mean cumulated probability of survival of rats was 50%+-12 (P=0.39) and 49%+-14 (P=0.04), respectively. The toxic effects of selenium were observed at 15 ppm and 30 ppm, survivals after 30 days of selenium intake were 76% and 46%, respectively. It was concluded that 4 and 8 ppm sodium selenite have a radio-protective effect. 15 and 30 ppm sodium selenite had no radio-protective effects in rats, this may be due to a synergism of toxicity and radiation effects. (author)

  18. Evaluation of Selenium Content of Plant Samples Collected from Indigenous Sources for Se-supplementation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mahmud, T.; Sosan, A.; Rehman, R.; Abbas, A.

    2010-01-01

    Selenium contents were evaluated in different plant species such as Canola (Brassica napus), Sunflower (Helianthus annus), Turmeric (Curcuma longa), Soyabean Seeds (Glycine max) and Akk (Calotropis procera) in order to access their possibility for Se-supplementation. The dry ash of bulb of Turmeric and seeds of Canola, Sunflower, and Soyabean were digested in concentrated HNO/sub 3/, HClO/sub 4/ and HCl to obtain selenium (IV). After adding different reagents, stable blue colored complex was formed. From this colored complex, selenium (IV) was determined by UV/visible spectrophotometer. This work was carried out in an attempt to obtain information concerning the amount of selenium present in different plants. It was observed that Akk is a good accumulator of selenium as it contains almost 30 mu g selenium per gram and can be used for different medicinal applications. (author)

  19. Current Knowledge on the Importance of Selenium in Food for Living Organisms: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kieliszek, Marek; Błażejak, Stanisław

    2016-05-10

    Selenium is one of the elements classified within the group of micronutrients which are necessary in trace amounts for the proper functioning of organisms. Selenium participates in the protection of cells against excess H₂O₂, in heavy metal detoxification, and regulation of the immune and reproductive systems as well. It also ensures the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Selenium induces the occurrence of the selenoprotein synthesis process involved in the antioxidant defense mechanism of the organism. Recent years have brought much success in the studies on selenium. Anticarcinogenic properties of selenium against some cancers have been reported. Supplementation is increasingly becoming a solution to this problem. A large number of different supplementation methods are promoting studies in this area. Slight differences in the selenium content can result in excess or deficiency, therefore supplementation has to be done carefully and cautiously.

  20. An Introduction to Testing Web Applications with twill and Selenium

    CERN Document Server

    Brown, Titus; Huggins, Jason

    2007-01-01

    This Short Cut is an introduction tobuilding automated web tests using twotools, twill and Selenium. twill is a simpleweb scripting language that can be usedto automate web tests, while Selenium isa web testing framework that runs in anybrowser and can be used to test complexweb sites that make extensive use ofJavaScript. The best way to use this Short Cut is torun through the examples. We expectthat within an hour you can start writingyour own functional tests in either twillor Selenium, and within a day you willunderstand most, if not all, of the possibilitiesand the limitations of these t

  1. Toenail selenium level among healthy residents of two Polish Districts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zukowska, J.; Biziuk, M.; Bode, P.

    2009-01-01

    The goal of this study was to evaluate the selenium mass fraction in toenail clippings taken from random inhabitants living in various areas of the Pomeranian (Northern Poland) and Lubuskie (Western Poland) Districts. Toenail clippings were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) giving means of 0.57±0.10 and 0.60±0.16 mg x kg -1 for the two areas, respectively, but the difference was statistically not significant. In additional, it was found that gender, age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, and selenium supplementation are factors with apparent effects to the selenium levels in toenail clippings. (author)

  2. Electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles by silver mirror reaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi, Yongzheng; Li, Yajing; Zhang, Jianfeng; Yu, Zhongzhen; Yang, Dongzhi

    2015-01-01

    The silver mirror reaction (SMR) method was selected in this paper to modify electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, and these nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial properties. PAN nanofibers were first pretreated in AgNO 3 aqueous solution before the SMR process so that the silver nanoparticles were distributed evenly on the outer surface of the nanofibers. The final PAN nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TEM-selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM, TEM micrographs and SAED patterns confirmed homogeneous dispersion of the silver nanoparticles which were composed of monocrystals with diameters 20–30 nm. EDS and XRD results showed that these monocrystals tended to form face-centered cubic single silver. TGA test indicated that the nanoparticles loaded on the nanofibers reached above 50 wt.%. This material was also evaluated by the viable cell-counting method. The results indicated that PAN nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the fungus Monilia albicans. Thus, this material had many potential applications in biomedical fields. - Highlights: • Silver mirror reaction was used to prepare nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles. • The SAED patterns demonstrated the monocrystallinity of silver nanocrystals. • The XRD results showed nanoparticles tended to be face-centered cubic single silver. • The material showed excellent antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi

  3. Potential reproduction and response of selenium and zinc mineral supplementation on quality of goat samosir semen

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siswoyo, P.; Tafsin, M.; Handarini, R.

    2018-02-01

    The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of suppllementattion of selenium and zinc on semen quality and growth of samosir goat. The experimental design used latin square design (4x4). The treatment supplementation mineral on multi nutrient block (MNB) composed of without sipplementation (p0), +10ppm selenium (p1), +10ppm zinc (p2), +10ppm selenium and +10ppm zinc (p3). The result showed that supplementation mineral selenium and zinc increased significantly (pgoat were supplemented by selenium and zinc influenced motility, viability, volume concentration, and responding hypo osmotic swelling (HOS). Combination supplementation selenium and zinc significanly had higher semen quality than ither treatment. It is concluded that supplementation selenium and zinc improve growth and semen quality of samosir goat.

  4. In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of selenium-containing phycocyanin from selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Tianfeng; Wong, Yum-Shing

    2008-06-25

    Both selenium and phycocyanin have been reported to show potent cancer chemopreventive activities. In this study, we investigated the in vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of selenium-containing phycocyanin (Se-PC) purified from selenium-enriched Spirulina platensis. The antioxidant activity of Se-PC was evaluated by using four different free radical scavenging assays, namely, the 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, superoxide anion scavenging assay, and erythrocyte hemolysis assay. The results indicated that Se-PC exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than phycocyanin by scavenging ABTS, DPPH, superoxide anion, and 2,2'-azobis-(2-amidinopropane)dihydrochloride free radicals. Se-PC also showed dose-dependent protective effects on erythrocytes against H 2O 2-induced oxidative DNA damage as evaluated by the Comet assay. Moreover, Se-PC was identified as a potent antiproliferative agent against human melanoma A375 cells and human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells. Induction of apoptosis in both A375 and MCF-7 cells by Se-PC was evidenced by accumulation of sub-G1 cell populations, DNA fragmentation, and nuclear condensation. Further investigation on intracellular mechanisms indicated that depletion of mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi m) was involved in Se-PC-induced cell apoptosis. Our findings suggest that Se-PC is a promising organic Se species with potential applications in cancer chemoprevention.

  5. Manganese and selenium concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid of seriously ill children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franěk, Tomáš; Kotaška, Karel; Průša, Richard

    2017-11-01

    The homeostasis of essential trace elements such as selenium and manganese may be altered in patients with severe diseases of various etiologies (trauma brain injuries, tumors, leukemias, lymphomas, neurological diseases). Concentration of manganese and selenium were determined in cerebrospinal fluid by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry in 50 hospitalized children with various clinical ethiologies including oncological, neurological, and brain related diseases. The concentrations of manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of children were 0.97±0.67 μg/L. The concentrations of selenium were 13.3±3.5 μg/L. The concentrations were similar as published in adults. The values did not correlated with the age, gender and severity of the disease. We evaluated values of selenium and manganese in cerebrospinal fluid of seriously diseased children. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Selenium and breast cancer risk: A prospective nested case-control study on serum selenium levels, smoking habits and overweight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sandsveden, Malte; Manjer, Jonas

    2017-11-01

    Previous research has not been conclusive regarding the association between selenium (Se) and breast cancer. This study was conducted to clarify if there is an association between prediagnostic serum Se levels and breast cancer risk. A population based cohort, the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, was used and linked with the Swedish cancer registry up to 31 December 2013. Our study included 1,186 women with breast cancer and an equal number of controls. Selenium levels were analysed from stored serum samples. The included individuals were divided into quartiles based on Se value and we compared breast cancer cases with controls using logistic regression yielding odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. Serum Se was also analysed as a continuous variable regarding breast cancer risk. The analyses were adjusted for established risk factors and stratified on smoking status and body mass index (BMI). When comparing the highest Se quartile with the lowest, the adjusted OR for breast cancer was 0.98 (0.75-1.26). With selenium as a continuous variable the adjusted OR was 1.00 (1.00-1.01) per 10 ng/ml. When comparing the highest with the lowest Se quartile in women with BMI > 25 kg/m 2 the adjusted OR was 0.77 (0.53-1.14). We conclude that it is unlikely that prediagnostic serum selenium is overall associated with breast cancer risk and no modifying effect from BMI or smoking was seen. © 2017 UICC.

  7. Selenium level in the environment and the population of Zhoukoudian area, Beijing, China

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Na [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Gao Zhidong [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Luo Degang [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Tang Xun [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Chen Dafang [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China); Hu Yonghua [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, 38 Xue Yuan Road, Hai, Dian District, Beijing 100083 (China)]. E-mail: yhhu@bjmu.edu.cn

    2007-08-01

    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 {sup 63}Ni electron capture detector (ECD). The selenium level was 0.210 {+-} 0.013 {mu}g/g in soil, 0.017 {mu}g/L {+-} 0.002 in drinking water, 0.034 {+-} 0.002 {mu}g/g in rice, and 0.034 {+-} 0.012 {mu}g/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 {mu}g/L, ranging between 35.2 and 160.4 {mu}g/L. A total of 279 (69.6%) individuals exhibited serum selenium level below 80 {mu}g/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 {mu}g/L. It is widely recommended that below this value (45 {mu}g/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)

  8. Selenium level in the environment and the population of Zhoukoudian area, Beijing, China

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Na; Gao Zhidong; Luo Degang; Tang Xun; Chen Dafang; Hu Yonghua

    2007-01-01

    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 μg/g in soil, 0.017 μg/L ± 0.002 in drinking water, 0.034 ± 0.002 μg/g in rice, and 0.034 ± 0.012 μg/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 μg/L, ranging between 35.2 and 160.4 μg/L. A total of 279 (69.6%) individuals exhibited serum selenium level below 80 μg/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 μg/L. It is widely recommended that below this value (45 μg/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 (β = 0.137; P = 0.011), serum total cholesterol TC (β = 0.785; P = 0.000), however, negatively associated with systolic blood pressure (β = - 0.172; P = 0.023), serum triglyceride (β = - 0.170; P = 0.007), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (β = - 0.121; P = 0.027), and low high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (β = - 0.568; P = 0.027)

  9. Selenium enrichment on Cordyceps militaris link and analysis on its main active components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Jing Z; Lei, C; Ai, Xun R; Wang, Y

    2012-03-01

    To investigate the effects of selenium on the main active components of Cordyceps militaris fruit bodies, selenium-enriched cultivation of C. militaris and the main active components of the fruit bodies were studied. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and contents of cordycepin, cordycepic acid, and organic selenium of fruit bodies were sodium selenite concentration dependent; contents of adenosine and cordycep polysaccharides were significantly enhanced by adding sodium selenite in the substrates, but not proportional to sodium selenite concentrations. In the cultivation of wheat substrate added with 18.0 ppm sodium selenite, SOD activity and contents of cordycepin, cordycepic acid, adenosine, cordycep polysaccharides, and total amino acids were enhanced by 121/145%, 124/74%, 325/520%, 130/284%, 121/145%, and 157/554%, respectively, compared to NS (non-selenium-cultivated) fruit bodies and wild Cordyceps sinensis; organic selenium contents of fruit bodies reached 6.49 mg/100 g. So selenium-enriched cultivation may be a potential way to produce more valuable medicinal food as a substitute for wild C. sinensis.

  10. Marginal selenium deficiency down-regulates inflammation-related genes in splenic leukocytes of the mouse

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kipp, A.P.; Banning, A.; Schothorst, van E.M.; Meplan, C.; Coort, S.L.; Evelo, C.; Keijer, J.; Hesketh, J.; Brigelius, R.

    2012-01-01

    Moderate selenium deficiency may lead to an impaired capacity to cope with health challenges. Functional effects of suboptimal selenium intake are not fully known, and biomarkers for an insufficient selenium supply are inadequate. We therefore fed mice diets of moderately deficient or adequate

  11. Resource recovery from urban stock, the example of cadmium and tellurium from thin film module recycling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Simon, F.-G., E-mail: franz-georg.simon@bam.de [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Holm, O.; Berger, W. [BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Division 4.3 Contaminant Transfer and Environmental Technologies, Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany)

    2013-04-15

    Highlights: ► The semiconductor layer on thin-film photovoltaic modules can be removed from the glass-plate by vacuum blast cleaning. ► The separation of blasting agent and semiconductor can be performed using flotation with a valuable yield of 55%. ► PV modules are a promising source for the recovery of tellurium in the future. - Abstract: Raw material supply is essential for all industrial activities. The use of secondary raw material gains more importance since ore grade in primary production is decreasing. Meanwhile urban stock contains considerable amounts of various elements. Photovoltaic (PV) generating systems are part of the urban stock and recycling technologies for PV thin film modules with CdTe as semiconductor are needed because cadmium could cause hazardous environmental impact and tellurium is a scarce element where future supply might be constrained. The paper describes a sequence of mechanical processing techniques for end-of-life PV thin film modules consisting of sandblasting and flotation. Separation of the semiconductor material from the glass surface was possible, however, enrichment and yield of valuables in the flotation step were non-satisfying. Nevertheless, recovery of valuable metals from urban stock is a viable method for the extension of the availability of limited natural resources.

  12. Resource recovery from urban stock, the example of cadmium and tellurium from thin film module recycling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simon, F.-G.; Holm, O.; Berger, W.

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► The semiconductor layer on thin-film photovoltaic modules can be removed from the glass-plate by vacuum blast cleaning. ► The separation of blasting agent and semiconductor can be performed using flotation with a valuable yield of 55%. ► PV modules are a promising source for the recovery of tellurium in the future. - Abstract: Raw material supply is essential for all industrial activities. The use of secondary raw material gains more importance since ore grade in primary production is decreasing. Meanwhile urban stock contains considerable amounts of various elements. Photovoltaic (PV) generating systems are part of the urban stock and recycling technologies for PV thin film modules with CdTe as semiconductor are needed because cadmium could cause hazardous environmental impact and tellurium is a scarce element where future supply might be constrained. The paper describes a sequence of mechanical processing techniques for end-of-life PV thin film modules consisting of sandblasting and flotation. Separation of the semiconductor material from the glass surface was possible, however, enrichment and yield of valuables in the flotation step were non-satisfying. Nevertheless, recovery of valuable metals from urban stock is a viable method for the extension of the availability of limited natural resources

  13. Uptake and speciation of selenium in garlic cultivated in soil amended with symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) and selenate

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Larsen, Erik Huusfeldt; Lobinski, R.; Burger-Meyer, K.

    2006-01-01

    The scope of the work was to investigate the influence of selenate fertilisation and the addition of symbiotic fungi (mycorrhiza) to soil on selenium and selenium species concentrations in garlic. The selenium species were extracted from garlic cultivated in experimental plots by proteolytic...... in garlic. The selenium content in garlic, which was analysed by ICP-MS, showed that addition of mycorrhiza to the natural soil increased the selenium uptake by garlic tenfold to 15 mu g g(-1) (dry mass). Fertilisation with selenate and addition of mycorrhiza strongly increased the selenium content...... of soil by mycorrhiza and/or by selenate increased the content of selenium but not the distribution of detected selenium species in garlic. Finally, the use of two-dimensional HPLC (size exclusion followed by reversed-phase) allowed the structural characterisation of gamma...

  14. Determination of tellurium by hydride generation with in situ trapping flame atomic absorption spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matusiewicz, H.; Krawczyk, M. [Politechn Poznanska, Poznan (Poland)

    2007-03-15

    The analytical performance of coupled hydride generation - integrated atom trap (HG-IAT) atomizer flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS) system was evaluated for determination of Te in reference material (GBW 07302 Stream Sediment), coal fly ash and garlic. Tellurium, using formation of H{sub 2}Te vapors, is atomized in air-acetylene flame-heated IAT. A new design HG-IAT-FAAS hyphenated technique that would exceed the operational capabilities of existing arrangernents (a water-cooled single silica tube, double-slotted quartz tube or an 'integrated trap') was investigated. An improvement in detection limit was achieved compared with using either of the above atom trapping techniques separately. The concentration detection limit, defined as 3 times the blank standard deviation (3{sigma}), was 0.9 ng mL{sup -1} for Te. For a 2 min in situ preconcentration time (sample volume of 2 mL), sensitivity enhancement compared to flame AAS, was 222 fold, using the hydride generation atom trapping technique. The sensitivity can be further improved by increasing the collection time. The precision, expressed as RSD, was 7.0% (n = 6) for Te. The accuracy of the method was verified using a certified reference material (GBW 07302 Stream Sediment) by aqueous standard calibration curves. The measured Te contents of the reference material was in agreement with the information value. The method was successfully applied to the determination of tellurium in coal fly ash and garlic.

  15. Selenium homeostasis and induction of thioredoxin reductase during long term selenite supplementation in the rat

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Erkhembayar, Suvd; Mollbrink, Annelie; Eriksson, Malin

    2011-01-01

    -dependent increase in blood and liver selenium levels, with plateaus at 6 and 8weeks, respectively. These plateaus were reached at the same level of selenium regardless of dose, and no further accumulation was observed. A selenium-dependent increase in the activity of TrxR1 in parallel with the increase in liver...... selenium levels was also seen, and the induction of TrxR1 mRNA was seen only during the first three days of treatment, when the levels of selenium in the liver were increasing. Sodium selenite at 1 and 5μg/mL did not affect body weight or relative liver mass. We concluded that long-term treatment...... with selenite did not cause accumulation of selenium and that the activity of TrxR1 in the liver rose with the selenium levels. We therefore suggest that sodium selenite at doses up to 5μg/mL could be used for long-term tumour prevention....

  16. Comparative effect of selenium and selenium tolerant microbes on brachiaria reptans l. growth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yasin, M.; Faisal, M.

    2014-01-01

    Brachiaria reptans L. is an annual grass. It is good fodder grass which is distributed in tropical Asia, Kenya, Pakistan and India and introduced throughout the tropics. In present study we determine the growth correlation among B. reptans, selenium (Se) and two Se tolerant bacteria (Bacillus licheniformis-YAP7 and Bacillus cereus-YAP6). Plants treated with Se showed a significant decrease in shoot length (33%) and fresh biomass (41%) compared to control. When plants were co-cultivated in the presence of bacteria or Se and bacteria both the shoot length increased (16-34%) significantly compared to control. B. reptans plants treated with Se have shown a significant decrease in peroxidase contents (59%) compared to control. However, bacterial inoculation of Se treated plants resulted in significant increase in peroxidase contents (113-171%). Selenium treatment caused increase in leaf soluble protein contents compared to control. In conclusion, bacteria can enhance B. reptans growth under Se stress. (author)

  17. Electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles by silver mirror reaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shi, Yongzheng; Li, Yajing; Zhang, Jianfeng; Yu, Zhongzhen; Yang, Dongzhi, E-mail: yangdz@mail.buct.edu.cn

    2015-06-01

    The silver mirror reaction (SMR) method was selected in this paper to modify electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers, and these nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles showed excellent antibacterial properties. PAN nanofibers were first pretreated in AgNO{sub 3} aqueous solution before the SMR process so that the silver nanoparticles were distributed evenly on the outer surface of the nanofibers. The final PAN nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), TEM-selected area electron diffraction (SAED), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). SEM, TEM micrographs and SAED patterns confirmed homogeneous dispersion of the silver nanoparticles which were composed of monocrystals with diameters 20–30 nm. EDS and XRD results showed that these monocrystals tended to form face-centered cubic single silver. TGA test indicated that the nanoparticles loaded on the nanofibers reached above 50 wt.%. This material was also evaluated by the viable cell-counting method. The results indicated that PAN nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles exhibited excellent antimicrobial activities against gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the fungus Monilia albicans. Thus, this material had many potential applications in biomedical fields. - Highlights: • Silver mirror reaction was used to prepare nanofibers loaded with silver nanoparticles. • The SAED patterns demonstrated the monocrystallinity of silver nanocrystals. • The XRD results showed nanoparticles tended to be face-centered cubic single silver. • The material showed excellent antimicrobial activities against bacteria and fungi.

  18. Determination of selenium in food matrices by replicate sample neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ventura, M.G.; Freitas, M.C.; Ventura, M.G.; Pacheco, A.M.G.

    2009-01-01

    The replicate sample instrumental neutron activation method was optimized and used for the determination of selenium in foodstuffs. The method was reliable, yielding accurate results. Lower detections limits were obtained after each successive irradiation. Different irradiation conditions were used depending on the type of sample. For samples with higher selenium contents (meat, fish, eggs), the measured selenium in the first replicate is in all cases larger than the detection limit, but a better accuracy was obtained with a larger number of replicates (2-3 replicates). For samples with extremely low selenium contents (vegetable samples), at least seven replicates were necessary to obtain a concentration value two times larger than the detection limit. (author)

  19. Test of irradiation of tellurium oxide for obtaining iodine-131 by dry distillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alanis M, J.

    2003-07-01

    With the purpose of optimizing to the maximum independently the work of the reactor of those mathematical calculations of irradiation that are already optimized, now it corresponds to carry out irradiation tests in the different positions with their respective neutron fluxes that it counts the reactor for samples irradiation. Then, it is necessary to carry out the irradiation of the tellurium dioxide through cycles, with the purpose of observing the activity that it goes accumulating in each cycle and this way to obtain an activity of the Iodine-131 obtained when finishing the last cycle. (Author)

  20. Development kinetics of silver clusters on silver halides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grzesiak, S.; Belloni, J.; Marignier, J.-L.

    2008-01-01

    Silver nuclei are produced by pulse radiolysis at the surface of AgCl nanocrystallites in the presence of an electron donor, the methyl viologen, which induces the growth of silver nuclei. The experimental results observed on the increase of the silver atom concentration and on the decay of the donor concentration during this process, which is similar to the photographic development by an electron donor, are compared with the kinetics obtained from numerical simulation. The model assumes that the formation of silver clusters with a supercritical nuclearity is required before the start of an electron transfer reaction from the two reduced forms of the donor methyl viologen to the silver clusters. The reaction is controlled by the access of the donor to the surface sites of the AgCl crystallite. The rate constant values of the successive steps of the mechanism are derived from the adjustment of calculated kinetics to experimental signals under various conditions, using a single set of parameters which are fairly suitable under all conditions studied