Where does selenium in soil come from?

Where does selenium in soil come from?

Selenium enters the soil profile through the weathering of selenium-rich rocks. Selenium particles move through the soil until adsorbed on clay particles, iron hydroxides or organic particles. Through water and wind erosion and sedimentation processes these particles are distributed and deposited into top soil.

Is selenium found in soil?

The selenium content of soils varies greatly from 0.005 to 1200 μg/g, and most commonly between 0.1 and 10 μg/g. In selenium-deficient areas, the soil content may range from 0.005 to 2 μg/g.

How do you increase selenium in soil?

In areas where soils are low in selenium, certain agricultural practices may have some effect in increasing the level available. Applying manure to low-selenium soils from animals fed imported selenium-adequate feeds increases the soil selenium content slightly.

What areas in the US have soils low in selenium?

High Se soils (called seleniferous soils) with 2 to 10 mg/kg occur in South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. Soils containing less than 0.5 mg/kg total are classified as Se deficient.

Is Indian soil rich in selenium?

An Indian study which documented Se status in soils from northern districts of India identified parts of soil from Rajasthan as well as southern parts of Haryana to have above normal selenium levels as these are drier lands receiving low rains and have less irrigation water available.

Where is selenium mined in the world?

Selenium is occasionally found in pure form. It occurs in the rare minerals clausthalite and crooksite. Despite the name, the mineral selenite actually contains no selenium. Some selenium is mined in Japan, Canada, United States and Belgium.

Are Australian soils deficient in selenium?

Selenium is a micronutrient which comes to us from the soil via plants – particularly wheat. It’s thought to be important for liver, thyroid, heart and immune function and there’s also some evidence that selenium supplementation reduces the risk of prostate cancer.

Where is selenium found in India?

These soils were also found to be alkaline. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and northern parts of the Haryana states had normal levels of selenium in their soils, except with slightly lower selenium levels in a few areas that were affected by floods along the river Yamuna.

Is Selenium Deficiency Common in India?

… Loss of selenium rich soil has reduced the dietary availability of selenium, thus increasing the deficiency of this micronutrient worldwide [18]. India is a vast country with wide geographical soil status. In one study, the northern part of India was reported to have normal levels of soil selenium [19] .

Who found selenium?

Johan Gottlieb Gahn
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
Selenium/Discoverers

Where can selenium be found?

Selenium is most often found in whole grains and animal products such as fish and eggs. The amount of selenium in grains and grain-based foods depends on the soil content where they grew.