Projected uptake and toxicity of selenium compounds from the environment

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Environ. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-9351(85)90016-7· OSTI ID:5940989

Medinsky, M A; Cuddihy, R G; Griffith, W C; Weissman, S H; McClellan, R O

Industrial workers and members of the general public may be exposed to selenium by inhalation of selenium in the workplace or atmosphere or by ingestion of selenium in food. A model has been developed to evaluate the potential uptake of selenium in body tissues by these two exposure routes. Rates were estimated for transport of selenium between five compartments including lung, gastrointestinal tract, blood, liver and other tissues. Results of model simulations were compared to published tissue distribution information obtained from single inhalation exposures of rats and dogs to radiolabeled selenium compounds at concentrations from 20 mg/m/sup 3/ to 20 ..mu../m/sup 3/ with initial body burdens of selenium ranging from 28 to 0.09 ..mu..g Se/kg body wt. The model was then modified to predict equilibrium organ concentrations of selenium in people after continual exposure to selenium in the air or in the diet. Daily intake levels of 100 ..mu../day and a fractional absorption value of 0.8 were used. With an air concentration of 1 ng Se/m/sup 3/, model predictions indicated that most of the total body selenium in people is likely to come from their diet because selenium in the urban atmosphere contributes a very small part of the total body selenium. However, continual inhalation of selenium at the threshold limit value (TLV; 200 ..mu..g/m/sup 3/) could contribute significantly to the total body burden of selenium. Levels of selenium predicted in lung, liver, and blood after inhalation of selenium at the TLV were 22,000, 1200, and 440 ng Se/g tissue. Predicted lung concentrations were near those that produced toxic effects in animals after ingestion of Se. 31 references, 1 figure, 4 tables.

• Research Organization: Inhalation Toxicoloty Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76EV01013
• OSTI ID: 5940989
• Journal Information: Environ. Res.; (United States), Vol. 36
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
SELENIUM
TOXICITY
UPTAKE
BIOLOGICAL MODELS
BLOOD
BODY BURDEN
DOGS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT
INGESTION
INHALATION
LIVER
LUNGS
MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE
RATS
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
DATA
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
GLANDS
INFORMATION
INTAKE
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SAFETY STANDARDS
SEMIMETALS
STANDARDS
VERTEBRATES
560305* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Vertebrates- (-1987)