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In order to explore the characteristics of the rare earth elements (REEs) and selenium (Se) among the Chinese centenarians, the concentrations of REE and Se were detected in the hair of healthy centenarians living in typical Chinese longevity region, and the influences of physiological conditions and behavior on the concentrations of REE and Se were assessed. The average values of light RE (LRE) and heavy RE (HRE) are 31.87 and 11.12 ng/g. Female centenarians had higher concentrations of lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), yttrium (Y), and Se but lower levels of cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), ytterbium (Yb), and lutetium (Lu). Except for Ce, the higher the age, the lower the REE and Se content were. Smoking was positively associated with Dy, Er, and Yb levels, whereas drinking habits showed no significant effect on all the elements. Elderly individuals who ate smoked and pickled food and who consumed high amounts of salt had higher levels of REE and Se in their hair, and centenarians who consumed egg and milk had higher Se and REE in the hair than did the non-eaters. This comprehensive study on the REE and Se concentrations among the healthy centenarians can provide scientific support for shaping a healthy aging society.

Previous studies have shown that the selenium (Se) deficiency is an important factor for the etiology of Kashin–Beck disease (KBD). Although KBD is presently controlled in most regions of China, it is still active in the Tibetan Plateau. The present study aimed to assess the nutritional status of selenium in school children by using the Se level in hair as a biomarker in KBD endemic areas of Lhasa in Tibet, China. Hair samples of 155 school children aged 6–15 years were collected in both KBD areas and non-KBD areas of Lhasa in 2013. The Se level in the hair samples was determined by inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The average concentration of Se in children’s hair was 0.232 μg/g in KBD areas of Lhasa, which was significantly higher than the data reported decades ago. A significant difference in hair Se was observed between the boys (0.255 μg/g) and the girls (0.222 μg/g) in the studied KBD areas (P

Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) is an endemic osteoarthritis, and the etiology is closely related with levels of trace elements in the human body. Currently, it is clear that the selenium (Se) status of children in KBD areas is lower than that in non-KBD areas in the Tibetan Plateau, whereas role of other elements are yet unknown. This study aimed to assess some essential trace elements (Se, Mo, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, Co, and Sr) in children using scalp hair as a biomarker, and 157 samples from school children aged 8–14 years old were collected from both KBD and non-KBD areas in Shigatse, Tibet. Se and Mo were measured by inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the other elements were determined by inductive coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Compared with the non-KBD areas, Se, Mo, Mn, Fe, Zn, Co, and Sr levels of children in KBD areas were found to be significantly different (P

To clarify the relationship between the soil selenium distribution and its bioavailability with the distribution of Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) endemic areas on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, samples of natural soil (0-20 cm), cultivated topsoil, and main crops of the region (highland barley) were collected at different altitudes according to topographical and geomorphological features in both KBD and non-KBD areas of Songpan County. These samples were used for determination and analysis of total selenium content in soil and highland barley and available selenium that can be absorbed and utilized by plants. The results showed that the average total selenium content of natural and cultivated topsoil in KBD areas was lower than that in non-KBD areas (natural soil, P = 0.061; cultivated soil, P = 0.002), which is in agreement with the geographical distributions of selenium in other KBD-affected areas. However, the total soil selenium content exhibits certain micro-spatial distribution features, namely, the total selenium content in some endemic areas was significantly higher than that of non-KBD areas. This result was contrary to the general distribution that total selenium content in a KBD-affected area is lower than that in a non-KBD area. We further studied the extraction rate and content of soil selenium in six different fractions. The results indicated that the content and extraction rate of available selenium in KBD-affected areas were significantly lower than those in non-KBD areas. There is a distinct positive correlation between plant-available selenium and highland barley selenium (r = 0.875, P = 0.001) and a distinct negative correlation with altitude (r = -0.801, P = 0.010). Therefore, in KBD endemic areas, the selenium content in crops decreases as the available selenium content in soil decreases and is closely related to the geographical environment features (such as altitude and precipitation). These results suggest that the soil available selenium and ecological features are important factors that restrict the dietary selenium flux for residents in KBD endemic areas of the Tibetan Plateau, providing a theoretical and experimental basis for implementing agricultural measures to regulate the ecological cycle of the selenium flux in the KBD endemic area.

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between blood lead and serum creatinine and blood lead and serum urea nitrogen levels as biomarkers of lead exposure from subjects living in a historic polymetallic mining area in China. Elevated levels were found for blood lead, serum creatinine, and serum urea nitrogen in the mining area with mean values at 245.65 μg/l, 74.16 μmol/l, and 12.79 mmol/l, which were significantly higher than those in the control area, respectively. Moreover, the coefficients between paired results for blood lead and serum creatinine and blood lead and serum urea nitrogen were positively statistically significant (serum creatinine vs. blood lead, r = 0.35, p

Trace element content in hair is affected by the age of the donor. Hair samples of subjects from four counties in China where people are known to have long lifespan ("longevity counties") were collected and the trace element content determined. Samples were subdivided into three age groups based on the age of the donors from whom these were taken: children (0-15 years); elderly (80-99 years); and centenarians (a parts per thousand yen100 years). We compared the trace element content in hair of different age groups of subjects. Support vector machine classification results showed that a non-linear polynomial kernel function could be used to classify the three age groups of people. Age did not have a significant effect on the content of Ca and Cd in human hair. The content of Li, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, and Ni in human hair changed significantly with age. The magnitude of the age effect on trace element content in hair was in the order Cu > Zn > Ni > Mg > Mn > Cr > Li. Cu content in hair decreased significantly with increasing age. The hair of centenarians had higher levels of Li and Mn, and lower levels of Cr, Cu, and Ni comparing with that of the children and elderly subjects. This could be a beneficial factor of their long lifespan.

Increasing human health and longevity is of global interest. Environmental, genetic, and stochastic factors all affect longevity. Among these factors, the environment is extremely important. To investigate the relationship between the environment and longevity, we studied the environment in Zhongxiang (China), where the inhabitants commonly have long life spans. Air was analyzed for negative oxygen ions, SO2, and inhalable particles, while drinking water and rice were analyzed for macro- and micro-elements. The air quality in this area was determined to be grade I with high negative oxygen ion content and low SO2 and inhalable particle contents. Apart from Fe, Mn, and F, all tested elements and the pH were within national standards and World Health Organization guidelines. The percentage of long-lived people in the area was closely related to the macro- and micro-element contents of their staple food, rice. The elements in rice could be classified into three categories according to their effect on longevity: Sr, Ca, Al, Mo, and Se, which were positively correlated with longevity; Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, P, Mg, and K, which had a weak effect on local longevity, and Cu and Ba, which had a negative effect on longevity.

Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is one of the most important sources of cadmium exposure in the general population from some Asian countries. This study was conducted to assess cadmium exposure from uncooked rice in rural mining areas based on the bioaccessible fraction of cadmium using an in vitro digestion model. The biotoxic effects of cadmium in uncooked rice from mining areas were much higher than those in the control area, based not only on their higher total concentration (52.49 vs. 7.93 μg kg(-1)), but also on their higher bioaccessibility (16.94% vs. 2.38%). In the mining areas, the bioaccessible fraction of cadmium in uncooked rice has a significant positive correlation with the total concentration of cadmium in rice and there was quarterly unsafe rice to the public in the mining areas. The results indicated that the in vitro digestion model could be a useful and economical tool for providing the solubilization or bioaccessibility of uncooked rice in the mining area. The results could be helpful in conducting future experiments of cooked rice in the vitro model.

The prevalence rate of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) in most parts of China is currently decreasing, but the disease is still active and severe on the Tibetan Plateau. Soil samples including the surface layer (0-20 cm) and the subsurface layer (20-40 cm) in the cultivated and natural soil profiles were collected, and the mechanical composite and total concentration of arsenic, cobalt, copper, iron, mercury, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc were determined. Concentrations of arsenic, iron, manganese, copper, and selenium in the surface soil were lower than those in the subsurface soil. The same was true of physical clay in the soil profiles. However, there were no significant differences between the different soil layers. The concentrations of selenium, molybdenum, and mercury were somewhat lower compared with the average concentrations of soils in China. Deficiencies of molybdenum and selenium both play a critical role in occurrence of KBD, but whether or not soil mercury at a low level contributes to KBD is still unclear. A correlation analysis of soil elements showed that there is a positive correlation between iron, cobalt, and manganese due to their similar chemical characteristics. Selenium concentrations in soil as well as the physical clay and iron descend with the deterioration of KBD, but mercury concentrations in soil ascend with the aggravation of the disease. The results show that selenium deficiencies greatly influence the disease, and a deficiency of molybdenum is likely another important factor in inducing KBD. Moreover, determining whether low levels of soil mercury contribute to KBD should be investigated in the future.

Trace element concentrations in body tissues of healthy centenarians have not been widely analyzed, yet they can be used as reference data leading to improved assessment of the aging process and monitoring of the micronutrient status of this age group. The present study sought to assess trace element concentrations and behaviors in the fingernails of healthy Chinese centenarians. The effects of gender on element concentrations, which also play an important role in determining the lifespan, were also investigated. Trace elements (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn) in the fingernails of 78 healthy Chinese centenarians were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The overall reference values obtained in milligram per kilogram are as follows: Ba, 5.10; Cd, 0.031; Co, 0.101; Cr, 0.82; Cu, 3.71; Fe, 154.35; Li, 0.31; Mn, 3.09; Mo, 0.040; Ni, 0.95; Pb, 1.86; Se, 0.44; Sr, 6.20; and Zn, 147.96. Data analysis showed that only Cr and Se concentrations show a normal distribution, and no significant difference between male and female groups was found for any element except Cr. Result also revealed that sufficient Se, Co, and Zn as well as lower or lack of exposure to Cr contribute positively to the lifespan of centenarians. The results suggest that regulating in vivo contents of trace elements, especially Se, Co, and Zn, is reasonable to intervene with geriatric diseases.