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Grains account for a large proportion of the diet of rural residents in Tibet. The lack of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) threatens the population's nutrition and health. However, the intakes of selenium and zinc in grains remains unclear. To clarify the nutritional status of selenium and zinc consumed from staple grains of residents along the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, 341 grain samples and 242 urine samples were collected, and 244 food frequency questionnaires were completed along the Yarlung Zangbo River in 2020-2021. The results showed that the selenium concentrations of 88.5% of self-produced tsampa and 80.8% of self-produced flour were lower than the grain selenium threshold (<25 μg·kg -1 ). The intake of selenium and zinc from staple grains (tsampa, flour, and rice) contributed 15.0% and 43.5% to the recommended nutrient intake (RNI) on average, respectively. A geographical detector model analyzed factors affecting urinary selenium and zinc levels. Selenium and zinc intakes in rice and flour, and dietary diversity score (DDS) were the main factors affecting urinary selenium and zinc ( p < 0.01). Their interaction effects on urinary selenium and zinc were greater than those of a single factor. The staple grains of rural residents along the Yarlung Zangbo River were in a state of selenium deficiency. The zinc content of the staple grain purchased was lower than that of the main grain produced by rural residents. Changing the grain consumption pattern and adjusting the proportion of exogenous grains can improve selenium and zinc nutrition in residents.

Drinking water is considered to be an important exposure pathway for humans to ingest trace elements; human urine samples are widely accepted as biometric substrates that can reflect human exposure to trace elements. The current study aimed at investigating the concentrations of trace elements including selenium (Se), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in drinking water and human urine in plateau region of China, determining the association among trace elements in drinking water and urine, and analyzing their associations with age and gender. The results showed that the majority of trace element concentrations were in the range of the World Health Organization (WHO 2011) guideline values, in both urine samples of male and female, and the median values were descending in the order: Zn > Cu > As > Se > Cr > Ni > Mn > Pb > Cd > Co. Selenium contributed to the excretion of As, Cr, Cu, Cd, and Zn in human body, group of 31-40 years appeared to present the greatest excretion ability in most of the trace elements. Weak positive correlations were observed between age and Mn in female urine samples, and negative correlations were observed between age and Se, As, Co, and Cu in male urine samples and between age and Co in female urine samples, respectively. Significant positive correlation was observed in As between drinking water and the whole human urine. In the same family, female seemed to show higher proportions of urinary As levels than male. This study will provide elementary information regarding trace element levels in drinking water and human urine in residents in plateau region of China and is helpful to provide reference for dietary nutrient trace element intake and effective control for local resident., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Objective: To understand the dietary diversity and food sources of different groups in Arun Banner. Comparing and analyzing the changes of dietary diversity of local residents in different periods., Methods: In October 2019, according to the differences of Kashin-Beck disease conditions and land use patterns of Arun Banner, Hulun Buir, 78 rural residents were randomly selected from four villages to investigate the frequency of daily food consumption by using self-made food frequency questionnaire. Dietary diversity score(DDS) was used to evaluate the dietary diversity of different populations., Results: The average DDS of the investigated residents was 9. 76±2. 32. DDS of the residents of Minzu and Tieshan villages(10. 14±2. 66) in the West was higher than that of Longtoushan and Hongqi villages(9. 42±1. 95) in the East. However, the difference was not statistically significant(Z=-1. 875, P& gt; 0. 05). DDS in males(10. 37±2. 47) was significantly higher than that in females(9. 36±2. 14)(P& lt; 0. 05). There was no significant difference in DDS(9. 52±2. 29) between Kashin-Beck disease affected patients and healthy residents(9. 85±2. 34)(Z=-0. 601, P& gt; 0. 05). There was no significant difference in DDS among different age groups. The average of DDS was higher in those younger than 60 years old(9. 90±2. 35). Residents mainly eat rice and flour, and the proportion of purchasing food from other places reaches 96% and 95%, respectively., Conclusion: The staple food in Arun Banner was mainly rice and flour purchased from other places. The dietary structure of residents tends to be diversified. Residents reduced dependence on low selenium natural environment is an important factor for local selenium-susceptible endemic diseases to be stable and gradually controlled.

Background: Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) is one of the major endemic diseases in China, which severely impacts the physical health and life quality of people. A better understanding of the spatial distribution of the health loss from KBD and its influencing factors will help to identify areas and populations at high risk so as to plan for targeted interventions., Methods: The data of patients with KBD at village-level were collected to estimate and analyze the spatial pattern of health loss from KBD in Bin County, Shaanxi Province. The years lived with disability (YLDs) index was applied as a measure of health loss from KBD. Spatial autocorrelation methodologies, including Global Moran's I and Local Moran's I, were used to describe and map spatial clusters of the health loss. In addition, basic individual information and environmental samples were collected to explore natural and social determinants of the health loss from KBD., Results: The estimation of YLDs showed that patients with KBD of grade II and patients over 50 years old contributed most to the health loss of KBD in Bin County. No significant difference was observed between two genders. The spatial patterns of YLDs and YLD rate of KBD were clustered significantly at both global and local scales. Villages in the southwestern and eastern regions revealed higher health loss, while those in the northern regions exhibited lower health loss. This clustering was found to be significantly related to organically bound Se in soil and poverty rate of KBD patients., Conclusions: Our results suggest that future treatment and prevention of KBD should focus on endemic areas with high organically bound Se in soil and poor economic conditions. The findings can also provide important information for further exploration of the etiology of KBD.

Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) is one of major endemic diseases in China. In this study, we estimated the health loss from KBD in Qamdo district of Tibet using the years lived with disability (YLD) metric and investigated the influence of environmental selenium (Se) on it by multiple regression model. The results showed that YLD rates produced a different ranking of health loss of KBD from that produced by prevalence rates between Basu and Luolong County, with higher health loss from KBD (43.61 YLD/1000) but lower prevalence (17.86%) in Basu County. YLD rates in two counites were both highest for the 45-64 years age group. Compared with the prevalence rate, the YLD rate had a closer relation to environmental Se and was significantly negatively correlated with Se in both soil and highland barley. The multiple linear regression further revealed that Se contents in cultivated soil and highland barley were main influencing factors for the health loss of KBD, which could explain 90.5% of the variation in YLD rates. The information obtained highlights the significance of the YLD metric in exploring the environmental etiology of KBD and provides important information on which to base decisions on future prevention and control of endemic diseases.

China is recognized as a selenium-deficient country, and nutritional selenium intake has always been a concern. To clarify the current inhabitants' selenium nutrition status and the characteristics of dietary consumption in low-selenium areas, samples of human hair and grains were collected, and food frequency questionnaires were administered in Binxian County, Shaanxi Province, a typical low-selenium area in the Loess Plateau. The subject number of the study is 85, and the age range is from 11 to 81 years, with an average of 60. The results showed that the average hair selenium content of the residents was 231.7 μg/kg, and 62.4% of the participants had levels higher than the selenium deficiency threshold (200 μg/kg). There was a significant positive correlation between the hair selenium content and the food consumption score after adjusting for rice outsourcing. Three different dietary patterns were noted according to hierarchical cluster analysis. This study provides a tool for assessing the selenium nutrition of inhabitants in low-selenium areas and has considerable significance for improving the dietary pattern of residents.

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.

Trace elements such as selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are essential elements in the human body, while cadmium (Cd) has no physiological function. A high proportion of people consume dietary supplements to enhance the performance of the body or alter the nutrient contents within the body. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the interaction effects of several popular dietary supplements on the bioaccessibility of Se, Zn and Cd in rice with the hope of identifying dietary supplements that can increase rice Se and Zn bioaccessibility but decrease rice Cd bioaccessibility. The results from in vitro gastrointestinal simulation tests showed that the bioaccessibility of these elements in rice was in the order of Cd (52.07%) > Zn (36.63%) > Se (10.19%) during the gastric phase and Zn (26.82%) > Cd (18.72%) > Se (14.70%) during the intestinal phase. The bioaccessibility of Se during the intestinal phase was greater than that during the gastric phase, and the bioaccessibility of Zn and Cd were the opposite. The bioaccessibility of Se significantly increased in response to vitamin C (VC), vitamin E (VE), vitamin B6 (VB6) and vitamin B9 (VB9), especially VC, which also increased the bioaccessibility of Zn and decreased that of Cd. Procyanidins (OPC), methionine (Met) and coenzyme Q10 (Q10) significantly reduced the bioaccessibility of Se. These results suggest that the reasonable use of dietary supplements can effectively regulate the in vivo contents of trace elements, which provide valuable information for developing health interventions to address problems for specific people, especially selenium-deficient people.

Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are essential microelements for humans with crucial biological functions. In this study, we determined Se and Zn concentrations in soils and rice grains on Hainan Island and investigated how their spatial distributions are related to soil mineral elements, topography, and vegetation coverage. Overall, the concentrations of Se and Zn in soils were higher than the background values for Chinese soil; the Se concentrations in rice grains were higher than the threshold value for Se deficiency in grains, but Zn concentrations were lower than the proposed critical concentration. Both Spearman's correlation and stepwise regression analysis showed that the concentrations of soil Fe and Ca significantly affected soil Se and Zn: a difference of 1 g kg -1 in soil Fe changed soil Se by 2.820 μg kg -1 and soil Zn by 0.785 mg kg -1 , respectively, while a difference of 1 g kg -1 in soil Ca changed soil Se by 3.249 μg kg -1 and soil Zn by 0.356 mg kg -1 , respectively. For rice grains, Se and Zn concentrations decreased with increasing elevation; every 100 m increase in elevation could decrease Se by 0.022 mg kg -1 and Zn by 0.912 mg kg -1 . Moreover, the impact of Fe and Ca on soil Zn was relatively strong in the northeast region, while the influence of elevation on rice grain Se was more significant in the central region. The findings contribute to a better understanding of factors driving the distribution of Se and Zn in soils and crops., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Selenium (Se) is essential for humans, with many critical roles in physiological and pathophysiological processes. Fish, eggs and meats are usually the rich food sources of Se. To improve the nutritional status of population, a new version of balanced dietary pattern in the form of the Chinese Food Pagoda (2016) was proclaimed. This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of this balanced dietary pattern to daily Se intake, and to assess Se intake status of Chinese residents under this Food Pagoda scenario., Methods: Based on the food consumption recommended in the Food Pagoda, this study collected the data of Se contents in various food composites and estimated dietary Se intakes (EI TDS ) in 12 provinces from the 4th China Total Diet Study. The estimated Se intakes based on the Chinese Food Pagoda (EI CHFP ) in 12 provinces were calculated. EI TDS and EI CHFP in various food groups among different regions were compared., Results: The average EI CHFP in all regions, within the range of 66.23-145.20 μg/day, was greater than the China recommended nutrient intake (RNI) (60 μg/day). None of the highest EI CHFP went beyond the tolerable upper intake level of Se (400 μg/day). Animal source foods should be the primary source of daily Se intake according to the EI CHFP . The average EI TDS in China (88 μg/day) was in line with its range of EI CHFP (81.01-124.25 μg/day), but that in half of the regions failed to achieve their lowest EI CHFP . Significant differences between EI TDS and EI CHFP were observed in cereal food, aquatic and dairy products (P < 0.05), among which Se intake from aquatic and dairy products presented seriously insufficient in almost all regions., Conclusions: The ideal dietary pattern recommended in the Food Pagoda can meet the daily requirements of Chinese population for Se intake to maintain optimal health. From the perspective of the balanced diet and Se-rich sources, the consumption of aquatic products should be increased appropriately to improve the general Se intake level of Chinese population.

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 < 0.05); while in linear discriminant analysis, only Se and Zn were found to contribute to the KBD prevalence in the study area. The hair Se level of children in KBD areas ranged from 0.115 to 0.299 mg/kg, while in non-KBD areas it ranged from 0.135 to 0.519 mg/kg. The Zn content of children's hair was between 83 and 207 mg/kg in KBD areas, while it was 37 and 219 mg/kg in non-KBD areas. Lower Se and higher Zn levels in children in KBD areas was found when compared with non-KBD groups. In addition, Mo levels were found to be different between KBD areas and non-KBD areas on the opposite side of the Yarlung Zangbo River, but no close relationship was shown because there was no difference compared with the non-KBD area on the same side of the river. Our observations suggest that Se deficiency is still an important factor for the occurrence and prevalence of KBD, while the relationship between Zn and KBD needs to be further explored in the Tibetan Plateau.

Objective: To study the levels of Pb, Se, As and Hg in brick-teas from main producing areas in China and evaluate the safety., Methods: A total of 31 samples of brick tea from seven provinces where minority nationalities were accustomed to drinking a large quantity of brick tea were collected, Pb concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and concentrations of As, Se, Hg were detected by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The data were analyzed by SPSS 22. 0 software., Results: The average lead levels in brick tea was 6. 232 mg/kg, which exceeded the limit standard of GB 2762-2012. There was a great difference of Pbconcentrations among the various kinds of brick tea producing in different provinces, and the lower Pb concentrations detected in Tuo tea and Puerh tea producing in Yunnan Province, was 1. 337 mg/kg, and the highest determined in Kang brick producing in Sichuan Province, was 9. 998 mg/kg. In addition, the concentrations of As and Hg were all below the limit standard of NY 659-2003. For people accustomed to drinking brick tea for a long term, the average intake amounts of Pb, As, Hg through brick tea contributed 13. 63%, 1. 71% and 0. 29% to dietary Pb, As, Hg of the provisional tolerable weekly intake( PTWI) recommended by Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee of Food Additives( JECFA) which was in safe range. Otherwise, the daily selenium intake through brick tea was 0. 188 μg, which contributed 0. 38% to the selenium recommended nutrient intake( RNI) by Chinese Nutrition Society., Conclusion: Excessive levels of lead in the brick tea is prominent. As, Hg and Se in brick tea are in low exposure level.

Kashin-Beck disease (KBD), which is still active and severe in the Tibetan Plateau, is considered to be a kind of selenium (Se)-deficient disease. Highland barley as the most popular staple food in the Tibetan Plateau is one of the dominant Se sources for local people. To improve Se levels in crops in the Tibetan Plateau KBD area, the distribution and translocation of Se from soil to highland barley in both non-KBD and KBD endemic areas were investigated. The results showed that Se levels in highland barley were too low to meet the minimum requirements of human for daily intake of Se. The total Se concentrations of highland barley fractions in KBD areas were lower than that in non-KBD areas (grain P = 0.238; straw P = 0.087; root P = 0.008). However, no significant difference was observed in corresponding cultivated soil Se between the two areas (P = 0.993). The calculation of Se transfer factors indicated that the restricting step for Se translocation was from soil to root. Water-soluble, exchangeable and fulvic acid-bound Se fractions in the soil are key species dominating in this transfer process, according to their significant correlations with root Se. Se transfer from soil to root significantly increases as the pH value of soil increases (P = 0.007), and soil organic matter content decreases (P = 0.019). The information obtained may have considerable significance for proposing effective agricultural measures to increase grain Se in KBD endemic areas.

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 < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U test), but hair Se did not vary by age or region. School children in KBD endemic areas in Lhasa likely have improved Se status as a result of high Se content staple food substitution with the enforcement of Free Education Policy and Nutrition Improvement Plan in Tibet. Nevertheless, there were still 20.3 % of students with low Se status (hair Se <0.20 μg/g), which showed that Se status of school children was also partly affected by low Se environment in KBD endemic areas of Lhasa.

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.

Now, there is a decreasing trend for the prevalence rate of Kaschin-Beck disease (KBD) in most parts of China, but the disease is still active and severe in the Tibetan Plateau for some reason. To further explore the role of selenium in the occurrence of KBD, We collected samples including drinking water, cultivated topsoil, Highland Barley grains, and tsamba in Rangtang County and Aba County, Sichuan Province and determined concentrations of selenium by Hydride Generation Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry. Levels of selenium in the environment were analyzed in detail. Selenium in the soil-plant-food system and their relationship with prevalence rate of KBD were also discussed. The results indicate: (a) the levels of environmental selenium are very low and the study area belongs to a selenium-deficient ecological landscape; (b) the KBD becomes much more severe with decreasing environmental selenium under the selenium-deficient condition. Namely, the lower the environmental selenium is, the more severe the disease is; (c) soil selenium deficiency plays a critical role for the prevalence of local KBD, and more factors inducing selenium deficiency should be more concerned in the future.

Daba Mountain area is one of the two endemic selenosis areas in China, which may relate with the environmental behaviors of selenium (Se) in soil. This study focuses on the concentraion and distribution of Se and its relationships with some other elements in natural soil in the area. The average concentration of Se in Daba Mountain soils was 14.3 times higher than the value cited for natural soil background worldwide, suggesting that soils in the region were contaminated by the element. The finding was confirmed by Miller geoaccumulation index assessment with 22% slightly polluted, 15% moderately polluted, 11% highly to very highly polluted and 8% moderately polluted to highly polluted. Soil Se is generally enriched in topsoil, and its distribution is extremely uneven and significantly site-specific. However, the concentrations of Se in soils have significant positive correlation with them in corresponding parent materials (r = 0.995, P < 0.01). Besides of Se, the concentrations of elements, such as Ca, Sr, V, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mg, Co, and Fe are also obviously abnormal compared with their background values of Chinese soil. Selenium behaviors in the region were controlled by multifactors: in addition to the parent material, pedogenic processes, biologic processes, and element geochemical behaviors also impacted the concentration and distribution of selenium in soil.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for humans. In order to investigate how soil Se is influenced by topography and soil properties, we selected Yongjia County, an area with mountainous topography, as a study area. This study used cultivated soil data to comprehensively analyze the effects of topography and soil properties on Se mobility and bioavailability and to identify the key factors influencing Se distribution in the environment. Factors considered in this study were elevation, slope, topographic wetness index, the coefficient of weathering and eluviation, pH, organic matter, and Fe 2 O 3 . The concentration of total soil Se (0.382 ± 0.123 mg kg −1 ) was far higher than the background value of soil in China, and 98% of the soil samples were classified as having moderate Se levels (>0.175 mg kg −1 ), indicating Yongjia County is a Se-rich region in China. Phosphate extracted Se accounted for an average of 9% of the total Se and was significantly associated with soil total Se, Fe 2 O 3 , pH, and the coefficient of weathering and eluviation. Fe 2 O 3 primarily controlled Se adsorption, fixation, and availability in soil. Under the geo-environmental conditions in the study area, the total Se in the soil increased first and then decreased with increases in elevation, slope, and the topographic wetness index, and the phosphate extracted Se showed similar patterns except for the elevation. The findings showed that topographical attributes and soil physicochemical properties synthetically influenced the distribution and bioavailability of Se in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Trace element concentrations, as indicators of micronutrient status of healthy centenarians, have not been widely analyzed. This study aimed to assess trace element concentrations in the hair of healthy centenarians. The effects of gender and age on element concentrations were also investigated. Eleven trace elements (Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn) in the scalp hair of 107 healthy Chinese centenarians were examined. The overall reference values (RVs) in mg/kg for the hair concentrations of trace elements in centenarians were as follows: Al, 14.95; Ba, 2.68; Cd, 0.06; Cr, 0.59; Cu, 6.21); Fe, 19.37; Mo, 0.50; Pb, 4.64; Se, 0.37; Sr, 4.84; and Zn, 154.37. Data analysis found that only Cu and Zn concentrations show a normal distribution, and there is no significant difference between males and females in any element except Zn. However, the levels of Al, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mo, Pb decrease and the levels of Ba, Cu, Se, Sr, Zn increase with age in the centenarian cohort. Results also revealed that sufficient Zn and Se concentrations as well as low exposure to heavy metals pollution contribute to the longevity of centenarians. The results imply the possibility of manipulating trace element concentrations, especially Zn and Se concentrations in tissues, as a means for therapeutic modality in geriatric disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]