• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1411-1416
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• 2009

Several adsorbents were tried to remove the selenium ions from industrial wastewater and the following ascending order of the adsorption performance for the selenium at pH 9 was observed: cation exchange resin < chelate resin < zeolite < brown marine algae < granular activated carbon < anion exchange resin. Initial concentration of selenium(146 mg/L) in industrial wastewater was reduced to 63 mg/L of selenium at pH 9 by neutralization process. The maximum uptake of Se calculated from the Langmuir isotherm with anion exchange resin was 0.091 mmol/g at pH 10 and that with granular activated carbon was 0.083 mmol/g at pH 6. The affinity coefficients of Se ion towards anion exchange resin and granular activated carbon were 3.263 L/mmol at pH 10 and 0.873 L/mmol at pH 6, respectively. The sorption performance of anion exchange resin at the low concentration of Se, namely, was much better than that of granular activated carbon. The Se ions from industrial wastewater throughout neutralization process and two steps of adsorption using anion exchange resin was removed to 97.7%.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.3362-3366
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• 2013

A simple and quick separation technique for selenite in natural water was developed using $TiO_2$@$SiO_2/Fe_3O_4$ nanoparticles. For the synthesis of nanoparticles, a polymer-assisted sol-gel method using hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was developed to control particle dispersion in the synthetic procedure. In addition, titanium butoxide (TBT) precursor, instead of the typical titanium tetra isopropoxide, was used for the formation of the $TiO_2$ shell. The synthesized nanoparticles were used to separate selenite ($Se^{4+}$) in the presence of $Se^{6+}$ or selenium anions for the photocatalytic reduction to $Se^0$ atom on the $TiO_2$ shell, followed by magnetic separation using $Fe_3O_4$ nanoparticles. The reduction efficiency of the photocatalytic reaction was 81.4% at a UV power of 6W for 3 h with a dark adsorption of 17.5% to the nanoparticles, as determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The developed separation method can be used for the speciation and preconcentration of selenium cations in environmental and biological analysis.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.301-309
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• 2016

Due to undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems, this investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of chronic exposure to silver on certain biochemical and some oxidative stress parameters with histopathological examination of brain, as well as the possible protective role of selenium and/or vitamin E as nutritional supplements. Thirty six male rats were divided into six groups of six each: the first group used as a control group. Group II given both vitamin E (400 mg/kg) of diet and selenium (Se) (1 mg/L) in their drinking water. Group III given silver as silver nitrate ($AgNO_3$) (20 mg/L). Group IV given vitamin E and $AgNO_3$. Group V given both $AgNO_3$ and selenium. Group VI given $AgNO_3$, vitamin E and Se. The animals were in the same exposure conditions for 3 months. According to the results which have been obtained; there was an increase in serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipase activities and cholesterol level, a decrease in serum total protein, calcium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in Ag-intoxicated rats. Moreover, the findings showed that $Ag^+$ ions affected antioxidant defense system by decreasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and increasing vitamin E concentration with a high level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain tissue. The histological examination also exhibited some nervous tissue alterations including hemorrhage and cytoplasm vacuolization. However, the co-administration of selenium and/or vitamin E ameliorated the biochemical parameters and restored the histological alterations. In conclusion, this study indicated that silver could cause harmful effects in animal body and these effects can be more toxic in high concentrations or prolonged time exposure to this metal. However, selenium and vitamin E act as powerful antioxidants which may exercise adverse effect against the toxicity of this metal.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.8
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• pp.945-952
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• 2012

The sorption of selenium ions onto iron and iron compounds as a disposal container material and its corrosion products, and onto bentonite as a buffer material, was studied to understand the behaviors of selenium in a waste repository. Selenite was sorbed onto commercial magnetite very well in solutions at around pH 9, but silicate hindered their sorption onto both magnetite and ferrite. Unlike commercial magnetite and ferrite, flesh synthesized magnetite, green rust and iron greatly decreased selenium concentration even in a silicate solution. These results might be due to the formation of precipitates, or the sorption of selenide or selenite onto an iron surface at below Eh= -0.2 V. Red-colored Se(cr) was observed on the surface of a reaction bottle containing iron powder added into a selenite solution. Silicate influences on the sorption onto magnetite and iron for selenide are the same as those for selenite. Even though bentonite adsorbed a slight amount of selenite, the sorption cannot be ignored in the waste repository since a very large quantity of bentonite is used.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1184-1192
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• 2011

A bacterial isolate (strain JS-2) characterized as Bacillus sp. was challenged with high concentrations of toxic selenite ions. The microbe was found to transform the toxic, soluble, colorless selenite (${SeO_3}^{2-}$) oxyions to nontoxic, insoluble, red elemental selenium ($Se^0$). This process of biotransformation was accompanied by cytoplasmic and surface accumulation of electron dense selenium ($Se^0$) granules, as revealed in electron micrographs. The cells grown in the presence of selenite oxyions secreted large quantities of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). There were quantitative and qualitative differences in the cell wall fatty acids of the culture grown in the presence of selenite ions. The relative percentage of total saturated fatty acid and cyclic fatty acid increased significantly, whereas the amount of total unsaturated fatty acids decreased when the cells were exposed to selenite stress. All these physiological adaptive responses evidently indicate a potentially important role of cell wall fatty acids and extracellular polymeric substances in determining bacterial adaptation towards selenite-induced toxicity, which thereby explains the remarkable competitiveness and ability of this microbe to survive the environmental stress.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.306-312
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• 2014

This study was carried out to develop high-performance feed using selenium-sorbed $Ca^{2+}$-exchanged zeolite A. The contents of Se increased with increasing reaction temperature and the content of $Ca^{2+}$ ions in $Ca^{2+}$-exchanged zeolite A. A synthesized high-performance feed (0.306 ppm) was applied to poultry farming for 4 and 7 weeks, respectively. Se contents in chicken meats and eggs were 18.8, 27.2, and 94.1 ppb and 73.7, 14.9, and 64.5 ppb for control (retail chicken meats), 4, and 7 weeks, respectively; Ca contents were 3.8, 9.9, and 11.9 ppm and 48.6, 48.3, and 53.6 ppm, respectively. In conclusion, Se and Ca contents in chicken meats increased as feeding periods increased, but significant differences were not observed in the eggs.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.203-210
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• 2006

The determination of trace selenium in milk powder has been studied by octopole reaction cell(ORC)-ICP-MS. The interferences by polyatomic ions and other concomitant molecular species could be removed remarkably by using $H_2$ as reaction gas in ORC. Compared to the normal mode (no cell gas), the $H_2$ cell gas mode improved the accuracy and precision. The quantitative result was average 102.7% and it was slightly higher than certified standard value of milk powder and the RSD was 7.6%.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.377-383
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• 2002

We have detected the murine zinc transporter, ZnT3, and zinc ions in the mouse choroid plexus by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and zinc selenium autometallography ($ZnSe^{AMG}$), respectively. BALB/c mice served as experimental animals. Routine floating ABC immunocytochemical procedures were used for the ZnT3 immunocytochemistry, and the mice were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with sodium selenide (10 mg/kg) for the zinc selenium autometallography. The choroid plexus showed weak immunoreactivity (Ir) for ZnT3. At high magnification, ZnT3-Ir was seen to be located in the choroid epithelium and the connective tissue of the capillaries. At the EM level, a high electron density of ZnT3-immunoreactivity was restricted to vesicle membranes as well as microvilli in the apical membrane. In contrast, immunostaining of ZnT3 was completely absent in the basolateral plasma membrane and other cell organelles. After silver enhancement, fine $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in both the epithelial and endothelial cells of the choroid plexus. Few $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains present in the cell bodies of the choroid epithelial cells were located in multivesicular bodies. It is striking that very many $ZnSe^{AMG}$ grains were observed in the endothelial cells of the capillaries. These findings establish the choroid plexus as a non-neuronal pool of zinc ions in the brain, although the functional significance of this pool is not clear. The choroid epithelium, however, may play an important role in the transportation of zinc between the CSF and brain tissue.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2000

Transition metal ions including $Se^{2+},\;Cd^{2+},\;Hg^{2+}\;or\;Mn^{2+}$ have been thought to disturb the bone metabolism directly. However, the mechanism for the bone lesion is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that MC3T3E1 osteoblasts, exposed to various transition metal ions; selenium, cadmium, mercury or manganese, generated massive amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The released ROS were completely quenched by free radical scavengers-N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), reduced glutathione (GSH), or superoxide dismutase (SOD). First, we have observed that selenium $(10\;{\mu}M),$ cadmium $(100\;{\mu}M),$ mercury $(100\;{\mu}M)$ or manganese (1 mM) treatment induced apoptotic phenomena like DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation and caspase-3-like cysteine protease activation in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts. Concomitant treatment of antioxidant; N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), reduced-form glutathione (GSH), or superoxide dismutase (SOD), prevented apoptosis induced by each of the transition metal ions. Catalase or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) has less potent inhibitory effect on the apoptosis, compared with NAC, GSH or SOD. In line with the results, nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) stain shows that each of the transition metals is a potent source of free radicals in MC3T3E1 osteoblast. Our data show that oxidative damage is associated with the induction of apoptosis in MC3T3E1 osteoblasts following $Se^{2+},\;Cd^{2+},\;Hg^{2+}\;or\;Mn^{2+}$ treatment.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.140-145
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• 2013

This study describes the electrodeposition of $Cu_2Se$ thin films with a two-step approach that is based on the initial modification of polycrystalline Au electrode with a selenium overlayer followed by a cathodic stripping of the layer as $Se^{2-}$ in a 1 M lactic acid electrolyte containing $Cu^{2+}$ ions. For this two-step approach to be effective, the $Cu^{2+}$ reduction potential should be shifted to more negative potentials passed potentials for the reduction of Se to $Se^{2-}$. This was accomplished by the complexation of $Cu^{2+}$ ions with lactic acid. The resultant $Cu_2Se$ films were characterized by linear sweep voltammetry combined with electrochemical quartz crystal microgravimetry, UV-vis absorption spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy. Photoelectrochemical experiments revealed that $Cu_2Se$ synthesized thus, behaved as a p-type semiconductor.