Serum selenium levels of children living in Adana, Turkey

This study describes the measurement of selenium concentrations in serum from children aged 7-8 and 11-12 years who lived in Adana, Turkey. Serum selenium was measured by electrothermal atomization atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) using Ni as the chemical modifier. Calibration was achieved by standard additions. A program for analytical quality assurance was undertaken. The serum selenium concentrations of 100 children aged 7-8 and 11-12 years were, mean ± SD (range), 0.73 ± 0.11 µmol/l (0.56-0.89 µmol/l), and 0.92 ± 0.10 µmol/l (0.70-1.13 µmol/l), respectively. Distribution of serum selenium levels according to sex did not differ significantly. The size of our study group is sufficiently large to describe the selenium status of children in Adana, Turkey. The results obtained indicate that no active intervention to regulate selenium status is necessary