Chemical speciation of blood selenium in a population with high intake of mercury

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There has been a concern regarding the potential health risks brought by high consumption of seafoods that contain relatively high concentration of mercury compounds. This research targeted a population that had high dietary consumption of marine products, and showing relatively high biological concentration of mercury in their hair or blood, without showing apparent manifestation of neurological symptoms. We focused on selenium, a micronutrient which has been shown to counteract to the toxicity of mercury (both inorganic and organic). By measuring three "selenium-containing proteins" in the plasma, we analyze the relationship between selenium and mercury exposure. We have found that the relationship between selenium as well as its proteins and mercury depended on the level of mercury exposure, suggesting that selenium is "reacting" to high level of mercury exposure.