Summary
This 2022 critical review examines selenium as an emerging environmental contaminant, synthesising literature on anthropogenic and natural sources of selenium pollution, its environmental geochemistry, and remediation approaches. The paper situates selenium within broader soil and water contamination concerns relevant to agricultural systems and human health exposure pathways, though as a narrative review it does not quantify specific risk magnitudes or remediation effectiveness in controlled settings.
UK applicability
Selenium contamination is less acute in UK soils than in seleniferous regions (e.g. China, parts of the United States), but the review's remediation frameworks and source characterisation may inform UK agricultural policy on emerging trace contaminants and food safety monitoring, particularly where soil amendments or industrial activities introduce selenium.
Key measures
Selenium concentration in soil, water, crops, and food; remediation efficacy; contamination source characterisation
Outcomes reported
The paper reviews sources of selenium pollution in agricultural and industrial contexts, environmental pathways of contamination, and available remediation techniques. It synthesises evidence on selenium's emergence as an environmental and food-chain contaminant requiring management intervention.
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