Abstract
Selenium (Se) is an essential but highly toxic element. Its organic compounds play an important role in the biochemistry and nutrition of the cells. Shortage or surplus of this element leads to the occurrence of socially significant diseases. Se concentrations in different regions of the world and its levels in different foods vary widely. Bulgaria does not appear in the World Atlas of Se, and the scarcity of data about the neighbouring countries shows serious lack of Se, causing concern about human health in the region.
As a result of the present study, data on the status of selenium in soils and wheat from 27 points from the main grain-producing region of Bulgaria – Dobroudzha was obtained. The results show that there is a significant deficiency of selenium in the soil and especially in the grain of wheat, which is a major source of selenium for the human body supplied by bread consumption for our geographical areas.
Keywords: selenium, soil, concentration, wheat grain