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Terrestrial selenium distribution in China is potentially linked to monsoonal climate

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Listed:
  • Tim Blazina

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
    ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

  • Youbin Sun

    (State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Andreas Voegelin

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Markus Lenz

    (University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW), Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences
    Wageningen University)

  • Michael Berg

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Lenny H.E. Winkel

    (Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
    ETH, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

Abstract

The prevalence of terrestrial environments low in the essential trace element selenium (Se) results in large-scale Se deficiency worldwide. However, the underlying processes leading to Se-depleted environments have remained elusive. Here we show that over the last 6.8 million years (Ma) climatic factors have played a key role in the Se distribution in loess–paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), which lies in a severely Se-depleted region with a history of Se deficiency-related diseases. We use a combination of geochemical and paleoclimate data to demonstrate that during interglacial periods between 2.30 and 0.16 Ma, variations in the Se concentration in the CLP are potentially related to variability in Se input via East Asian monsoon-derived precipitation. Our results identify precipitation as an important controlling factor of Se distribution in monsoonal China. We suggest that atmospheric Se inputs via precipitation could also play an important role in other regions worldwide.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim Blazina & Youbin Sun & Andreas Voegelin & Markus Lenz & Michael Berg & Lenny H.E. Winkel, 2014. "Terrestrial selenium distribution in China is potentially linked to monsoonal climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5717
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5717
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