Selenium, zinc, copper and cadmium concentration in livers and kidneys of people exposed to environmental cadmium.

Selenium (Se), Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) concentrations have been determined in the kidney cortex, medulla and liver of 21 Cd-exposed and 15 nonexposed autopsied subjects. In the kidney cortex, all four metals were significantly lower in the Cd-exposed subjects than in the nonexposed ones. In the liver Se levels were almost the same in both groups. Significant correlation coefficients between Se and the three metals were found in the kidney cortex of all the subjects. In the liver significant correlation coefficients were only seen between Se and Cu in the Cd-exposed subjects. These results indicated that the distribution of Se in humans chronically exposed to environmental Cd is different from that in humans exposed to environmental organic mercury.