# Talk:Selenium

Why isn't a vegan diet mentioned as a risk factor for selenium deficiency? Chaptagai (talk) 09:42, 21 December 2022 (UTC)

Hi @Smokefoot. I'm wondering why you chose "It is sometimes encountered ..." over "The pure element has different physical appearances including..." in the intro? According to the article it does not occur in these forms naturally, so I don't think readers will encounter it that way. I used "pure element" to be clear that the sentence did not apply to its natural occurrence. Johnjbarton (talk) 18:36, 9 August 2024 (UTC)

I thought that my phrasing was better than what was there before.  It's not a big deal.  I do not use "different" unless there is a following "from".  Otherwise I use "diverse" or "various".  Elemental forms are pure by definition it seems.  So saying "pure element" is redundant.  But it you think that I am off base or being too anal, then re-rephrase or revert.  Also I am trying to show newish editors that someone actually reads recent edits.  There are not many of us.  Also I am fan of chalcogens.
On a related topic, one issue with these element articles: some focus on the uses/occurrence/etc of the element and mention cursorily some derivatives.  Some articles like sulfur seem to give equal weight to just about anything with S in it, which makes for a messy article. Cheers, --Smokefoot (talk) 20:43, 9 August 2024 (UTC)

give your opinion 2409:40E4:3:95F2:4C43:CFFF:FE4E:B155 (talk) 08:43, 9 December 2024 (UTC)

Different authors will say different things, because there is no standard definition of "metalloid" in the first place. Grey selenium is a semiconductor; the other allotropes are insulators. Double sharp (talk) 13:43, 9 December 2024 (UTC)
When was the last time you heard a (practicing) PhD chemist use the term "metalloid"? That term is some sort of old-timey high school thing.  But hey, its unimportant. --Smokefoot (talk) 16:22, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

A recent addition claimed:
Hydride generation combined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry is the most sensitive and reliable method to quantify selenium in biological samples.
with a citation 

George, J. (2018). "Determination of selenium during pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis employing hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry" (PDF). Biological Chemistry. 399 (5): 499–509. doi:10.1515/hsz-2017-0260. PMID 29408794.
However the source makes no comparison of methods to quantify selenium. It says The study further
demonstrated that ICP-MS with hydride generation technique is a reliable and sensitive method for determination
of selenium in biological samples.
I changed the content to match the source but @Uchika changed it back. If we can't agree the content should be deleted. Johnjbarton (talk) 16:14, 8 February 2025 (UTC)

@Uchika:Thank you John.  I am trying to get this new, promising editor to be more transparent about edit notes, about agenda, and about expertise.
Agreed: a reference to a 3rd-rate (primary) biochem journal is unlikely to be a quality source for Se analysis.
Hopefully Uchika can turn this around. --Smokefoot (talk) 16:30, 8 February 2025 (UTC)
The first one was not clear. Therefore I edited the sentence again. What you changed is acceptable to me. Thank you. Uchika (talk) 16:43, 8 February 2025 (UTC)
Subject: Biological role
“The selenium content in the human body is believed to be in the range of 13–20 mg.” folloed by “ Hydride generation coupled with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HG-ICP-MS) is a reliable and sensitive method to quantify selenium in biological samples”.
 Uchika (talk) 16:02, 13 February 2025 (UTC)
Not done Any content and refs about methodology belongs in the Selenium in biology article, not here. David notMD (talk) 17:21, 13 February 2025 (UTC)