Selenium

Abstract

Division; available at http://periodic.lanl.gov/images/periodictable.pdf.Cover. Dendrites, consisting primarily of naumannite (silver selenide) and lesser amounts of electrum, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, and other silver minerals (dark gray to black areas), quartz (light gray areas), and quartz and a minor amount of illite (beige to white areas). Sample is from the Buckskin National Mine, Humboldt County, Nevada. Photograph by Peter Vikre, U.S. Geological Survey. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov/.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: Stillings, L.L., 2017, Selenium, chap. Q of Schulz, K.J., DeYoung, J.H., Jr., Seal, R.R., II, and Bradley, D.C., eds., Critical mineral resources of the United States-Economic and environmental geology and prospects for future supply: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1802, p. Q1-Q55, https://doi.org/10.3133/pp1802Q. ISSN 2330-7102 (online) iii Contents Abstract

Water Quality of groundwater used for public supply in principal aquifers of the western United States

“…Selenium (Se) is found as selenide minerals, selenate and selenite salts, and as substitution for sulfur in sulfide minerals. It is naturally concentrated in soils that overlie bedrock with high selenium concentrations (Stillings, 2017). Selenium in groundwater results from weathering and leaching of rocks and the dissolution or oxidation of soluble salts in soils (Kunmar and Riyazuddin, 2011).…”

“…Selenium in groundwater results from weathering and leaching of rocks and the dissolution or oxidation of soluble salts in soils (Kunmar and Riyazuddin, 2011). Anthropogenic sources of selenium include mining, processing, use in industrial and agricultural applications, and waste (Stillings, 2017). The EPA MCL for selenium in drinking water is 50 µg/L (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2018a).…”