In agriculture, selenium is used as a fertiliser additive to improve the tolerance of plants to environmental pollution. The glass industry uses it to decolour waste glass, and in the cosmetics industry it is a sought-after raw material for anti-dandruff shampoos. The use of selenium makes it easier to process copper, lead and steel alloys, and in the electrolytic production of manganese metal, selenium increases the yield. Pigments, batteries, catalysts, electronics and thin-film solar cells round off the broad portfolio of applications.
