食物中有害元素和某些微量元素会危害人体健康，某些微量元素的安全范围很狭窄，人体吸收过量或缺少都会致病。元素形态分为物理形态和化学形态，物理形态指元素在样品中的物理状态；化学形态指元素以某种离子或分子的形式存在。食品中污染元素的毒性不仅与总量、接触时间有关，而且元素形态对食品安全的影响也是不可忽略的。通过查阅文献，综述了近年来砷、汞、铅、硒4种元素形态对食品安全影响的研究进展，归纳了此4种元素在食品中的来源和存在形态,形态对毒性作用的影响、毒作用机理,以及污染的防控，也对在此研究领域尚未解决的一些问题进行了简要归纳。以期为砷、汞、铅、硒4种元素的形态对食品安全影响的相关研究、形态的毒物动力学相关研究、细分到元素形态的食品安全性评价、在食品中的污染防控提供参考。

Harmful elements and certain trace elements in foods will endanger human health. The margin of safety to some trace elements is very narrow. Excessive intake or lack of certain trace elements all will cause problem to human health. Element forms is divided into physical form and chemical form. Physical form refers to the physical state of an element in a sample; Chemical form refers to the presence of an element in the ion form or molecular form. In food, the toxicity of certain elements is not only related to their total amount, the contact time, but also realted to their chemical form. The recent research advances of arsenic, mercury, lead and selenium on food safety were reviewed. The sources and forms of 4 elements in food and their effects on toxicity, their toxic mechanisms and safety control as well as unsolved problems in the filed were summarized. The paper provides a reference for further research on arsenic, mercury, lead and selenium in the area of food safety, toxic material dynamics study, evaluation of food safety, and pollution prevention and control.