Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) are of major concern due to their high persistence and toxicity. Recently, rare earth elements (REEs) concentration in aquatic ecosystems has been increasing due to their application in modern technologies. Thus, this work aimed to study, for the first time, the influence of REEs (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium and yttrium) and of salinity (10 and 30) on the removal of PTEs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni and Pb) from contaminated waters by living macroalgae (Fucus spiralis, Fucus vesiculosus, Gracilaria sp., Osmundea pinnatifida, Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca). Experiments ran for 168 h, with each macroalga exposed to saline water spiked with the six PTEs and with the six PTEs plus nine REEs (all at 1 μmol L⁻¹) at both salinities. Results showed that all species have high affinity with Hg (90–99% of removal), not being affected neither by salinity changes nor by the presence of other PTEs or REEs. Cd showed the lowest affinity to most macroalgae, with residual concentrations in water varying between 50 and 108 μg L⁻¹, while Pb removal always increased with salinity decline (up to 80% at salinity 10). REEs influence was clearer at salinity 30, and mainly for Pb. No substantial changes were observed in Ni and Hg sorption. For the remaining elements, the effect of REEs varied among algae species. Overall, the results highlight the role of marine macroalgae as living biofilters (particularly U. lactuca), capable of lowering the levels of top priority hazardous substances (particularly Hg) and other PTEs in water, even in the presence of the new emerging contaminants - REEs. Differences in removal efficiency between elements and macroalgae are explained by the contaminant chemistry in water and by macroalgae characteristics.

This study employs the grain size distributions and the concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr, Nd, and Pb in the precipitation samples collected from the Laohugou Glacier (LHG) in northeastern Tibetan Plateau (TP) during August 2014–2015 to investigate seasonal variability in the insoluble precipitation particle sources. Fine dust particle (0.57–27 μm) depositions dominated in autumn and winter, whereas both fine and coarse dust particle (27–100 μm) depositions were found in spring and summer. Furthermore, the concentrations of Sr, Nd, and Pb also varied seasonally—the highest and lowest Sr and Nd concentrations were recorded in spring and autumn, respectively, whereas the highest and lowest Pb concentrations were recorded in winter and summer, respectively. The Sr and Nd isotopes revealed that the dust in the winter precipitation originated predominately from the Taklimakan Desert and that in spring originated from the Badain Jaran and Qaidam deserts. The precipitation residues in summer were derived from a complex mixture of dust sources from the Gobi and other large deserts in northwest China. Autumn residues were predominately sourced from local soil near the LHG as well as from the Qaidam Basin and the northern TP surface soil. The Taklimakan, long suspected as a major source of long-range transported dust, was an insignificant contributor to the precipitation over LHG during spring, summer, and autumn. Further, the Pb isotopic ratios indicated a primary impact of anthropogenic pollutants for most part of the year (except spring). Meteorological data and the MODIS AOD model are in good agreement with the results from the analyses of the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes for the LHG particle source, and further clarify the source regions. Thus, this study thus provides new evidence on the seasonal variability of the sources of the residual particles in remote glaciers in Central Asia.

Studies have shown that residents living near rare earth mining areas have high concentrations of rare earth elements (REEs) in their hair. However, the adverse effects of REEs on human health have rarely been the focus of epidemiological studies. The goal of this study was to evaluate the relationship between REEs in hair and the risk of hypertension in housewives. We recruited 398 housewives in Shanxi Province, China, consisting of 163 women with hypertension (cases) and 235 healthy women without hypertension (controls). We analyzed 15 REEs (lanthanum (La), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu), Yttrium (Y), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), and neodymium (Nd)) and calcium (Ca) accumulated in housewives hair over a period of two years. The results revealed that, with the exception of Eu, concentrations of the REEs in hair were higher in the cases than in the controls. The univariate odds ratios (ORs) of the 14 REEs were >1, and four of the REEs (Dy, Tm, Yb, and Y) also had adjusted ORs > 1. The increasing dose-response trends of the four REEs further indicated the potential for increased hypertension risk. Moreover, the REEs were negatively correlated with Ca content in hair. These results might suggest an antagonistic effect of REEs on Ca in the human body. It was concluded that high intake of REEs might increase the risk of hypertension among housewives.

Both occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos-mineral fibres can be associated with lung diseases. The pathogenic effects are related to the dimension, biopersistence and chemical composition of the fibres. In addition to the major mineral elements, mineral fibres contain trace elements and their content may play a role in fibre toxicity. To shed light on the role of trace elements in asbestos carcinogenesis, knowledge on their concentration in asbestos-mineral fibres is mandatory. It is possible that trace elements play a synergetic factor in the pathogenesis of diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral fibres. In this paper, the concentration levels of trace elements from three chrysotile samples, four amphibole asbestos samples (UICC amosite, UICC anthophyllite, UICC crocidolite and tremolite) and fibrous erionite from Jersey, Nevada (USA) were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). For all samples, the following trace elements were measured: Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Pb, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, U. Their distribution in the various mineral species is thoroughly discussed.The obtained results indicate that the amount of trace metals such as Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn is higher in anthophyllite and chrysotile samples, whereas the amount of rare earth elements (REE) is higher in erionite and tremolite samples. The results of this work can be useful to the pathologists and biochemists who use asbestos minerals and fibrous erionite in-vitro studies as positive cyto- and geno-toxic standard references.

Rare earth elements (REE) have become essential in high- and green-technologies. Their increasing use lead to the release of anthropogenic REE into the environment including aquatic systems. The limited data available on the aquatic ecotoxicology of REE indicate their biological effects are highly dependent on their speciation, posing challenges for a reliable environmental risk assessment (ERA). The current study assessed the influence of speciation on the toxicity of neodymium (Nd), gadolinium (Gd) and ytterbium (Yb) in the Daphnia magna mobility inhibition test (ISO 6341:2012). REE toxicity was assessed individually and in ternary mixture, in the absence and presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Speciation was predicted by modeling and REE bioaccumulation by D. magna was measured to better understand the relationship between REE speciation and toxicity. DOM decreased significantly the toxicity of Nd, Gd and the mixture towards this freshwater crustacean. This was explained by a lower REE bioaccumulation in the presence of DOM due to REE-DOM complexation, which reduced REE bioavailability. DOM effects on Yb toxicity and bioaccumulation were limited because of Yb precipitation. We show that the way of expressing EC50 values (based on nominal, measured or predicted REE concentrations in solution) drastically changed REE toxicity assessment and that these changes were influenced by REE speciation. This study demonstrates for the first time that REE speciation, and especially REE-DOM complexation, significantly influences REE bioaccumulation and toxicity towards D. magna. Our results have implications for the subsequent ERA of REE.

Rare earth elements (REEs) have many applications in industry, agriculture, and medicine, resulting in occupational and environmental exposure and concerns regarding REE-associated health effects. However, few epidemiological studies have examined the adverse effects of REEs on pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between the REE concentrations in maternal hair growing during early pregnancy and the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring. We included 191 women with NTD-affected pregnancies (cases) and 261 women delivering healthy infants (controls). The cases were divided into three subtypes: anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele. Four REEs in maternal hair were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), and neodymium (Nd). A questionnaire was used to collect information about maternal sociodemographic characteristics and dietary habits. The median concentrations of Ce and Pr in the NTD group were higher than those in the control group, whereas there were no significant differences for La and Nd. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for the four REE concentrations above the median in the case groups were not significantly > 1. An increasing frequency of the consumption of beans or bean products and fresh fruit was negatively correlated with the four REE concentrations. Our results did not suggest that the concentrations of REEs in maternal hair were associated with the risk of NTDs or any subtype of NTDs in the general population.

Quantitative calculation of the supply ratio of nutrients by different water masses suggests that the intrusion of Kuroshio subsurface water (KSSW) may indeed be an important factor in the formation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Min-Zhe coastal area. This region in China has a complex hydrographic structure as well as a high incidence of HABs. The results of the calculations of the dissolved neodymium and its isotopes show that KSSW is an important provider of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (30–90 %) and phosphates (80–100 %) compared to the cases of the Taiwan Warm Current and the Changjiang Diluted Water. Sensitivity analysis results indicate that the percent contribution of KSSW in volume increased to 50–60 % in June, supplying favorable conditions for the growth of harmful algae. Our study implies that the invasion of the Kuroshio is likely to be a driving factor of HABs and, accordingly, a key factor in predicting HABs.

Ten sediment core samples with lengths ranging from 35 to 100cm were collected in the Baixada Santista region and analyzed to determine As, Br, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Rb, Sb, Ta, Th, U, Zn and rare earths (Sc, Ce, Eu, La, Lu, Nd, Sm, Tb and Yb) level concentrations using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The studied region is located in the southeastern coast of São Paulo State and is comprised of a densely urbanized area, the largest industrial complex of the country, with a predominance of petrochemical and fertilizer plants. It is also home to Brazil’s most important and busiest port. The conclusions found that the As, La, Sm, Ne, Ce, Eu, Hf, Ta, Th, and U elements have a high background level in the region and that Fe and Zn were the main indicators of anthropogenic contribution in the sediments.

Perfluorocarbons (PFC) are important greenhouse gas. In the aluminum electrolysis industry, PFC emission had been valued. The electrolytic reduction of rare earth metals in fluoride/oxide system with carbon anode and tungsten cathode also has PFC emission. But the PFC emission in rare earth metals industry received less attention. The PFC emissions during the electrolysis were studied by tracking the change of CF4 concentration in the flue gas of neodymium electrolysis and dysprosium-iron alloy electrolysis. The results showed that there were continuous CF4 overflows in the electrolysis process. The CF4 was outburst when anode effect occurred. The anode effect was always accompanied with the low electrolysis temperature. In addition, because of the electrolytic dysprosium-iron alloy requires higher cell voltage, the PFC emissions are higher than rare earth electrolysis. In general, PFC emissions from rare earth metal electrolysis are quite same as the aluminum electrolysis industry.

The wide usage of neodymium (Nd) in industry, agriculture, and medicine has made it become an emerging pollutant in the environment. Increasing Nd pollution has potential hazards to plants, animals, and microorganisms. Thus, it is necessary to study the toxicity of Nd and the mechanism of Nd transportation and detoxification in microorganisms. Through genome-scale screening, we identified 70 yeast monogene deletion mutations sensitive to Nd ions. These genes are mainly involved in metabolism, transcription, protein synthesis, cell cycle, DNA processing, protein folding, modification, and cell transport processes. Furthermore, the regulatory networks of Nd toxicity were identified by using the protein interaction group analysis. These networks are associated with various signal pathways, including calcium ion transport, phosphate pathways, vesicular transport, and cell autophagy. In addition, the content of Nd ions in yeast was detected by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and most of these Nd-sensitive mutants showed an increased intracellular Nd content. In all, our results provide the basis for understanding the molecular mechanisms of detoxifying Nd ions in yeast cells, which will be useful for future studies on Nd-related issues in the environment, agriculture, and human health.