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.

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.

The aim of this study was the valorization of titanium flakes (waste) from titanium and titanium alloy ingot production factories and using in applications related to metals recovery as retention bed for some trace metals. The titanium flakes were anodized for surface nanostructuration with TiO₂ nanotubes and then annealed in order to increase the surface stability. The nanostructured titanium flakes were loaded and pressed in a retention column linked with inductively coupled plasma spectrometer (ICP-OES). This system allowed determination of trace elements such as beryllium, lanthanum, lutetium, and ytterbium from sample solutions. Beryllium recovery percentage was over 90%, while lanthanides have just a satisfactory recovery percentage (about 65% Yb and Lu and 50% La). The TiO₂ nanotube architecture was not affected during utilization being able to perform for a long time. A thermodynamic and kinetic study was done for beryllium due to its successful adsorption recovery percentage. The obtained results showed that the titanium waste is a promising material for rare earth and relatively rare earth elements retention and recovery. Graphical abstract Graphical abstract

With the rapid development in nanoscience and nanotechnology, rare earth oxide nanomaterials (REO-NMs) have been increasingly used due to their unique physical and chemical characteristics. Despite the increasing applications of REO NPs, scarce information is available on their detrimental effects. In the current study, we investigate the toxic effect of ytterbium oxide nanoparticles (Yb₂O₃ NPs) in mouse model by using various techniques including inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis over 30 days of exposure. Furthermore, we elucidated lung lavage fluid of mice for biochemical and cytological analysis, and lung tissues for histopathology to interpret the NP side effects. We observed a significant concentration of Yb₂O₃ NPs accumulated in the lung, liver, kidney, and heart tissues. Similarly, increased bioaccumulation of Yb content was found in the olfactory bulb compared to other reigns of brain. The cytological analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) revealed a significant elevation in the percentage of neutrophils and lymphocytes. Biochemical analysis showed an instilled Yb₂O₃ NPs, showing signs of oxidative damage through up-regulation of 60–87% of MDA while down-regulation of 20–40% of GSH-PX and GSH content. The toxicity pattern was more evident from histopathological observations. These interpretations provide enough evidence of bioaccumulation of Yb₂O₃ NPs in mice tissues. Overall, our findings reveal that acute exposure of Yb₂O₃ NPs through intranasal inhalation may cause toxicity via oxidative stress, which leads to a chronic inflammatory response. Graphical abstract Graphical illustrations of experimental findings.