{"title":"Sources of rare earth elements in the environment and their impact on living organisms","authors":"M. Sysolyatina, A. Olkova","doi":"10.1139/er-2022-0081","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This review paper aims at understanding natural and anthropogenic sources of rare earth elements (REEs) in the environment, their mechanisms of action, individual toxicity of REEs and individual toxicity of their mixtures, including with other toxicants. We also summarized the scientific knowledge on REE bioaccumulation by plants, animals and fungi. The purpose of the work was to analyze published scientific information and identify unsolved scientific issues in the selected areas. At present, both natural positive geochemical anomalies of REEs and \"spots\" of anthropogenic origin are discovered. There is a relationship between natural and anthropogenic sources of REEs in the environment. Increasing REE mining leads to the exposure of rock layers rich in target elements, which are then leached from natural and waste rocks. As a result, the total content of REEs in soils of their extraction areas reaches 2.3 µg/kg, and in the snow of cities it is found from 0.411 µg/kg to 1.463 µg/kg, which is comparable with natural anomalies of elements. Most often such levels of REE accumulation are not dangerous for biota. REEs, like many trace elements, have an essential effect in low concentrations and have harmful effects only when the dose is increased. However, stimulation effects proven for agricultural plants and animals in the natural environment can influence the change in population and community structures. The effects of REE compounds have many uncertainties under the conditions of their joint action with each other and with other substances containing biogenic or potentially toxic elements. The article provides examples of additive, synergistic and antagonistic action of a mixture of elements. Further, it is shown that the bioaccumulation of REEs is comparable to the accumulation of heavy metals in living organisms. Data on the transfer of REEs along trophic chains are single and contradictory. Thus, REEs contribute to the toxic load on living organisms. The main “blank spots” in knowledge about the action of REEs that require further research are identification of the most sensitive and vulnerable species, establishment of long-term effects, and clarification of the joint action of REEs with other substances.","PeriodicalId":50514,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Reviews","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.3000,"publicationDate":"2022-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental Reviews","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2022-0081","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This review paper aims at understanding natural and anthropogenic sources of rare earth elements (REEs) in the environment, their mechanisms of action, individual toxicity of REEs and individual toxicity of their mixtures, including with other toxicants. We also summarized the scientific knowledge on REE bioaccumulation by plants, animals and fungi. The purpose of the work was to analyze published scientific information and identify unsolved scientific issues in the selected areas. At present, both natural positive geochemical anomalies of REEs and "spots" of anthropogenic origin are discovered. There is a relationship between natural and anthropogenic sources of REEs in the environment. Increasing REE mining leads to the exposure of rock layers rich in target elements, which are then leached from natural and waste rocks. As a result, the total content of REEs in soils of their extraction areas reaches 2.3 µg/kg, and in the snow of cities it is found from 0.411 µg/kg to 1.463 µg/kg, which is comparable with natural anomalies of elements. Most often such levels of REE accumulation are not dangerous for biota. REEs, like many trace elements, have an essential effect in low concentrations and have harmful effects only when the dose is increased. However, stimulation effects proven for agricultural plants and animals in the natural environment can influence the change in population and community structures. The effects of REE compounds have many uncertainties under the conditions of their joint action with each other and with other substances containing biogenic or potentially toxic elements. The article provides examples of additive, synergistic and antagonistic action of a mixture of elements. Further, it is shown that the bioaccumulation of REEs is comparable to the accumulation of heavy metals in living organisms. Data on the transfer of REEs along trophic chains are single and contradictory. Thus, REEs contribute to the toxic load on living organisms. The main “blank spots” in knowledge about the action of REEs that require further research are identification of the most sensitive and vulnerable species, establishment of long-term effects, and clarification of the joint action of REEs with other substances.
期刊介绍:
Published since 1993, Environmental Reviews is a quarterly journal that presents authoritative literature reviews on a wide range of environmental science and associated environmental studies topics, with emphasis on the effects on and response of both natural and manmade ecosystems to anthropogenic stress. The authorship and scope are international, with critical literature reviews submitted and invited on such topics as sustainability, water supply management, climate change, harvesting impacts, acid rain, pesticide use, lake acidification, air and marine pollution, oil and gas development, biological control, food chain biomagnification, rehabilitation of polluted aquatic systems, erosion, forestry, bio-indicators of environmental stress, conservation of biodiversity, and many other environmental issues.