8 research outputs found
Toxicity of rare earth elements: An overview on human health impact
Rare earth elements (REEs) are metals including the 15 lanthanides together
with Yttrium and Scandium. China is the leading country in their exploitation and
production (~90%). REEs are necessary for the production of several
technological devices. This extended use of REEs has raised concerns about
human health safety. In this review, we investigated the hazard of REEs to
human health and the main gaps into the knowledge like as the need to develop
further focused research activity. We categorized the research papers collected
into eight main sections: environmental exposure, association of REEs with
health problems, exposure to REEs due to lifestyle, REE exposure through the
food chain, Gd contrast agents causing health problems, occupational REE
exposure, and cytotoxicity studies of REEs. This review provided information
about the exposome of REEs (the exposure of REEs to the human body), the
existing research data, and the gaps that require attention and must be further
investigated. More than one third of the literature about REE toxicity to human
health concerns their cytotoxicity to human cell lines, while hair, blood serum
and blood are the most studied matrices. The main results evidenced that REEs
can enter human body via several routes, are associated with numerous
diseases, can cause ROS production, DNA damage and cell death, and are
more toxic to cancer cells than normal cells
Comparative study of two methods for rare earth elements analysis in human urine samples using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry
The application of rare earth elements (REEs) in several areas, including hightech
technology, agriculture, medicine, and fuels, has made them an essential
component of our everyday life. This extensive use of REEs in several
technologies is expected to potentially impact human health. Even if several
studies investigated the levels of REEs in human matrices, until now no standard
method has been established for analyzing these elements in human matrices.
The sample analysis should be of high quality, and the methods should be
validated properly to ensure the quality of the procedure and traceability of the
analytical data. In this research, we compared the validation and effectiveness of
two different methods of sample preparation for human urine samples: a simple
dilution of the sample (DIL) was compared with microwave assisted-acid
decomposition (MIN) for tracing REE levels in human urine samples. The
analysis was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
(ICP-MS). The working conditions have been set in high-sensitivity mode.
Accuracy of the proposed method was evaluated by spiking the sample
matrix with known concentrations of analyte standards. Both methods
showed adequate precision of repeatability and intra-laboratory
reproducibility, with the DIL method showing better precision of both
repeatability and reproducibility than the MIN method. The CVr% values of
repeatability range from 1.5 to 12% for the DIL and from 8.4 to 16% for the MIN
method. The CVr% values of reproducibility range from 6.2–23% for the DIL and
from 8.6 to 24% for the MIN method. REE recoveries for both methods were
very close to 100%. Both methods proved to be effective for the determination
of REE levels in human urine matrices
A first attempt to evaluate the toxicity to Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin exposed to rare earth elements
The increasing use and demand of rare earth elements in many emerging
technologies is leading to a potentially higher input to the marine environment.
This study compared for the first time the effect of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce),
neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), dysprosium
(Dy), and erbium (Er) to the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin. The
algal growth inhibition was investigated after 72 h of exposure. The median
effect concentrations (EC50) ranged from 0.98 mg/L to 13.21 mg/L and
elements were ranked as follows: Gd > Ce > Er > La > Eu > Nd > Dy > Sm.
The comparison of predicted no effect concentrations (PNEC) for hazard and
risk assessment with measured environmental concentrations showed that
ecological risks deriving from REEs could be present, but limited to specific
environments like estuarine waters. The results support evidence of actions to
manage the REE impact in seawater environments, looking to improve the
monitoring tailored to the different and dynamic nature of ecosystems
Hormetic Effects of Cerium, Lanthanum and Their Combination at Sub-micromolar Concentrations in Sea Urchin Sperm
Rare earth elements (REEs) cerium (Ce) and lanthanum (La) and their combination were tested across a concentration range, from toxic (10(-4) to 10(-5) M) to lower concentrations (10(-6) to 10(-8) M) for their effects on sea urchin (Sphaerechinus granularis) sperm. A significantly decreased fertilization rate (FR) was found for sperm exposed to 10(-5) M Ce, La and their combination, opposed to a significant increase of FR following 10(-7) and 10(-8) M REE sperm exposure. The offspring of REE-exposed sperm showed significantly increased developmental defects following sperm exposure to 10(-5) M REEs vs. untreated controls, while exposure to 10(-7) and 10(-8) M REEs resulted in significantly decreased rates of developmental defects. Both of observed effects-on sperm fertilization success and on offspring quality-were closely exerted by Ce or La or their combination.Open access funding provided by Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.Universita degli Studi di Napoli Federico II within the CRUI-CARE Agreemen
Levels of rare earth elements on three abandoned mining sites of bauxite in southern Italy: A comparison between TXRF and ICP-MS
The essential utilization of rare earth elements (REEs) for the production of several electronic devices is making
the demand for them being increased all the time. This extensive use of these elements has also increased concern
about human and environmental health. Previous studies have shown that REE levels are higher in environmental samples near mining sites, and they are highly possible to be transferred to biota. In this study, REE levels
were determined in environmental samples collected from three abandoned mining sites of bauxite (Gargano,
Otranto, and Spinazzola) in the region of Puglia, Southern Italy. The samples were digested and analyzed by two
different techniques, Total X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) and Inductively Coupled Plasma – Mass Spectroscopy
(ICP-MS) to investigate which technique is the most suitable for analysis of the REE content in samples from
abandoned mining sites of bauxite. Only 6 REEs could be detected by TXRF, while all REEs were detected in all
the samples by ICP-MS. Spinazzola is the richest site and Ce the most abundant REE in all three regions. REE
levels are correlated between the soil and biota samples in many cases, although the calculation of the bioconcentration factor showed that REEs are not bioaccumulative. ICP-MS seems to be a more suitable technique
for analysis of the whole REE content in environmental samples from abandoned mining sites of bauxi
Multi-Endpoint Analysis of Cerium and Gadolinium Effects after Long-Term Exposure to <i>Phaeodactylum tricornutum</i>
The significantly increasing levels of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in seawater are largely due to multiple anthropogenic activities. Their effects on marine primary producers such as Phaeodactylum tricornutum have not been fully assessed. This study focused on examining the long-term impacts of these two commonly occurring REEs, cerium (Ce) and gadolinium (Gd), on marine diatoms by 28 d of exposure. The 72 h effective concentrations that inhibited the growth of 20% (EC20) and 50% (EC50) of the exposed population were used for long-term exposures. The growth, oxidative stress level, photosynthetic pigments, and chlorophyll fluorescence were assessed in the diatoms, after 7, 14, 21, and 28 d of REEs exposure. Results display a difference in the toxicity induced by the two elements. Exposure to 2.39 mg/L (EC20) and 3.13 mg/L (EC50) of Ce, and to 4.52 mg/L (EC20) and 6.02 mg/L (EC50) of Gd displayed a lower effect on the growth of algae cells, as the response remained below 20% for inhibition or stimulation. Except for GD, the ROS and the activities of SOD, and LPO showed, during the exposure, comparable levels respect to control cells. A change in chlorophyll levels was also observed especially under Ce exposure. Both elements showed changes in photosynthetic performance. This study provides new insights into the different effects of Ce and Gd on P. tricornutum, demonstrating their diverse modes of action on this important primary producer. The findings provide further evidence of the adverse effects of anthropogenic REEs pollution on marine ecosystems