3 research outputs found
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