Rare Earth Elements: A Review of Production, Processing ...

Rare Earth Elements Review Section 6 – Human Health and Environmental Risks
REE(s) Citation Objective/Purpose Key Findings
Multiple Tong et al., 2004.
Distribution characteristics
of REEs in children's scalp
hair from a rare earths
mining area in southern
China. J Environ Sci Health
A Tox Hazard Subst Environ
Eng 39(9): 2517-2532.
Multiple Zaichick et al., 2011.
Accumulation of REEs in
human bone within the
lifespan. Metallomics 3: 186­
194.
Multiple Zhang et al., 2003. [Levels
and distribution of 15 REEs
in tumor and normal lung
tissue from the patients with
lung cancer]. Wei Sheng
Yan Jiu 32: 423-426.
Multiple Zhuang et al., 1996.
Concentration of REEs, As,
and Th in human brain and
brain tumors, determined by
neutron activation analysis.
Biol Trace Elem Res 53: 45­
49.
Validate the use of REE
scalp hair content (La, Ce,
Pr, Nd, Sm) as a biomarker
of exposure. Hair content
data were collected on 16
REEs from children aged
11-15 years old and living
in an LREEs mining and
surrounding areas in
southern China.
The concentrations of
REEs (Ce, Dy, Er, Gd, La,
Nd, Pr, Sm, Tb, Yb, Ho, Lu,
Tm, Y) in the rib bone
tissue of healthy humans
(38 females and 42 males,
age 15 to 55 years old)
were determined using
ICP-MS.
Tumor tissue and normal
tissue around tumors were
collected from patients with
lung cancer and 15 REEs
were measured by ICP-MS.
6 REE concentrations of
brain tumor tissues from 16
patients with astrocytomas
(grade I-III) and normal
human brain tissues of 18
male, age-matched
autopsies serving as
controls were measured.
REEs hair content from the mining area
(e.g., range: La: 0.14-6.93 µg/g; Nd:
0.09-5.27 µg/g; Gd: 12.2-645.6 ng/g; Lu:
0.2-13.3 ng/g; Y: 0.03-1.27 µg/g; Sc:
0.05-0.30 µg/g) were significantly higher
than those from the reference area and
higher than those previously published.
Age-related accumulation of REEs were
found in the bone tissue of healthy
individuals who lived in a non-industrial
region.
Levels of 15 REEs in normal tissues
around the tumor was as 2.07-2.51 times
high as those in the tumor tissue.
Contents of light REE in lung tissue of
health human were higher while the
contents of media and heavy REE were
lower.
Concentrations of Th, La, Ce, Gd, and Lu
were significantly higher in tumor tissues.
The literature review also identified ecological studies, which are summarized in Table 6-6, below.
Information on ecological effects of REE on marine organisms, soil fauna, and plants were of particular
interest. Many studies were conducted by Chinese researchers. It should be noted that this literature
search was limited to the ecological effects of REEs, rather than the broader environmental contamination
impacts resulting from REE extraction, processing, waste management, and industrial practices.
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