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Ma S, Han G. Rare earth elements reveal the human health and environmental concerns in the largest tributary of the Mekong river, Northeastern Thailand. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 252:118968. [PMID: 38643820 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The widespread application of rare earth elements (REEs) in contemporary industries and agriculture, has caused emerging contaminant accumulation in aquatic environments. However, there is a limited scope of risk assessments, particularly in relation to human health associated with REEs. This study investigated the provenance, and contamination levels of REEs, further evaluating their environmental and human health risks in river sediments from an agricultural basin. The concentrations of REEs ranged from 30.5 to 347.7 mg/kg, with showing an upward trend from headwater to downstream. The positive matrix factorization (PMF) model identified natural and anthropogenic input, especially from agricultural activities, as the primary source of REEs in Mun River sediments. The contamination assessment by the geoaccumulation index (I-geo) and pollution load index (PLI) confirmed that almost individual REEs in the samples were slightly to moderately polluted. The potential ecological risk index (PERI) showed mild to moderate risks in Mun River sediment. Regular fertilization poses pollution and ecological risks to agricultural areas, manifesting as an enrichment of light REEs in river sediments. Nevertheless, Monte Carlo simulations estimated the average daily doses of total REEs from sediments to be 0.24 μg/kg/day for adults and 0.95 μg/kg/day for children, comfortably below established human health thresholds. However, the risk of REE exposure appears to be higher in children, and sensitivity analyses suggested that REE concentration contributed more to health risks, whether the adults or children. Thus, concerns regarding REE contamination and risks should be raised considering the wide distribution of agricultural regions, and further attention is warranted to assess the health risks associated with other routes of REE exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunrong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Frontiers Science Center for Deep-time Digital Earth, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Guilin Han
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China; Frontiers Science Center for Deep-time Digital Earth, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing, 100083, China.
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Hu J, Wang P, Li J, Zhang Q, Tian L, Liu T, Ma W, Zheng H. Hazard profiles, distribution trends, and sources tracing of rare earth elements in dust of kindergartens in Beijing. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024:124374. [PMID: 38906400 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Children, the most vulnerable group in urban populations, are susceptible to the effects of pollution in urban environments. It is significant to evaluate the influence of rare earth elements (REEs) from kindergartens dust (KD) in Beijing on children's health. This study collected surface dust from 73 kindergartens in 16 districts of the mega-city of Beijing, and the concentrations of 14 REEs in KD, including La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, were detected. The contamination levels, source apportionment, and health exposure risk of REEs were comprehensively investigated. The results indicate that the contamination levels of 14 REEs are within the acceptable range. Nevertheless, Eu, Ce, La, Pr, Nd, Gd, and Sm show high enrichment due to anthropogenic influence. Besides, KD is rich in light rare earth elements (LREEs) (90.97 mg kg-1) compared to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) (8.65 mg kg-1). The distribution parameter patterns of REEs suggest that complicated anthropogenic sources influence the enrichment of REEs in KD. The main sources of REEs in KD include natural sources (40.64%), mixed high-tech industries and construction (33.89%), and mixed coal-fired, historical industrial, and transportation sources (26.47%). The primary pathway for daily intake of REEs in children is through ingestion, which presents a low but not negligible health risk. This study provides guidance for the effective risk management of REEs in KD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China.
| | - Peng Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Jun Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, P.R. China
| | - Liyan Tian
- Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P.R. China
| | - Tingyi Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Water Resources and Environment, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, P.R. China
| | - Wenmin Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, P.R. China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China; Institute of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, P.R. China
| | - Houyi Zheng
- China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing 100038, P.R. China
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Gu YG, Jordan RW, Jiang SJ. Probabilistic risk assessment of microplastics on aquatic biota in coastal sediments. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 352:141411. [PMID: 38350515 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
As an emerging form of pollution, microplastic contamination of the coastal ecosystems is one of the world's most pressing environmental concerns. Coastal sediments have been polluted to varying degrees by microplastics, and their ubiquitous presence in sediments poses a threat to marine organisms. However, there is currently no ecological risk assessment of microplastics on aquatic biota in sediments. This study, for the first time, established a new procedure to evaluate the toxicity of microplastics on aquatic biota in sediments, based on the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) concept. The choice of Zhelin Bay as the case study site was based on its severe pollution status. The average content of microplastics in the sediments of Zhelin Bay was 2054.17 items kg-1 dry weight, and these microplastics consisted of 46 different species. Microplastics in sediments exist in five different forms, with the film form being the main composition, and the majority of microplastics have particle sizes ranging from 100 to 500 μm. Correlation analysis (CA) reveals significant negative correlations between microplastic abundance, and Al2O3 and SiO2. The toxicity of microplastics, based on the PRA concept, suggests that Zhelin Bay surface sediments had a low probability (3.43%) of toxic effects on aquatic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Guang Gu
- South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, 510300, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata, 990-8560, Japan; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangzhou, 510300, 510300, China; Key Laboratory of Open-Sea Fishery Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou, 510300, China; Sanya Tropical Fisheries Research Institute, Sanya, 572025, China.
| | - Richard W Jordan
- Faculty of Science, Yamagata University, Yamagata, 990-8560, Japan
| | - Shi-Jun Jiang
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China; College of Oceanography, Hohai University, Nanjing, 245700, China
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Slavković-Beškoski L, Ignjatović L, Ćujić M, Vesković J, Trivunac K, Stojaković J, Perić-Grujić A, Onjia A. Ecological and Health Risks Attributed to Rare Earth Elements in Coal Fly Ash. TOXICS 2024; 12:71. [PMID: 38251026 PMCID: PMC10818428 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12010071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
The occurrence and distribution of yttrium and rare earth elements (REYs), along with major elements and heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in coal fly ash (CFA) from five coal-fired power plants (CFPPs), were analyzed, and the REY-associated ecological and health risks were assessed. The individual REYs in CFA were abundant in the following order: Ce > La > Nd > Y > Pr > Gd > Sm > Dy > Er > Yb > Eu > Ho > Tb > Tm > Lu. The total REY content ranged from 135 to 362 mg/kg, averaging 302 mg/kg. The mean light-to-heavy REY ratio was 4.1, indicating prevalent light REY enrichment in CFA. Significantly positive correlations between the REYs suggested that they coexist and share similar origins in CFA. REYs were estimated to pose low to moderate ecological risks, with risk index (RI) values ranging from 66 to 245. The hazard index (HI) and target cancer risk (TCR) of REYs from CFA, estimated to be higher for children (HIc = 0.15, TCRc = 8.4 × 10-16) than for adults (HIa = 0.017, TCRa = 3.6 × 10-16), were well below the safety limits (HI = 1, TCR = 1.0 × 10-6). However, the danger to human health posed by HMs in the same CFA samples (HIc = 5.74, TCRc = 2.6 × 10-4, TCRa = 1.1 × 10-4) exceeded the safe thresholds (excl. HIa = 0.63). The mean RI and HI attributed to REYs in CFA were 14% and 2.6%, respectively, of the total risks that include HMs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ljubiša Ignjatović
- Faculty of Physical Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11158 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Ćujić
- Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, University of Belgrade, Mike Petrovića Alasa 12-14, 11351 Vinča, Serbia
| | - Jelena Vesković
- Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Katarina Trivunac
- Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Stojaković
- Innovation Center of the Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Aleksandra Perić-Grujić
- Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Antonije Onjia
- Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Karnegijeva 4, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia
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