Distribution Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Children's Scalp Hair from a Rare Earths Mining Area in Southern China

Abstract

In order to demonstrate the validity of using scalp hair rare earth elements (REEs) content as a biomarker of human REEs exposure, data were collected on REEs exposure levels from children aged 11-15 years old and living in an ion-adsorptive type light REEs (LREEs) mining and surrounding areas in southern China. Sixty scalp hair samples were analyzed by ICP-MS for 16 REEs (La Lu, Y and Sc). Sixteen REEs contents in the samples from the mining area (e.g., range: La: 0.14-6.93 microg/g; Nd: 0.09-5.27 microg/g; Gd: 12.2-645.6ng/g; Lu: 0.2-13.3 ng/g; Y: 0.03-1.27 microg/g; Sc: 0.05-0.30 microg/g) were significantly higher than those from the reference area (range: La: 0.04-0.40 microg/g; Nd: 0.04-0.32 microg/g; Gd: 8.3-64.6 ng/g; Lu: 0.4-3.3ng/g; Y: 0.03-0.29 microg/g; Sc: 0.11-0.36 microg/g) and even much higher than those published in the literature. The distribution pattern of REEs in scalp hair from the mining area was very similar to that of REEs in the mine and the atmosphere shrouding that area. In conclusion, the scalp hair REEs contents may indicate not only quantitatively but also qualitatively (distribution pattern) the absorption of REEs from environmental exposure into human body. The children living in this mining area should be regarded as a high-risk group with REEs (especially LREEs) exposure, and their health status should be examined from a REEs health risk assessment perspective.

Toxicological Evaluations of Rare Earths and Their Health Impacts to Workers: A Literature Review

“…Also, to demonstrate the validity of using scalp hair RE content as a biomarker of human RE exposure, data were collected on RE exposure levels from children aged 11-15 years old living in an ion-adsorptive type light RE mining area and surrounding areas in southern China. The children living in this mining area should be regarded as a high-risk group with RE (especially light RE) exposure, and their health status should be examined from a RE health risk assessment perspective [77]. …”

Transhumance pastoralism of Roccapelago (Modena, Italy) early‐modern individuals: Inferences from Sr isotopes of hair strands

“…We note here that, although the contemporary individual has experienced a different pre‐burial exogenous exposure, this is the only possible term of comparison we have for our archaeological specimens. REEs have been long used to assess diagenesis in human tissues such as bones and teeth (Reynard & Balter, ), but also in hair studies (Kempson et al, ; Rodushkin & Axelsson, ; Tong et al, ; Wei et al, ). In this sense, the low REE content we observe for both the archaeological and the contemporary hair may be explained in three different ways: (1) the contemporary individual and the Roccapelago individuals were both not exposed to REEs in their environment; (2) REEs are not incorporated in hair during diagenesis and thus they do not represent an appropriate diagenetic proxy for hair tissue; (3) in contrast, assuming that REEs are a suitable diagenetic proxy, archaeological samples are little or not altered, having a REEs content similar to the contemporary specimen.…”

“…However, REE behavior in terms of hair preservation is not well known. In vivo, REE content of hair has been investigated mainly in relation to environmental exposure in areas characterized by peculiar geological backgrounds (i.e., China mining areas described in Wei et al, ), showing that REEs can accumulate in human hair during in vivo processes (Rodushkin & Axelsson, ; Tong et al, ). This is especially true for light REE that can reach concentrations of several ppm (Wei et al, ).…”

The Accumulation and Metabolism Characteristics of Rare Earth Elements in Sprague–Dawley Rats

“…The REE accumulations were also observed in various organs of human beings who were exposed, long term, to REE particles [6]. A Chinese study of children who resided in REE mining areas reported that REE concentrations in the scalp/hair samples were inversely proportional to the distance of their residence from mining areas [11]. Moreover, workers in industries such as photoengravers, glass or lens polishers, and movie projectionists who undergo long-term occupational exposures to REE particles have a higher risk to suffer rare earth pneumoconiosis, compared to the control group without REE exposures [6,12].…”