Watershed scale assessment of rare earth elements in soils derived from sedimentary rocks

Establishing quality reference values (QRVs) for rare earth elements (REEs) in soils is essential for the screening of these emergent contaminants. Currently, Brazil has the second-largest reserve of REEs, but data regarding background concentrations and distributions in soils remain scarce. The aim of this study was to establish the QRVs and assess the spatial distribution of REEs in soils, including REE fractionations and anomalies in (Piauí) state (251,529.186 km 2 ), northeastern Brazil. This study reports the most detailed data on REE geochemistry in Brazilian soils. A total of 243 composite soil samples was collected at 0-20 cm depth. The mean background concentrations in soils followed the abundance of the earth's upper crust:REEs (mg kg -1 ) showed the following order based on the individual mesoregions of Piauí state: Southeast (262.75) ). The highest QRVs were observed in the Southeast mesoregion. The establishment of QRVs based on the mesoregion scale improves data representativeness and the monitoring of natural REE values by identifying hot spots. Geostatistical modeling indicated significant local variability, especially in the Southeast mesoregion. The levels of these elements in this spatial zone are naturally higher than the other values across Piauí state and the mesoregion itself and indicate a high potential to exceed the QRVs. Our approach provides much needed data to help strengthen policies for both human health and environmental protection.

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Combining geospatial analyses to optimize quality reference values of rare earth elements in soils

Silva

Nascimento

Silva

et al. 2020

Environ Monit Assess

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Watershed scale assessment of rare earth elements in soils derived from sedimentary rocks

Cited by 8 publications

References 44 publications

Effects of rare earth elements (REE) on terrestrial organisms: current status and future directions

Effects of rare earth elements (REE) on terrestrial organisms: current status and future directions

Distribution of rare earth elements in soils of contrasting geological and pedological settings to support human health assessment and environmental policies

Combining geospatial analyses to optimize quality reference values of rare earth elements in soils

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