Rare Earth and Platinum Group Elements In Environmental Health Insights

Overview

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legislation and attendant non-implementing policies are recur- water (Pt < 0.017 μg/l; Pd < 0.011 μg/l; Rh < 0.008 μg/l)
these pollution sources is reported in Table 1. piratory protective equipment, increased the health risks for
the BIC; here is more than 70% of the world’s known Pt minerals or (iii) presence of mine deposits. The enrichment
between 0.041 and 0.076 µg/l, indicating the entry of Pt from mine drainage increases the mobilization of REEs facilitating
Table 1. Literature data on contamination and bioaccumulation of technology-critical elements (TCEs) in Africa.
Pt Pt, 0.014-0.040 µg/l Water Hex River, Rustenburg, Erasmus et al94
Pt Pt, 0.025-0.472 µg/l Water Hex River, Rustenburg, Erasmus et al45
Pt Pt, 0.0415-0.0762 µg/l Water Hex River, Rustenburg, Labuschagne et al46
Pt, Pd, Rh Pt, 0.001-0.017 µg/l; Pd, 0.002- Water Elands, Leragane and Somerset et al48
Table 1. (Continued)
∑REEs, La, Ce, Pr, ∑REEs, 69.5 µg/l; La, 13.9 µg/l; Ce, Water Lagos, Nigeria Ayedun et al68
∑REEs, La, Ce, Nd, ∑REEs, 7-81 µg/l; La, 0.9-12.1 µg/l; Ce, Waste water Cotonou, Benin Atinkpahoun et al84
Pt, 0.002-0.003 µg/l Artificial mussels
Table 1. (Continued)
Pt, Sm, Sn, Ta, Dy, 0.0-1.88 µg/l; La, 0.0-0.03 µg/; Nb, in Gran Canaria Spain Hernández et al116
example, in Nigeria.57,58 In Nigeria, 3.1 million barrels of crude 0.01 mg/l, Cd 0.003 mg/l, Pb 0.01 mg/l), suggesting that it was
such as Ag or Au.65 Previous works confirmed that dismantling Regarding REEs, Kolawole et al78 showed high mean con-
recycling area of Agbogbloshie in Accra (Ghana) and in Alaba environment in Nigeria.81 The 70% of Pt-based drugs (cis-
mean ∑REE content of 69.5 µg/l and sources may be from the tical manufacturing plants are an additional contamination
70.25 to 0.37 mg/kg (Pb > Cd > Hg > Cu > Zn > Cr > Co > their unique properties, such as radiation emission or magnet-
below the detection limit of 0.0009 mg/kg.92 In crab samples et al101 reported that the acute toxicity of another REE, Tm, on
birds breeding in the Vaal River, Van der Schyff et al96 meas- foodstuffs, like fresh edible fungi, vegetables (leafy, fruiting, leg-
by humans as well as wild bird eggs that are food source for showed a mean value of total REEs of 286 μg/kg, with Ce, La,
food webs was reported.97 Briant et al98 reported a systematic ent food categories showed that leafy vegetables, wheat and
soil and the bioaccumulation factor was higher for leaves than Hernández et al observed high levels of Pb (28.95 μg/l vs
in African countries but also in European countries such as ticipants from other African countries (1.21 μg/l vs 0.32 μg/l).116
the human body through the food chain, so food security in the OEL of 2 μg/m3,117 for the 22% of respiratory exposure meas-
safe standard for food in farm produce and food producing ani- found for Pd (mean, 0.342 µg/m3), followed by Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir
and fruits in Nigeria were contaminated by high levels of Cd, (mean, 0.008 µg/cm2), followed by Rh, Ir, Pd, Ru and Os.119
metalloids higher in food crops and water near mining com- of skin exposure with a mean of 0.008 μg/cm2.118 Even though
milk: Pd, 1.24E + 02; Pt, 8.36E + 05; Rh, 1.09E + 03; whole- concentrations (mean, 0.21 μg/g creatinine; maximum value,
ing close to mining area in Zambia. Over 95% of children
showed a Pb blood level >10 µg/dl (ca. 50% ⩾ 45 µg/dl),
Pd > 2.15, and Rh > 4.95 µg/l were found, and the bioaccumu- to induce cellular damage. Palladium has been also impli-
mental hazards pose significant risks. Table 2 summarizes sensitization, tight chest, shortness of breath, and occupational
(48.6 μg/l vs 33.5 μg/l) and Zn (4692 μg/l vs 3288 μg/l) in cord The inhalation of REEs, especially in the case of long-term
blood samples and Mn (0.2 mg/kg vs 0.1 mg/kg) foetal side of occupational inhalation exposure, may be linked with adverse
A possible relationship between levels of REEs in pregnant In 2020 4.2% of the world total new cancer cases and 5.2% of
results showed high proportions of overweight, pre-diabetic and 2380 mg/kg), and the non-carcinogenic risk for children
Table 2. Adverse effects of technology-critical elements (TCEs) on human health in Africa.
Case-control (no. 246) Total congenitally malformed (0.1%): multiple Lubumbashi, Katanga, Van Brusselen
defects (41.7%), neural tube defects (19.4%) and DRC et al147

Methods (brief)

This state-of-the-art review collected and discussed data matrices as ‘hair’, ‘blood’, ‘serum’, “urine, ‘breast milk’,
health problems in SSA.36 An overview of research studies on samples.48 The Pt mine’s inhalable concentration in the
Element Concentration levels Sample Area Reference
Element Concentration levels Sample Area Reference
Element Concentration levels Sample Area Reference
The soil sampled close to an oil and gas exploration site in risk assessment approach was proposed as a viable approach for
17 051 µg/g of Er.62 Surface and subsurface soil samples at
mines and ends with the dumping of e-waste back in Africa.14 tion. Indeed, the average total REE values in dust collected
nated by Pb.71 (Benin), 30 to 620 times more Gd in wastewater samples than
The concentrations of Cu and Pb in soils collected near in drinking and well water samples were observed. These high
respect to regulatory limits for soil set by numerous countries.72 pharmaceutical samples impurity showed appreciable amounts
samples were found in the Pra estuary in Ghana where it is PGEs was also shown in tissues of the Manta ray fish (Manta
below the detection limit of 0.0009 mg/kg.92 In crab samples et al101 reported that the acute toxicity of another REE, Tm, on
(P. warren) collected in the Northwest Province of South an amphipod crustacean (Hyalella azteca) appeared not to be
crab samples, whereas the presence of Ni and Cu may be attrib- La and Yb in the soil negatively impacts the health of earth-
eluates from sediment and soil samples of the mining area and
ingestion of small quantities of contaminated fish (Cyprinus vated Pt concentration (0.256 µg/g) in the grass collected near
In this regard, a study on metals accumulation in fish para- Yb > Tb > Ho > Tm.51 The same samples showed elevated

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The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

Commit	Date	Change	Description
b01ec52c	2026-08-04	major	2 sections added
d49e450f	2026-08-03	major	5 sections added; narrative text revised