Molecular insights into rare earth element (REE)-mediated phytotoxicity and its impact on human health

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 30; no. 36; pp. 84829 - 84849
• Main Authors: Zadokar, Ashwini, Negi, Shivanti, Kumar, Pankaj, Bhargava, Bhavya, Sharma, Rajnish, Irfan, Mohammad
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.08.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Alkaloids; Animals; Aquatic animals; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic plants; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; calcium; Calcium ions; Cell membranes; Chlorophyll; class; corrosion; Corrosion resistance; Crop growth; dose response; Earth; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology; electrical conductivity; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental factors; Environmental Health; Environmental science; fabrics; growth and development; human health; Humans; Lanthanides; Lanthanoid Series Elements; luminescence; Magnetism; Metals, Rare Earth - toxicity; photosynthesis; Phytotoxicity; Plant growth; Plants; protective effect; Rare earth elements; Review Article; Scandium; Trace elements; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Yttrium; Metal pollutants; Human health; Phytotoxicity; Lanthanides; Phytoaccumulation; Emerging pollutants; Plant metal stress; REE pollution
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27299-1

Rare earth elements (REEs) that include 15 lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium are a special class of elements due to their remarkable qualities such as magnetism, corrosion resistance, luminescence, and electroconductivity. Over the last few decades, the implication of REEs in agriculture has increased substantially, which was driven by rare earth element (REE)-based fertilizers to increase crop growth and yield. REEs regulate different physiological processes by modulating the cellular Ca 2+ level, chlorophyll activities, and photosynthetic rate, promote the protective role of cell membranes, and increase the plant’s ability to withstand various stresses and other environmental factors. However, the use of REEs in agriculture is not always beneficial because REEs regulate plant growth and development in dose-dependent manner and excessive usage of them negatively affects plants and agricultural yield. Moreover, increasing applications of REEs together with technological advancement is also a rising concern as they adversely impact all living organisms and disturb different ecosystems. Several animals, plants, microbes, and aquatic and terrestrial organisms are subject to acute and long-term ecotoxicological impacts of various REEs. This concise overview of REEs’ phytotoxic effects and implications on human health offers a context for continuing to sew fabric scraps to this incomplete quilt’s many layers and colors. This review deals with the applications of REEs in different fields, specifically agriculture, the molecular basis of REE-mediated phytotoxicity, and the consequences for human health.