Atmospheric emissions of fine particle matter bound rare earth elements from industry

• Published in: Nature communications 2024-10, Vol.15 (1), p.9338-10, Article 9338
• Main Authors: Yun, Jianghui, Yang, Qiuting, Zhao, Chenyan, Chen, Changzhi, Liu, Guorui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 140/58; 704/172/169/824; 704/172/169/895; 704/172/4081; Air pollution; Coking; Earth; Emissions; Health risks; Humanities and Social Sciences; Industrial areas; Industrial development; Industrial emissions; Inhalation; multidisciplinary; Particulate emissions; Particulate matter; Rare earth elements; Respiration; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Sustainable development
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53684-6

Unintentional releases of rare earth elements (REEs), emerging environmental pollutants, from global industries contribute to atmospheric pollution. However, a gap remains regarding the recognition of REYs in industrial fine particulate matter (PM) as a primary source of atmospheric PM. Here, we identified the characteristic of REEs in PM from 114 large-scale industries covering 13 important sectors. Based on the derived emission factors, 13 industrial sources in China emit 136,914 kg of REEs annually, with cement, coal power and coking responsible for 105,226, 12,635, and 11,940 kg/year, respectively. Source-specific elemental profiles were achieved and can be used to allocate the sources of REEs in atmosphere. The average daily intake of REEs from industrial fine PM inhalation was 11.72 ng/(kg·day) for children and 7.41 ng/(kg·day) for adults, pivotal data for assessing health risks. This study is important for sustainable industrial development and human wellness. This study quantifies rare earth elements in fine particulate matter emitted from various industrial activities, thereby contributing to a more profound understanding of the environmental and health impacts of industrial emissions.