Pollution and health risk assessment of rare earth elements in Citrus sinensis growing soil in mining area of southern China

BACKGROUND: Analyzing the pollution and health risk of rare earth elements (REEs) in crop-growing soils around rare earth deposits can facilitate the improvement of REE mining-influenced area. In this study, pollution status, fraction and anomaly, plant accumulation characteristics, and potential risks of REEs (including heavy and light rare earth elements, HREEs and LREEs) in C. sinensis planting soil near ion-adsorption deposits in southern Ganzhou were analyzed. The influence of the soil environment on REEs in soil and fruit of C. sinensis was also explored. METHODS: The geo-accumulation index (I(geo)) and ecological risk index(RI) were used to analyze the pollution potential and ecological risks of REEs in soils, respectively. Health risk index and translocation factor (TF) were applied to analyze the accumulation and health risks of REEs in fruit of C. sinensis. The influence of soil factors on REEs in soil and fruit of C. sinensis were determined via correlation and redundancy analysis. RESULTS: Comparison with background values and assessment of I(geo) and RI indicated that the soil was polluted by REEs, albeit at varying degrees. Fractionation between LREEs and HREEs occurred, along with significant positive Ce anomaly and negative Eu anomaly. With TF values < 1, our results suggest that C. sinensis has a weak ability to accumulate REEs in its fruit. The concentrations of REEs in fruit differed between LREEs and HREEs, with content of HREE in fruit ordered as Jiading > Anxi > Wuyang and of LREE in fruit higher in Wuyang. Correlation and redundancy analysis indicated that K(2)O, Fe(2)O(3) and TOC are important soil factors influencing REE accumulation by C. sinensis, with K(2)O positively related and Fe(2)O(3) and TOC negatively related to the accumulation process.