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

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Abstract

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 Ca2+ 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.

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Author notes

  1. Ashwini Zadokar, Shivanti Negi, and Pankaj Kumar have contributed equally to this work and share the first authorship.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Ashwini Zadokar, Shivanti Negi, Pankaj Kumar & Rajnish Sharma

  2. Agrotechnology Division, CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, -176061, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Bhavya Bhargava

  3. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, 201002, India

    Bhavya Bhargava

  4. Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Mohammad Irfan

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PK and MI conceived the idea; AZ, SN, PK, and MI designed the article; AZ, PK, SN, BB, and MI mined the literature and wrote the draft of the manuscript; MI, PK, BB, and RS reviewed and edited the manuscript; All the authors have read and approved the manuscript.

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Zadokar, A., Negi, S., Kumar, P. et al. Molecular insights into rare earth element (REE)-mediated phytotoxicity and its impact on human health. Environ Sci Pollut Res 30, 84829–84849 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-27299-1

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