Advanced Inductively Coupled Plasma

Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 16 related elements with low concentrations in air particulate matter, soil and water. An analytical technique was devised capable of measuring simultaneously all 16 REEs at very low levels and a great speed in environmental matrices. REEs were analysed in river sediments, soil and air in The Netherlands and China. In air particulate matter, the variation of REE concentration depended on the wind direction and could be correlated with the emission type (petrochemical industry, traffic, background). Chinese river sediments showed strong enrichment in Gd. High crust-normalised ratios were observed for Ce and Dy in Guangdong soils. Dutch soil from particular site was enriched in Gd, Nd, Dy and Ce, as well as in heavy metals. In leaching tests, less than 0,8% of the total REE content of the soil was released which was much lower than for heavy metals. REE are generally poorly soluble in the environment and remain adsorbed to soils.