South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou 511485, China; Key laboratory of Fishery Ecology and Environment, Guangdong Province, Guangzhou 510300, China; Key Laboratory of Open-Sea Fishery Development, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Guangzhou 510300, China; Institute of Groundwater and Earth Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
Institute of Environmental Health and Pollution Control, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
Water Res. 2020 Oct 15;185:116254. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116254. Epub 2020 Jul 30.
Rare earth elements (REEs) are emerging contaminants due to their large scale of exploitation worldwide for using in the high-technology sector. Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) are a good method to measure the bioaccessibility of inorganic substances. This study is the first to evaluate the combined toxicity of REEs in sediments to aquatic biota using the DGT technique. The intertidal zone of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) was selected as a case study, as the upper reaches of the Pearl River is a major REE reserve and production region. The DGT-labile measured concentrations of REEs (∑REEs) were found to range from 7.02-16.06 μg/L in intertidal surface sediments of the PRE. Assessment of single REE toxicity found that risk quotient (RQ) values for Y, Pr, Nd, Eu, Dy, Er, and Yb are significantly higher than 1, indicating that the adverse effects of these single REEs should be not ignored. The combined toxicity of REE mixtures based on probabilistic ecotoxicological risk assessment, shows that intertidal surface sediments of PRE had a low probability (3.72%) of toxic effects to aquatic biota.
稀土元素（REEs）是由于其在全球范围内大规模用于高科技领域而成为新兴的污染物。薄膜扩散梯度技术（DGT）是测量无机物质生物可利用性的一种很好的方法。本研究首次使用 DGT 技术评估了沉积物中 REE 对水生生物的综合毒性。珠江口的潮间带被选为案例研究区，因为珠江上游是一个主要的 REE 储量和生产区。研究发现，珠江口潮间带表层沉积物中 DGT 可提取的 REEs（∑REEs）浓度范围为 7.02-16.06μg/L。对单一 REE 毒性的评估发现，Y、Pr、Nd、Eu、Dy、Er 和 Yb 的风险商（RQ）值显著高于 1，表明这些单一 REE 的不良影响不应被忽视。基于概率生态毒理学风险评估的 REE 混合物的综合毒性表明，珠江口潮间带表层沉积物对水生生物产生毒性影响的可能性很低（3.72%）。
