Читать книгу Geochemistry - Группа авторов - Страница 22

Rare earth elements are highly reactive elements with unique physicochemical properties [10]. In cases where the enrichment of rare earth elements occurs in serpentinitic geological environments, they are likely to be simultaneously taken up by humans together with other toxic contaminants. Evidence on the human health risks of rare earth elements derived from serpentinitic environments are scarce. However, the human health risks of rare earth elements are well-known, and have been reviewed in an earlier paper [10]. Examples of health risks include, damage to the human nephrological system, pneumoconiosis, dysfunctional neurological disorders, and anti-testicular effects and male sterility, among others [4, 10, 79, 80]. A detailed review of the health effects of rare earth elements were presented in earlier literature [10]. The bulk of the evidence on human health risks relate to the application of rare earth elements in agriculture, health care, and occupational exposure [10, 81]. By compassion, data relating to serpentinitic geological systems are scarce, highlighting the need for further research on this aspect.