Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in different types of soil: A chemometric approach

Aysha Masood Khan; Shima Behkami; Ismail Yusoff; Sharifuddin Bin Md Zain; Nor Kartini Abu Bakar; Ahmad Farid Abu Bakar; Yatimah Alias

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.032

Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in different types of soil: A chemometric approach

Chemosphere. 2017 Oct:184:673-678. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.032. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

Authors

Aysha Masood Khan¹, Shima Behkami², Ismail Yusoff³, Sharifuddin Bin Md Zain⁴, Nor Kartini Abu Bakar⁴, Ahmad Farid Abu Bakar⁵, Yatimah Alias⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: ayshamasood07@gmail.com.
² Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Environmental and Bio-Analytical Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, Sharif University of Technology, P.O.Box 11365-9516, Tehran, Iran.
³ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: ismaily70@um.edu.my.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁵ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; University of Malaya, Centre for Ionic Liquids, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

PMID: 28628904
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.032

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REEs) are becoming significant due to their huge applications in many industries, large-scale mining and refining activities. Increasing usage of such metals pose negative environmental impacts. In this research ICP-MS has been used to analyze soil samples collected from former ex-mining areas in the depths of 0-20 cm, 21-40 cm, and 41-60 cm of residential, mining, natural, and industrial areas of Perak. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that soil samples taken from different mining, industrial, residential, and natural areas are separated into four clusters. It was observed that REEs were abundant in most of the samples from mining areas. Concentration of the rare elements decrease in general as we move from surface soil to deeper soils.

Keywords: ICP-MS; Industrial area; Mining area; Principal component analysis (PCA); Soil.

MeSH terms

Environmental Monitoring*
Metals, Rare Earth / analysis*
Mining
Soil / chemistry*
Soil Pollutants / analysis*

Substances

Metals, Rare Earth
Soil
Soil Pollutants