Title: Survey of lanthanoids in plants from a tropical region

Authors: Elvis Joacir De Franca, Elisabete A. De Nadai Fernandes, Christian Turra, Marcio A. Bacchi, Camila Elias, Fabio Sileno Tagliaferro, Cassio Franco Moreira, Andreza Portella Ribeiro, Rubens Cesar Lopes Figueira

Addresses: Centro Regional de Ciencias Nucleares do Nordeste, Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear, Avenida Prof. Luiz Freire, 200, Cidade Universitaria, 51740-540 Recife – Pernambuco – Brazil; Instituto Oceanografico, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Praca do Oceanografico, 191, 05508-120 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, P.O. Box 97, 13416-970 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Instituto Oceanografico, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Praca do Oceanografico, 191, 05508-120 Sao Paulo, Brazil. ' Instituto Oceanografico, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Praca do Oceanografico, 191, 05508-120 Sao Paulo, Brazil

Abstract: Several anthropogenic sources may provide lanthanoids (La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb and Yb) to the agricultural and forestry landscapes. Because little information is available on the distribution of these chemical elements in Brazilian tropical ecosystems, this work focuses on the survey in leaves of diverse plant species (native trees, epiphytes and crops) from different ecosystems. Soil under crown projection was also analysed, thereby estimating the influence of its chemical composition on accumulation in leaves. The degree of lanthanoids accumulation varied substantially even for species growing in the same habitat. The most accumulator species, Alsophila sternbergii, presented the typical distribution pattern for lanthanoids, different from Pachystroma longifolium, a native species from the urban fragment, and the cultivated Citrus sp., in which the altered patterns revealed lanthanum enrichment in spite of cerium depletion in the leaves.

Keywords: lanthanoids; rare earth elements; bioaccumulation; Brazil; INAA; tropical regions; chemical elements; leaves; native trees; epiphytes; crops; ecosystems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2011.039854

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2011 Vol.5 No.1/2, pp.32 - 48

Published online: 22 Apr 2011 *

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