Hair-biomonitoring assessment of rare-earth-element exposure in residents of the largest rare-earth mining and smelting area of China.

The long-term and large-scale mining of rare earth minerals may lead to an accumulation of rare earth elements (REEs) in the environment, posing potential health risks to residents. We collected scalp hair (n = 254) from residents of a smelting area, a mining area, and a reference area to clarify human exposure to REEs. The contents of 15 REEs investigated in human hair samples were notably higher in the mining and smelting areas than in the reference area.