The Characteristics, Occurrence, and Geochemical Behavior of Rare Earth Elements in the Environment: A Review

The increasing number of rare earth elements (REEs) studies in the past decade has been induced by their wider applications in industry, including electronics and high technology. This review presents the brief characteristics of REE, their occurrence in abiotic and biotic systems, and their possible detrimental effects on the environmental quality and human health. This also outlines the REE behavior in different geochemical interactions and the potential for tracing anthropogenic pollution sources.