Trophic Transfer and Toxic Potency of Rare Earth Elements along a Terrestrial Plant–Herbivore Food Chain

Extensive rare earth element (REE) mining activities have caused REE contamination of ambient agricultural soils, posing threats to associated food webs. Here, a simulated lettuce-snail food chain was conducted to evaluate the trophic transfer characteristics and the consequent effects of REEs on consumers. After 50-day exposure to soil, lettuce roots dose-dependently accumulated 9.4-76 mg kg^-1 REEs and translocated 3.7-20 mg kg^-1 REEs to shoots. Snails feeding on REE-contaminated shoots accumulated 3.0-6.7 mg kg^-1 REEs with trophic transfer factors of 0.20-0.98, indicating trophic dilution in the lettuce-snail system. REE profiles in lettuce and snails indicated light REE (LREE) enrichment only in snails and the varied REE profiles along the food chain. This was corroborated by toxicokinetics. Estimated uptake (K_u) and elimination (K_e) parameters were 0.010-2.9 kg_shoot kg_snail^-1 day^-1 and 0.010-1.8 day^-1, respectively, with higher K_u values for LREE and HREE. The relatively high K_e, compared to K_u, indicating a fast REE elimination, supports the trophic dilution. Dietary exposure to REEs dose-dependently affected gut microbiota and metabolites in snails. These effects are mainly related to oxidative damage and energy expenditure, which are further substantiated by targeted analysis. Our study provides essential information about REE bioaccumulation characteristics and its associated risks to terrestrial food chains near REE mining areas.