Editing Rare-earth element (section)

====On human health====
The chemical properties of the REEs are so similar that they are expected to show similar toxicity in humans.
Mortality studies show REEs are not highly toxic.<ref name=HiranoSuzuki1996>{{Cite journal |last1=Hirano |first1=S |last2=Suzuki |first2=K T |date=March 1996 |title=Exposure, metabolism, and toxicity of rare earths and related compounds. |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |language=en |volume=104 |issue=suppl 1 |pages=85–95 |doi=10.1289/ehp.96104s185 |issn=0091-6765 |pmc=1469566 |pmid=8722113|bibcode=1996EnvHP.104S..85H }}</ref> Long term (18 months) inhalation of dust containing high levels (60%) of REEs has been shown to cause [[pneumoconiosis]] but the mechanism is unknown.<ref name=HiranoSuzuki1996/>

While REEs are not major pollutants, the increase application of REEs in new technologies has increased the need to understand their safe levels of exposure for humans.<ref name=Rim>{{cite journal |last1=Rim |first1=Kyung Taek |last2=Koo |first2=Kwon Ho |last3=Park |first3=Jung Sun |title=Toxicological Evaluations of Rare Earths and Their Health Impacts to Workers: A Literature Review |journal=Safety and Health at Work |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=12–26 |doi=10.5491/shaw.2013.4.1.12 |pmid=23516020 |year=2013 |pmc=3601293}}</ref> One side effect of mining REEs can be exposure to harmful radioactive [[Thorium]] as has been demonstrated at large mine in Batou (Mongolia).<ref>Chen, X. A., et al. "A twenty-year follow-up study on health effects-following long-term exposure to thorium dusts." HEIR 2004 (2005): 139.</ref> 
The rare-earth mining and smelting process can release airborne fluoride which will associate with total suspended particles (TSP) to form aerosols that can enter human respiratory systems. Research from Baotou, China shows that the fluoride concentration in the air near REE mines is higher than the limit value from WHO, but the health effects of this exposure are unknown.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhong |first1=Buqing |last2=Wang |first2=Lingqing |last3=Liang |first3=Tao |last4=Xing |first4=Baoshan |date=October 2017 |title=Pollution level and inhalation exposure of ambient aerosol fluoride as affected by polymetallic rare earth mining and smelting in Baotou, north China |journal=Atmospheric Environment |language=en |volume=167 |pages=40–48 |doi=10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.08.014 |bibcode=2017AtmEn.167...40Z}}</ref>

Analysis of people living near mines in China had many times the levels of REEs in their blood, urine, bone, and hair compared to controls far from mining sites, suggesting possible [[bioaccumulation]] of REEs. This higher level was related to the high levels of REEs present in the vegetables they cultivated, the soil, and the water from the wells, indicating that the high levels were caused by the nearby mine. However the levels found were not high enough to cause health effects.<ref>{{cite journal |date=2013-10-01 |title=A human health risk assessment of rare earth elements in soil and vegetables from a mining area in Fujian Province, Southeast China |journal=Chemosphere |language=en |volume=93 |issue=6 |pages=1240–1246 |doi=10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.06.085 |pmid=23891580 |issn=0045-6535 |bibcode=2013Chmsp..93.1240L |last1=Li |first1=Xiaofei |last2=Chen |first2=Zhibiao |last3=Chen |first3=Zhiqiang |last4=Zhang |first4=Yonghe |doi-access=free}}</ref> 
Analysis of REEs in street dust in China suggest "no augmented health hazard".<ref name=sun>{{cite journal |last1=Sun |first1=Guangyi |last2=Li |first2=Zhonggen |last3=Liu |first3=Ting |last4=Chen |first4=Ji |last5=Wu |first5=Tingting |last6=Feng |first6=Xinbin |s2cid=31655372 |date=2017-12-01 |title=Rare earth elements in street dust and associated health risk in a municipal industrial base of central China |journal=Environmental Geochemistry and Health |language=en |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=1469–1486 |doi=10.1007/s10653-017-9982-x |pmid=28550599 |bibcode=2017EnvGH..39.1469S |issn=0269-4042 |url=http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/30223 |access-date=September 6, 2019 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225013613/http://ir.ihb.ac.cn/handle/342005/30223 }}</ref>
Similarly, analysis of cereal crops in mining areas in China found levels too low for health risks.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Zhuang |first1=Maoqiang |last2=Wang |first2=Liansen |last3=Wu |first3=Guangjian |last4=Wang |first4=Kebo |last5=Jiang |first5=Xiaofeng |last6=Liu |first6=Taibin |last7=Xiao |first7=Peirui |last8=Yu |first8=Lianlong |last9=Jiang |first9=Ying |date=2017-08-29 |title=Health risk assessment of rare earth elements in cereals from mining area in Shandong, China |journal=Scientific Reports |language=En |volume=7 |issue=1 |page=9772 |doi=10.1038/s41598-017-10256-7 |pmid=28852170 |pmc=5575011 |issn=2045-2322 |bibcode=2017NatSR...7.9772Z}}</ref>