Urban impact of rare earth elements | Science
The global demand for rare earth elements (REEs) has surged dramatically in recent years, driven by the rapid expansion of high-tech sectors, particularly in new energy generation, storage, and electronic information. As these industries evolve, the reliance on REEs—critical raw materials essential for manufacturing everything from smartphones to renewable energy technologies—has intensified. Statistical data reveals a remarkable increase in global rare earth mineral production, which has escalated from 124,000 metric tons in 2015 to an anticipated 390,000 metric tons in 2024, marking a staggering 214% growth over the past decade. This surge reflects not only the rising consumption of technologies that utilize these elements but also the aggressive mining and processing activities that accompany this demand.
However, this rapid escalation in REE production and consumption has raised significant environmental and health concerns. The large-scale extraction and processing of rare earth minerals have accelerated their biogeochemical cycling, leading to substantial enrichment of these elements in various ecosystems, including the atmosphere, water bodies, soil, and living organisms. Urban environments, in particular, are witnessing elevated levels of REEs, which prompts urgent questions about potential health impacts on communities and ecosystems. The enrichment of REEs in urban settings could pose risks such as toxicity and bioaccumulation in food chains, impacting both human health and biodiversity. As the world continues to grapple with the implications of this growing demand for REEs, it becomes increasingly critical to address the environmental consequences of their extraction and to develop sustainable practices that mitigate potential health risks while meeting the needs of advancing technologies.
The rapid growth of high-tech sectors, such as new energy generation and storage as well as electronic information, has stoked a global demand for rare earth elements (REEs), the critical raw materials for these sectors and others (1). Statistical data indicate that global rare earth mineral production, including mining, smelting, and application, skyrocketed from 124,000 metric tons in 2015 to 390,000 metric tons in 2024, a staggering 214% increase over the past decade (2). Moreover, large-scale mining, smelting, and industrial use of REEs have accelerated their biogeochemical cycling, leading to substantial enrichment in the atmosphere, water, soil, and organisms. Against this backdrop of expanding REE mining, processing, and consumption, the enrichment of these elements in urban environments and their potential health impacts demand urgent attention.
