Rare earth elements (REEs) as emerging contaminants in Brazil: Occurrence and distribution of total, dissolved, labile and nanoparticulate Ce in the environment

• Grant number: 23/15970-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Amauri Antonio Menegário
• Grantee: José Lucas Martins Viana
• Host Institution: Centro de Estudos Ambientais (CEA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This Post-doctoral Research Project aims to study the occurrence and environmental distribution of cerium (Ce) in its total, dissolved, labile, and nanoparticulate forms in the aquatic environment of areas prone to contamination by rare earth elements (REEs) in the states of São Paulo and Amazonas (Brazil). The hypothesis underlying this work is that REEs and their nanoparticles, represented here by Ce and nano-CeO2, respectively, are important emerging contaminants in rivers affected by industrial activities, urban waste, and agricultural residues in São Paulo and Amazonas. The proposed work is at the forefront in the state of São Paulo and in Brazil for highlighting the importance of REEs as emerging anthropogenic contaminants and for using the Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (spICP-MS) technique for the analysis of Ce nanoparticles in environmental matrices. There are no previous works in Brazil that use this approach or instrumentation for this type of assessment. This project has a proposed duration of 2 years, divided into three main stages: (i) analytical development; (ii) collection and analysis of samples; and (iii) data treatment and scientific communication. Additionally, an international internship abroad fellowship (BEPE) will be sought aiming for further analytical development in ICP-MS and spICP-MS at the University of Graz, Austria, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Jörg Feldmann. The requested period is considered sufficient for the completion of all proposed stages. At the end of the work, the generated data will be used to answer the following research questions: (a) which anthropogenic pressures (industrial, urban, or agricultural) are most relevant to REE contamination in the studied rivers; (b) how is cerium fractionated (total, dissolved, labile, and nanoparticulate) in the water column of selected rivers and what does this imply for its bioavailability; and (c) what is the relevance of environmental levels of Ce nanoparticles in the environment and their possible ecotoxicological implications.

Scientific publications

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(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LIMA, GUILHERME DOS SANTOS; SUAREZ, CARLOS ALFREDO; GEMEINER, HENDRYK; SERAFINI, PATRICIA PEREIRA; DE DEUS, JEAN PABLO ALVES; VIANA, JOSE LUCAS MARTINS; MENEGARIO, AMAURI ANTONIO. Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in seabirds foraging across a heterogeneous landscape: Cross-species bioaccumulation patterns. Environmental Pollution, v. 367, p. 11-pg., 2025-02-15. (23/15970-7, 23/11694-5)

MENEGARIO, AMAURI ANTONIO; DE ALMEIDA, EDUARDO; ZANATTA, MELINA B. T.; MOREIRA, LUIZ F. P. P.; ZOIA, LEONARDO H.; VIANA, JOSE LUCAS M.; KIANG, CHANG HUNG. Double-faced diffusive gradient in thin films sampler (df-DGT): Proposing an improved DGT sampler design for water deployments. Analytica Chimica Acta, v. 1336, p. 8-pg., 2024-12-10. (23/15970-7)

OLIVEIRA, THIESSA M. A.; MANSANO, ADRISLAINE S.; HOLANDA, CARLOS A.; PINTO, TIAGO S.; REIS, JONAS B.; AZEVEDO, EDUARDO B.; VERBINNEN, RAPHAEL T.; VIANA, JOSE LUCAS; FRANCO, TERESA C. R. S.; VIEIRA, ENY M.. Occurrence and Environmental Risk Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Brazilian Surface Waters. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, v. 43, n. 10, p. 12-pg., 2024-07-29. (14/02739-6, 12/03770-9, 19/18124-4, 23/15970-7)

HECHAVARRIA-HERNANDEZ, AMAURIS; VIANA, JOSE LUCAS MARTINS; FOSTIER, ANNE HELENE. Mercury wet deposition in the urban and industrialised region of Campinas, south-east Brazil. Environmental Chemistry, v. 22, n. 1, p. 12-pg., 2025-01-01. (23/15970-7)