Environmental Geochemistry of Cerium: Applications and Toxicology of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles

Jessica T. Dahle and Yuji Arai
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Jessica T. Dahle: School of Agricultural, Forest and Environmental Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Yuji Arai: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Urbana, IL 61801, USA

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-26

Abstract: Cerium is the most abundant of rare-earth metals found in the Earth’s crust. Several Ce-carbonate, -phosphate, -silicate, and -(hydr)oxide minerals have been historically mined and processed for pharmaceutical uses and industrial applications. Of all Ce minerals, cerium dioxide has received much attention in the global nanotechnology market due to their useful applications for catalysts, fuel cells, and fuel additives. A recent mass flow modeling study predicted that a major source of CeO 2 nanoparticles from industrial processing plants (e.g., electronics and optics manufactures) is likely to reach the terrestrial environment such as landfills and soils. The environmental fate of CeO 2 nanoparticles is highly dependent on its physcochemical properties in low temperature geochemical environment. Though there are needs in improving the analytical method in detecting/quantifying CeO 2 nanoparticles in different environmental media, it is clear that aquatic and terrestrial organisms have been exposed to CeO 2 NPs, potentially yielding in negative impact on human and ecosystem health. Interestingly, there has been contradicting reports about the toxicological effects of CeO 2 nanoparticles, acting as either an antioxidant or reactive oxygen species production-inducing agent). This poses a challenge in future regulations for the CeO 2 nanoparticle application and the risk assessment in the environment.

Keywords: cerium; cerium oxide; nanoparticles; toxicity; fate; geochemistry; lanthanide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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