Evaluation of ecological risks of rare earth elements in the topsoil of paddy fields in the granite red soil watershed

The migration and enrichment of rare earth after mining activities pose a significant environmental threat to the surrounding habitants. We conducted a study at the Zhuxi watershed to analyze the rare earth element distribution in the topsoil after mining activities. Our findings reveal that the rare earth elements content in the top soil of the watershed shows a decreasing trend from the eastern area to the western area. The distribution of each element indicated that the crust abundance had the greatest influence. Mining activities can affect the fractionation of rare earth elements. The ecological risk assessment of rare earth elements necessitates comprehensive assessments, as the geoaccumulation method weakens the impact of a single element.