Category: Rare earth elements

Trace amounts of yttrium are found in the human body, particularly in the liver and bones, but consuming this rare earth element is extremely dangerous and ill-advised. Exposure, especially through inhalation or ingestion, is a known health risk.

Rhenium is one of the rarest elements in the Earth's crust, with an average concentration estimated at just one part per billion (ppb). Due to its extreme scarcity and industrial origins, rhenium is not considered a nutritional element, and a person would not obtain any meaningful amount from their diet.

While yttrium has no known biological role in humans, trace amounts are naturally present throughout the biosphere. It is crucial to understand that no food is "high" in yttrium in a nutritionally significant sense, and dietary exposure levels are consistently low.

Cerium is the most abundant of the rare earth elements, and research has found detectable levels of it in a variety of food items. This article explores some of the foods that contain cerium, the pathways through which it enters the food supply, and the current understanding of its health implications.

According to scientific studies, lutetium is not a biologically essential element for humans, but it can be found in trace amounts in some plants, particularly nuts. The presence of lutetium in these foods is due to its natural occurrence in the Earth's crust, where plants can absorb it from the soil. However, dietary intake is not a significant source of this rare and expensive rare earth element.

While the phrase "Weir equation for REE" is often searched, it typically arises from a common misunderstanding between two different scientific fields. The Weir equation is a formula for calculating Resting Energy Expenditure, a physiological metric, completely unrelated to the chemical extraction or separation of rare earth elements.

A Chinese study found the average lanthanum concentration in major foods was approximately 28.9 $\mu$g/kg, illustrating that trace amounts of this rare earth element are naturally present in our food supply. While not an essential nutrient for humans, understanding what foods contain lanthanum is part of a growing interest in trace elements.