Distribution and Enrichment of Rare Earth Elements of Pinus massoniana in Ionic Type Rare Earth Mining Area, Southern China

In order to investigate the distribution and enrichment characteristics of rare earth elements in the upper parts of Pinus massoniana in the ion-type rare earth mining area in southern China, soil samples and aboveground parts (bark, trunk, branches and leaves) of Pinus massoniana were collected in Zhuotian Town, Changting County, Fujian Province, and determined for their rare earth elements contents. The results showed that the average content of rare earth elements in the soil under the Pinus massoniana is 275.15 mg•kg-1, the fractionation of light and heavy rare earth elements is distinct, the Ce enrichment is obvious, and the Eu is relatively depleted. The rare earth elements in the upper parts of Pinus massoniana are generally low with LREE over HREE, and have fractionation between light and heavy rare earth elements. In the chondrite-normalized rare-earth distribution pattern of the above ground part of Pinus massoniana, the elements of Ce and Eu are obviously positive abnormal. The trunk and leaves of Pinus massoniana are obviously undulated after being standardized, and they are jagged. The fluctuation of the bark and branches of Pinus massoniana is small. The δCe (δEu) is greater than 1, and the Ce and Eu are significantly enriched. The biological absorption coefficients of rare earth elements in the aboveground parts of Pinus massoniana are small. The migration of rare earth elements from soil to plants is low. The accumulation of rare earth elements in the aboveground parts of Pinus massoniana is weak, but its biomass and the ability of extraction of rare earth elements cannot be ignored, and attempts can be made to apply Phytoextraction techniques to the purification of the REEs. © 2020, Editorial Office of Journal of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths. All right reserved.