Concentrations and distribution patterns of rare earth elements in water body from intertidal flat of Tianjin and influence of various factors

Concentrations and distribution patterns of rare earth elements (REEs) in the intertidal flat of Tianjin were studied using P507 resin and ICP-MS analytical technology. The results show that average concentrations of REEs in the filtered (dissolved REEs), unfiltered and interstitial water are 0.461 μg·L^-1, 4.98 μg·L^-1 and 0.845 μg·L^-1, respectively. Their distribution patterns are similar to those in inland natural rivers, but quite different from those in oceans. The average concentrations of REEs in sediments and suspended matters are 161.2 mg·L^-1 and 168.1 mg·L^-1, respectively, which are much lower than those in sediments of natural rivers but higher than those in sediments of the continental shelf of East China Sea. It is suggested that REEs in sediments and suspended matters of intertidal flat can have mainly originated from terrestrial soils and thus their transportation and transformation processes are similar with those in rivers, and different from those in continental shelves. Pollutants discharged into the Bohai Bay do not cause significant effect on REEs in the intertidal flat of Tianjin yet.