Work

Geophagy, Rare Earth Elements and Geochemical Endemics

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The analysis of published data on geophagy in humans, including manifestations of its variant known as “pica”, as well as information on geochemical endemics associated with geophagy and rare earth elements, together with our own research experience, allows us to conclude that geophagy in humans, as well as in animals, is primarily a natural, evolutionarily determined form of maintaining the necessary balance of rare earth elements in the neuroimmunoendocrine system. Disturbances in the composition and concentration of necessary rare earth elements (REE) in the structures of the most important protective and controlling system in the mammalian organism lead to disorders of mineral and general metabolism in the body and, as a result, to geochemical endemics. Geochemical endemics occur in landscapes with anomalous levels of biologically available REE forms, i.e., levels that differ significantly both towards deficiency and towards exceeding background levels. The imbalance in the metabolism of other chemical elements in the body seems to have a subordinate importance in the mechanism of occurrence of geochemical endemics in relation to REE.

Source: Geosciences

DOI: 10.3390/geosciences15110428

Authors: Alexander M. Panichev, Kirill S. Golokhvast, Natalya V. Baranovskaya, Dmitry A. Strepetov

Institutions: Russian Academy of Sciences, Pacific Institute of Geography, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, National Research Tomsk State University, Tomsk Polytechnic University

Language: English

Topic: Heavy Metal Exposure and Toxicity

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172