Rare earth element patterns: A tool for understanding processes in remediation of acid mine drainage

Finally, for a contaminated soil with acidic pH and thus high availability of heavy metals to plants the transfer of heavy metals from soil to plants was studied by the use of REE patterns. For different herbaceous plants and trees different REE patterns were observed although the corresponding soil was identical. Concentrations of REEs are always higher in leaves than in shoots/branches. However, within one species REE patterns are quite similar for leaves and the corresponding shoots/branches.