This article establishes an analytical method for determining 16 rare earth impurities (Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu) in plant-based foods using iCAP Qc ICPMS. In the experiment, Rh and Re were used as internal standards to determine 16 rare earth impurity elements in a single helium collision mode (KED kinetic energy discrimination). A comparative analysis was conducted on the measured elements using reference standard substances GBW10052 (A green tea), GBW10014 (B round cabbage), GBW10016 (C tea), and GBW10021 (D green beans). The correlation coefficient of the calibration curve was>0 9999 or above, the measurement results can well match the reference values.

Rare earth elements (including lanthanide elements, scandium, and yttrium) are non essential metal elements for the human body. Rare earth agriculture is an independently developed field of rare earth application in China, which has a history of more than ten years. At present, there are more than 60 types of rare earth agricultural products, with 180 production enterprises, a total production capacity of 5 million tons, and a cumulative promotion area of 300 million acres. Therefore, the content of rare earth elements (especially lanthanide elements) in various environmental samples and plants has received increasing attention in recent years. Plants can extract rare earth elements from the soil, and new rare earth fertilizers can not only significantly increase crop yields and improve quality, such as millet, wheat, corn, and rice, but also reduce pollution and improve soil quality, which are highly welcomed by farmers. Due to bioaccumulation, consuming certain plant-based foods can lead to an increase in the levels of rare earth elements in the human body. The national standard GB5009.94-2012 in China has made clear regulations on rare earth elements in plant-based foods. This article establishes an ICP-MS method for simultaneous determination of 16 rare earth elements in plant-based foods, which has the advantages of low detection limit, high sensitivity, simplicity, and speed.

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