Translocation of rare earth elements and constancy of the europium anomaly value in Fukaya Welsh onion

Abstract

Rare earth element (REE) patterns have been widely used as geochemical indicators, but their behavior within living organisms remains largely unclear. In this study, we investigated whether the europium (Eu) anomaly changes during the translocation of REEs within plant bodies, using Fukaya Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum). REE concentrations and chondrite-normalized patterns were measured in each part of field-grown plants, and all parts showed Eu anomaly values (Eu/Eu^* ≈ 0.7-0.8) similar to those of the soil. Negative Ce anomalies were observed only in the leaf parts. Similar results were also obtained for regenerated leaves produced through indoor hydroponic cultivation. These findings suggest that the Eu anomaly is maintained during REE translocation within Welsh onion.