Environmental, health and social acceptability issues associated with rare earth elements: a systematic literature review

Abstract

The extraction of rare earth elements (REE) often raises environmental and health concerns due to the associated radioactivity and the acidification required to process these elements, thus affecting the social acceptability of REE projects. This review examines how social acceptability influences the mining sector and identifies the key factors that shape its acceptance by society. Guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework, this study selected 120 relevant documents from the period 2000 to 2025 and analyzed them through an in-depth narrative approach. The analysis of the documents reveals a notable increase in publications on REE with a peak in 2016 (12 studies) with a predominance of research in America (45.45%), especially in Quebec (23.64%). In terms of impact, the study notes an emphasis on environmental and health risks related to their radioactivity, ecotoxicity and the acidity of the residues, with considerable effects on ecosystems. Furthermore, the study identifies eight key factors that influence the social acceptability of REE projects. These factors are: (1) community participation in decision-making; (2) trust; (3) socio-economic, territorial, and geographical contexts; (4) local knowledge and expertise; (5) values, beliefs, and expectations; (6) real or perceived risks and uncertainties; (7) impacts on the living environment; and (8) benefits and spin-offs for local communities. These interrelated and non-exhaustive factors vary in importance depending on the specific context in which the project is implemented, such as the country or region.