Trace and rare earth elements in phytoplankton from the Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy)

Plankton plays a very crucial role in bioaccumulation and transfer of metals in the marine food web and represents a suitable bioindicator of the occurrence of trace and rare earth elements in the ecosystem. Trace elements and REEs were analyzed by ICP-MS in phytoplankton samples from the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Metal concentrations in phytoplankton were found strongly influenced by seasons and depth of collection (− 30 m, − 50 m). Principal component analysis (PCA) has shown that Al, As, Cr, Cu, Ga, and Sn concentrations were related to summer and autumn in samples collected at 30 m depth, while Fe, Mn, Ni, V, and Zn levels related strongly with summer and spring at 50 m depth. Fe, Al, and Zn were the most represented elements in all samples (mean values respectively in the ranges 4.2–8.2, 9.6–13, and 1.0–4.4 mg kg−1) according to their widespread presence in the environment and in the earth crust. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on REEs showed that mostly all lanthanides’ concentrations strongly correlate with summer and autumn seasons (− 30 m depth); the highest ∑REE concentration (75 µg kg−1) was found in winter. Phytoplankton REE normalized profile was comparable to those of other marine biota collected in the same area according to the suitability of lanthanides as geological tracers.