Distribution Pattern of Rare Earth Elements in Four Different Industrial Hemp Cultivars (Cannabis sativa L.) Grown in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

This study aims to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative distribution patterns of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in the Italian industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) intended for food use. Concentration of REEs was assessed in inflorescences and stems of four cultivars of industrial hemp (i.e. Fedora 17, Ferimon, Futura 75, and Zenit) grown in three different areas of Friuli Venezia Giulia region (NE Italy). The four varieties considered were cultivated under the conventional regime in two sampling sites (Gemona del Friuli and Verzegnis) and under the organic regime in the third one (Campoformido). Analyses were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). A marked tendency to REE accumulation by the hemp inflorescences rather than by stems was identified, as well as a prevalence of medium REEs, mainly imputable to terbium detected concentration. Among the considered cultivars, Ferimon was the one that showed the highest uptake capacity, feature that might be exploited for phytoremediation purposes. Findings from this exploratory study allowed us to acquire useful indications on occurrence and distribution of REEs and provide new data about an emerging specialty crop still little-investigated, calling for further research to explore larger dataset and evaluate the feasibility of using REEs as a powerful tool for future food traceability studies.