Lanthanum is one of the rare elements and can be found in houses in equipment such as colour televisions, fluorescent lamps, energy-saving lamps and glasses.

Lanthanum can rarely be found in nature, as it occurs in very small amounts. The use of lanthanum is still growing, due to the fact that it is used as a catalyst in industry and to polish glass.

Lanthanum is mostly dangerous in the working environment, due to the fact that vapours and gases can be inhaled with air. This can cause lung embolism, especially during long-term exposure. Lanthanum may also cause cancer in humans, as it increases the risk of lung cancer when it is inhaled. Finally, it can be a dangerous to the liver when it accumulates in the human body.

Lanthanum toxicity from food, however, has not been recorded.