Lithium ore and mining waste from a historic lithium mine located west of Charlotte, North Carolina, are unlikely to contaminate surrounding waters with common pollutants such as arsenic and lead, according to a new study. However, high levels of other metals—namely, lithium, rubidium and cesium—do occur in waters associated with the mine.
The research is published in the journal Science of The Total Environment. The new findings, from a team including corresponding author Avner Vengosh, distinguished professor of environmental quality at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, shed light on potential water quality impacts of legacy, or historic, lithium mining. They also provide baseline data for future studies exploring how reopening lithium mines in the N.C. Piedmont will likely affect the water quality of drinking water resources nearby.
Leaching experiments and water samples analyzed in the study showed common regulated contaminants—including arsenic, lead, copper and nickel—at levels below drinking water and ecological standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Leaching experiments and evidence from water samples also indicated that the legacy lithium mine does not contribute to environmentally harmful acidic runoff commonly associated with other mining operations, like coal mining. Rather, interactions between the ore and waste rock samples and water led to temporary alkaline, or basic, conditions. The study did not address the effects of active lithium mining and processing on water quality, the authors emphasized.
Source: Phys.org
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