Cell phones, electric vehicles, aircrafts — to function, all require elements mined from the Earth called critical minerals. As economies increasingly rely on technologies that depend on critical minerals, demand for these natural resources is growing.
For Duke geochemist Avner Vengosh, that demand raises important questions about the effects of critical mineral mining and processing on the environment and communities.
Over the past several years, the Vengosh Lab has focused on the critical mineral lithium, an essential component of rechargeable batteries. The team has been examining new methods to detect underground lithium deposits, how to address the wastewater that remains after lithium extraction, and the potential effects of lithium mining on water quality.
“Global water resources are depleting due to the combination of climate change and overuse. Critical minerals extraction should be conducted in a way that does not overuse and contaminate nearby water resources, on top of the water crisis we are already facing,” says Vengosh, Distinguished Professor and Nicholas Chair of Environmental Quality at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.
Avner Vengosh, left, and former Duke Ph.D. student Gordon Williams stand on top of the world’s largest lithium deposit, located in Bolivia. Photo courtesy of Avner Vengosh/Duke University
The Vengosh Lab has also developed an approach for tracing lithium and the critical mineral neodymium, a rare earth element used in magnets, back to their geological source.
Traceability is vital to economic and national security, Vengosh says. For instance, countries importing critical minerals may be required to request proof that the shipment wasn’t illegally or unethically sourced.
To enhance critical minerals research at Duke, Vengosh and Leanne Gilbertson, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Pratt School of Engineering, launched the Duke Critical Minerals Hub. The Hub aims to bring together Duke experts and students, industry partners, and government representatives to collaborate on research across the critical minerals life cycle and key economic sectors.
The Critical Minerals Hub has partnered with Duke’s Bass Connections program on a project designed to facilitate that interdisciplinary collaboration.
