New study by researchers at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment has examine the water quality effects of a historic lithium mine in North Carolina, specifically near Kings Mountain.
Conduct by a team led by Avner Vengosh, a Distinguish Professor of Environmental Quality, the study highlights the presence of elevate levels of lithium, rubidium, and cesium in waters connect to the mine site.
Publish in Science of the Total Environment, the findings provide critical insights into how abandone lithium mines may affect local water resources.
The study reveal that concentrations of common contaminants such as arsenic, lead, copper and nickel remain below the standards establish by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
But, significant levels of lithium and less commonly encounter metals like rubidium and cesium were identified in groundwater and nearby surface water.
These elements, while unregulate federally, were note at concentrations atypical for natural water sources in the region.
Gordon Williams, the study’s lead author and PhD student at Duke University, said that the findings pose questions about the potential health and environmental effects of these metals.
Laboratory tests simulating natural conditions also show that the mine’s waste materials did not contribute to harmful acidic runoff, a phenomenon often associate with mining operations like coal extraction.
The study emphasise that while the legacy mine’s impacts are document, the environmental effects of active lithium extraction and processing remain unaddress.
Vengosh reportedly said that processing methods, which involve chemical treatments to extract lithium, can introduce new challenges for water quality in the area if mining operations resume.
Efforts are now underway to expand the research to include drinking water quality assessments across lithium-rich zones in North Carolina, as per the report.
By analysing private wells and surface water, the researchers aim to provide further clarity on the long-term effects of lithium mining on local water systems.
