Critical Review
Battery metals from the deep sea: using industrial ecology for comparative analysis of impacts with terrestrial mining
Growing demand for metals is driving emergent interest in mining from the deep sea, specifically for batteries. We provide a systems-level methodlogy to evaluate the costs and benefits of sourcing metals from land versus the deep sea.
Paper
Life cycle inventory data for critical mineral mining: recommendations and new U.S. data compendium
Summary of emissions and their life-cycle impacts of 19 critical mineral mines in the U.S.
Paper
Process intensification by resonant vibratory mixing for samarium–cobalt magnet leaching with deep eutectic solvents
Selective and sustainable Sm and Co separation from scrap magnets using green deep eutectic solvent leaching intensified by resonant vibratory mixing.
Paper
Energy, greenhouse gas, and water life cycle analysis of synthetic graphite anode production in the United States
This study examines a life cycle analysis of the production of synthetic graphite battery anode material in the United States.
Paper
Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide particles cause developmental neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Caenorhabditis elegans exposed to LiNi0.33Mn0.33Co0.33O2 during development show neuronal damage, linking lithium battery cathode particles to neurodegeneration.
Paper
Sustainable copper mining: a pathway to emission reduction through renewable energy
Due to the importance of copper in battery production, this study was done to determine the environmental impact of copper production, focusing on heap leaching as one of the primary methods to produce copper.
About this collection
Research into the extraction and recycling of materials and minerals for batteries is crucial for protecting our environment and to promote sustainable resource use. Understanding the environmental impacts and challenges associated with these activities, such as health implications for local populations exposed to air and water pollution, biodiversity loss from mining and recycling activities, and the distinct environmental effects of deep-sea versus land-based mining, can support with the development of sustainable and more efficient practices. Guest-edited by Jennifer Dunn (Northwestern University) and Juliana Segura-Salazar (The University of Queensland), this gold open-access themed collection highlights the environmental impact of mining and recycling of minerals and metals from batteries, also publishing papers at the social-environmental science interface.