Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Lithium mining

  • 21-03-2015 3:22pm
    #1
    Seanachai
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭


    Hi, does anybody know how intensive Lithium mining is in non desert type terrain, does it produce toxic by-products, water pollution etc?. A company has been sending geologists to my home area for testing and their literature claims that they use 'clean technology' but I have my doubts. From what I've read it has caused serious problems with water contamination and air pollution in South America.


Comments

  • #2
    Macha
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 6,376 Mod ✭✭✭✭Macha


    What is your home area and what are they testing? Lithium is mostly used in batteries that in turn can by used in appliances like mobile phones.


  • #3
    fits
    Registered Users Posts: 13,246 ✭✭✭✭fits


    I know they are testing land around my area too. Don't want to name it here.


  • #4
    Macha
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 6,376 Mod ✭✭✭✭Macha


    Not even the county??


  • #5
    cros13
    Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭cros13


    Lithium mining from hard rock is the cleanest mining process out there.

    Lithium itself is non-toxic. It's also 99% recyclable (dedope it and you can basically re-manufacture the batteries hundreds of times with the same lithium). Lithium carbonate (which is probably what they are after) is a salt, and like any salt is a mild irritant, but it's often drank and bathed in at hot spring spa's without any issues.

    What you need to look at is that other materials dug out at the same time are handled properly, that airborne dust from excavation is minimized and that the water from any mineral separation is filtered and treated before being released.

    The mining in South America is mainly of brine on salt beds. Lots of airborne dust and a lot more water used in extraction, which they don't bother to treat or filter before sending it down river.


  • #6
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,238 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    WIF18E8.jpg


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    Seanachai
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭Seanachai


    Macha wrote: »
    What is your home area and what are they testing? Lithium is mostly used in batteries that in turn can by used in appliances like mobile phones.

    Carlow/Wexford border, the vein runs for 50km from Graiguenamanagh all the way to Tinahely from their literature. They were on people's land but they were asking who owns the land afterwards which I thought was strange.


  • #8
    Seanachai
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭Seanachai


    cros13 wrote: »
    Lithium mining from hard rock is the cleanest mining process out there.

    Lithium itself is non-toxic. It's also 99% recyclable (dedope it and you can basically re-manufacture the batteries hundreds of times with the same lithium). Lithium carbonate (which is probably what they are after) is a salt, and like any salt is a mild irritant, but it's often drank and bathed in at hot spring spa's without any issues.

    What you need to look at is that other materials dug out at the same time are handled properly, that airborne dust from excavation is minimized and that the water from any mineral separation is filtered and treated before being released.

    The mining in South America is mainly of brine on salt beds. Lots of airborne dust and a lot more water used in extraction, which they don't bother to treat or filter before sending it down river.

    Our area has a lot of one off housing so I don't know how they would manage to put a processing centre so close to residences. They were told to leave a neighbouring area by a local group who are opposing wind turbines.


  • #9
    cros13
    Registered Users Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭cros13


    Seanachai wrote: »
    Our area has a lot of one off housing so I don't know how they would manage to put a processing centre so close to residences. They were told to leave a neighbouring area by a local group who are opposing wind turbines.

    Not really full scale processing, but they would almost certainly use a floatation based separator to make sure the material trucked away contained a higher proportion of lithium.


  • #10
    Seanachai
    Registered Users Posts: 2,537 ✭✭✭Seanachai


    cros13 wrote: »
    Not really full scale processing, but they would almost certainly use a floatation based separator to make sure the material trucked away contained a higher proportion of lithium.

    If it involves shakers or towers of any kind I can't see it going down well, it's a pretty idyllic area and a quarry with industrial machinery won't be wanted. There could be concerns with leakage also as the Slaney runs right below the site.


Advertisement