Massive Lithium Find Made in Pennsylvania

Researchers in Pennsylvania say they didn’t have to dig to find a huge source of a critical mineral. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the University of Pittsburgh researchers say wastewater from fracking in the state could provide up to 40% of the national demand for lithium, a key element in rechargeable batteries. Much of America’s lithium currently comes from countries including China and Chile, but the government is seeking to make the supply 100% domestic by 2030, CBS Pittsburgh reports.

• A beneficial use of waste: “This is a waste stream, and we’re looking at a beneficial use of that waste,” says lead researcher Justin Mackey, a National Energy Technology Laboratory scientist. He says researchers knew that wastewater from Marcellus Shale gas wells picked up some minerals from the shale, but until now, they “just didn’t know how much was in there,” the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports. He says the wastewater “has as high lithium concentrations as both brine mining operations in Arkansas and in Chile.”