Recognition of the adverse impacts of climate change and the importance of mitigating CO2 emissions has led to the development of electric-vehicle that have lower CO2 emissions and undoubtedly driven the production of lithium batteries significantly in the past ten years. However, potential adverse environmental impacts accompanying this transition require closer global scrutiny by us.

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Our research has assessed the environmental impacts, especially on water and its possible correlation with lithium mining expansions from a global perspective with the analysis of three representative cases-Salar de Atacama of Chile, Salar de Olaroz of Argentina and Qaidam plateau of China, three of the world’s largest and famous lithium brine extraction sites. Using Landsat data and calculated images in Qgis, we investigate the study areas that close to the lithium extraction areas such as lagoons, alluvial fan and villages to have the horizontal analysis in each country itself (1) use environmental parameters-NDWI (Normalized Differenced Water Index) to determine water areas and its pixel-based time-series trend over time (2) use environmental parameters-NDVI (Normalized Differenced Vegetation Index) to determine vegetation areas and its pixel-based time-series trend over time (3) perform regression analysis between lithium mining activities and water and vegetation content changes in the period of lithium brine extraction (4) use NDWI changes of study areas in Chile and China to do regression-model analysis with the variable-mining areas change. Then, the study has the vertical comparison that means comparisons between different countries to see the NDWI and NDVI changes to find the similar laws. The horizontal comparison shows the significant NDWI degradation over the lithium extraction period in each country (1) decreasing trend of NDWI at most of time (2) NDVI changes irregularly, sometimes abnormal increased and sometimes decreased (3) the continuous expansion of lithium mining areas has strong negative correlations with NDWI in each country, and the closer study area is more affected by the mining activities. The vertical comparison shows that (1) all countries show the decrease trend of NDWI at different extent (2) NDVI changed irregularly but all countries show an increasing trend in recent years, which maybe the reason that the amount of some kinds of the vegetations can increase due to the water decreases. (3) NDWI regression models of lagoons in China show a stronger regressive relationship than it in Atacama salt fat of Chile. We could identify lithium mining activities as one of the stress factors to the local water degradation.

 

The result of the three study areas in different countries prompts us to, across borders, fight in a horizontal way for a world where exploitation of lithium should be more sustainable. Therefore, with the research, we put forward the “lithium planet platform” proposal to build awareness of the water impacts caused by lithium extraction and facilitate a global space that focus on water issues related to lithium mining and help protect local water rights. On this platform, you can check our study cases and information about lithium from the lithium interactive map. Moreover, the lithium archive provides essays and website resources about lithium mining, its environmental impacts and other useful information. You can also report the water issues about lithium mining happening to you and the researchers will help you through your report uploaded by us to the lithium interactive map. Furthermore, we did the particle simulation to help you understand the lithium-brine extraction process and see the water wasted more clearly. If you are a researcher, you can be our partner to help the local communities that are suffering from the lithium mining extractions.

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The image above shows the frame of our lithium planet platform. Now, you can browse our website for more details.