Pennsylvania’s Fracking Wastewater Contains a ‘Shocking’ Amount of the Critical Clean Energy Mineral Lithium - Inside Climate News
insideclimatenews.org
A new study estimated there is enough lithium in the state’s wastewater to meet up to 40 percent of domestic needs. But experts are concerned the discovery will be used to justify more fracking.

It’s not all wine and roses in terms of requiring sustained fracking, which defeats the purpose of transitioning away from fossil fuels, but the estimate is there’s enough lithium (as lithium carbonate) coming from these sites to cover 40% of domestic demand.

    • ninjaphysics@beehaw.org
      5·
      6 months ago

      Several ecological studies and recent meta-analysis have suggested an inverse association between lithium in water and suicide in the general population, with a lack of knowledge of clinically significant side effects.

      That last part though.

      • Sam Vimes@beehaw.org
        2·
        5 months ago

        There’s a couple ways to read that, one being ‘at dosages which have been shown not to cause clinically significant side effects’. The other interpretations are more concerning, of course.

        I vaguely remember reading that lithium in low doses has huge benefits with minimal to no side effects, but it’s generally not taken due to stigmatization from the downsides of people being forced to take way too much for mental illnesses in the past.