Editing Lithium (section)

=== Environmental issues ===
{{Further|Environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries}}
[[File:Environmental protests in Belgrade, 11 December 2021.jpg|thumb|[[2021–2022 Serbian environmental protests|Environmental protests]] in Belgrade, Serbia, 11 December 2021]]
The manufacturing processes of lithium, including the solvent and [[mining waste]], presents significant environmental and health hazards.<ref name="UNCTAD-2020-02">{{cite journal |last1=Amui |first1=Rachid |title=Commodities At a Glance: Special issue on strategic battery raw materials |journal=United Nations Conference on Trade and Development |date=February 2020 |volume=13 |issue=UNCTAD/DITC/COM/2019/5 |url=https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditccom2019d5_en.pdf |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203083250/https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/ditccom2019d5_en.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="EPA-2013">{{cite report |date=2013 |title=Application of Life-Cycle Assessment to Nanoscale Technology: Lithium-ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles |url=https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/partnership-conduct-life-cycle-assessment-lithium-ion-batteries-and-nanotechnology |publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) |location=Washington, DC |id=EPA 744-R-12-001 |access-date=24 March 2021 |archive-date=11 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711070403/https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/partnership-conduct-life-cycle-assessment-lithium-ion-batteries-and-nanotechnology |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Environmental Leader">{{cite web |title=Can Nanotech Improve Li-ion Battery Performance |url=http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/05/30/nanotech-can-improve-li-ion-battery-performance/ |publisher=Environmental Leader |date=30 May 2013 |access-date=3 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821064806/http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/05/30/nanotech-can-improve-li-ion-battery-performance/ |archive-date=21 August 2016}}</ref>
Lithium extraction can be fatal to aquatic life due to [[water pollution]].<ref name="WIRED-Katwala">{{cite magazine |last1=Katwala |first1=Amit |title=The spiralling environmental cost of our lithium battery addiction |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact |magazine=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast Publications |access-date=10 February 2021 |archive-date=9 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210209172109/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact |url-status=live}}</ref>  It is known to cause surface water contamination, drinking water contamination, respiratory problems, ecosystem degradation and landscape damage.<ref name="UNCTAD-2020-02" />  It also leads to unsustainable water consumption in arid regions (1.9 million liters per ton of lithium).<ref name="UNCTAD-2020-02" />  Massive byproduct generation of lithium extraction also presents unsolved problems, such as large amounts of [[magnesium]] and [[Lime (material)|lime]] waste.<ref name="NATGEO-Draper">{{cite news |last1=Draper |first1=Robert |title=This metal is powering today's technology—at what price? |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/02/lithium-is-fueling-technology-today-at-what-cost/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118232341/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2019/02/lithium-is-fueling-technology-today-at-what-cost/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 January 2019 |url-access=subscription |access-date=10 February 2021 |work=National Geographic |issue=February 2019 |publisher=National Geographic Partners}}</ref>

Although lithium occurs naturally, it is a [[non-renewable resource]] yet is seen as crucial in the transition away from [[Fossil fuel phase-out|fossil fuels]], and the extraction process has been criticised for long-term degradation of water resources.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How sustainable is lithium? |url=https://www.schroders.com/en-gb/uk/intermediary/insights/how-sustainable-is-lithium-/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=www.schroders.com |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref name=udec>{{Cite book |title=¿Cómo se forman las aguas ricas en litio en el Salar de Atacama? |last1=Álvarez Amado |first1=Fernanda |publisher=[[University of Concepción|Universidad de Concepción]] |year=2023 |language=Spanish |trans-title=How does the lithium-rich waters of Salar de Atacama form?|series=Serie Comunicacional CRHIAM |last2=Poblete González |first2=Camila |last3=Matte Estrada |first3=Daniel |last4=Campos Quiroz |first4=Dilan |last5=Tardani |first5=Daniele |last6=Gutiérrez |first6=Leopoldo |last7=Arumí |first7=José Luis|page=22}}</ref>

In the United States, [[open-pit mining]] and [[mountaintop removal mining]] compete with [[Brine mining|brine extraction mining]].<ref name="nyt-20210506">{{cite news |title=The Lithium Gold Rush: Inside the Race to Power Electric Vehicles |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/business/lithium-mining-race.html |access-date=6 May 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=6 May 2021 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506143008/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/06/business/lithium-mining-race.html |url-status=live}}</ref>  Environmental concerns include wildlife habitat degradation, potable water pollution including [[arsenic]] and [[antimony]] contamination, unsustainable [[water table]] reduction, and massive [[mining waste]], including radioactive [[uranium]] byproduct and [[sulfuric acid]] discharge.

During 2021, a [[2021–2022 Serbian environmental protests|series of mass protests]] broke out in Serbia against the construction of a lithium mine in Western Serbia by the [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]] corporation.<ref>{{Cite web|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=2021-12-05|title=Rio Tinto lithium mine: thousands of protesters block roads across Serbia|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/05/rio-tinto-lithium-mine-thousands-of-protesters-block-roads-across-serbia|access-date=2021-12-08|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> In 2024, an EU backed lithium mining project created large scale [[2024 Serbian environmental protests|protests in Serbia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ferreira Santos |first1=Sofia |title=Thousands protest against lithium mining in Serbia |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cged9qgwrvyo |access-date=13 August 2024 |agency=BBC |date=10 August 2024}}</ref>

Some animal species associated to salt lakes in the [[Lithium Triangle]] are particularly threatened by the damages of lithium production to the local [[ecosystem]], including the [[Andean flamingo]]<ref name=imperilled>{{cite journal |doi=10.1038/d41586-018-05233-7 |pmid=29789737 |title=Chilean Atacama site imperilled by lithium mining |journal=Nature |volume=557 |issue=7706 |pages=492 |year=2018 |last1=Gutiérrez |first1=Jorge S |last2=Navedo |first2=Juan G |last3=Soriano-Redondo |first3=Andrea |bibcode=2018Natur.557..492G |doi-access=free}}</ref> and ''[[Orestias parinacotensis]]'', a small fish locally known as "karachi".<ref>{{Cite news |title=Karachi, el raro pez chileno del altiplano que vive en salares y peligra por la extracción del litio |last=Jerez |first=Sara |date=2024-11-20 |url=https://www.biobiochile.cl/especial/aqui-tierra/noticias/2024/11/20/karachi-el-raro-pez-chileno-del-altiplano-que-vive-en-salares-y-peligra-por-la-extraccion-del-litio.shtml |access-date=2024-12-13 |work=[[Radio Bío-Bío]] |language=es}}</ref>