Researchers from UBC, Geological Survey of Denmark develop way to convert element from toxic form to metallic arsenic, an in-demand material for solar panels and EV batteries
Arsenic waste at closed mines is one of Canada’s largest and most expensive environmental liabilities, driven in large part by historic gold mining. At the Giant Mine site in Yellowknife, NWT, 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide dust is stored underground – a volume that would fill seven 10-story buildings or 9,480 dump trucks. The estimated cost for remediating the site is a whopping $4.4 billion CAD.
Canada isn’t alone in dealing with this potential threat to the environment and human health: Legacy arsenic mine waste is a global problem facing many other countries including Australia, France, and the US.Video: Upcycling arsenic waste
However, this liability is increasingly being viewed as a potential asset, with an altered form of the element – metallic arsenic – now classified as a critical mineral by several countries because of its importance for green technologies ranging from solar panels to EV batteries. Little surprise then that research teams from around the world are actively looking for ways to transform the material.
As part of an international collaboration, environmental engineers Tamara Etmannski from the University of British Columbia and Case van Genuchten at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland have developed a method for converting arsenic from its carcinogenic form into the sought-after form that could play a key role in society’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Read more on the CLS website