South American Lithium Mines If you’re using a computer or a cell phone right now, there&rsquo

South American Lithium MinesIf you’re using a computer or a cell phone right now, there’s a good chance that a small portion of it was mined in these ponds in the high Andes. These ponds process brine and allow minerals to settle out as the fluids evaporate, eventually isolating lithium that can be mined and used in many modern batteries.These South American lithium mines are, right now, the world’s largest source of lithium. The lithium originally eroded from rhyolitic volcanic rocks in the Andes and was concentrated over millions of years through various saline lakes in the desert.However, getting the lithium out requires isolating the lithium from large amounts of other salts. There is likely a high environmental impact from these facilities, but press reports are unclear about what is done with the waste from these facilities or what other environmental impacts have been considered.-JBBImage credit: Tim Peakehttps://flic.kr/p/EhzTY7References:http://bit.ly/25x8dzShttp://nbcnews.to/1Z9dUN7http://bit.ly/1UexIu8http://bit.ly/1Sb7Xhuhttp://bit.ly/1UpVHti -- source link

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