From mine to mind and mobiles – Lithium contamination and its risk management

Bolan, Nanthi; Hoang, Son A.; Tanveer, Mohsin; Wang, Lei; Bolan, Shiv; Sooriyakumar, Prasanthi; Robinson, Brett; Wijesekara, Hasintha; Wijesooriya, Madhuni; Keerthanan, S.; Vithanage, Meththika; Markert, Bernd; Fränzle, Stefan; Wünschmann, Simone; Sarkar, Binoy; Vinu, Ajayan; Kirkham, M.B.; Siddique, Kadambot H. M.; Rinklebe, Jörg

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118067

Cited by 75 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 167 publications

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“…The possible reason for this effect was related to the antioxidant/oxidant balance, which was disturbed by the abnormalities in MDA and GSH levels and the changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. The contamination levels of lithium to the environment vary between 3.74 and 169.5 mg/kg in soil and 1.58–1700 µg/L in aquatic environments 42 . Industrial contaminations can cause these levels to increase.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dose-dependent toxicity profile and genotoxicity mechanism of lithium carbonate

Kuloğlu

Yalçın

Çavuşoğlu

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The increasing widespread use of lithium, which is preferred as an energy source in batteries produced for electric vehicles and in many electronic vehicles such as computers and mobile phones, has made it an important environmental pollutant. In this study, the toxicity profile of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) was investigated with the Allium test, which is a bio-indicator test. Dose-related toxic effects were investigated using Li2CO3 at doses of 25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, and 100 mg/L. The toxicity profile was determined by examining physiological, cytotoxic, genotoxic, biochemical and anatomical effects. Physiological effects of Li2CO3 were determined by root length, injury rate, germination percentage and weight gain while cytotoxic effects were determined by mitotic index (MI) ratio and genotoxic effects were determined by micronucleus (MN) and chromosomal aberrations (CAs). The effect of Li2CO3 on antioxidant and oxidant dynamics was determined by examining glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and anatomical changes were investigated in the sections of root meristematic tissues. As a result, Li2CO3 exhibited a dose-dependent regression in germination-related parameters. This regression is directly related to the MI and 100 mg/L Li2CO3 reduced MI by 38% compared to the control group. MN and CAs were observed at high rates in the groups treated with Li2CO3. Fragments were found with the highest rate among CAs. Other damages were bridge, unequal distribution of chromatin, sticky chromosome, vagrant chromosome, irregular mitosis, reverse polarization and multipolar anaphase. The genotoxic effects were associated with Li2CO3-DNA interactions determined by molecular docking. The toxic effects of Li2CO3 are directly related to the deterioration of the antioxidant/oxidant balance in the cells. While MDA, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, increased by 59.1% in the group administered 100 mg/L Li2CO3, GSH, which has an important role in cell defense, decreased by 60.8%. Significant changes were also detected in the activities of SOD and CAT, two important enzymes in antioxidant defense, compared to the control. These toxic effects, which developed in the cells belonging to the lithium-treated groups, were also reflected in the tissue anatomy, and anatomical changes such as epidermis cell damage, cortex cell damage, flattened cell nucleus, thickening of the cortex cell wall and unclear vascular tissue were observed in the anatomical sections. The frequency of these changes also increased depending on the Li2CO3 dose. As a result, Li2CO3, which is one of the lithium compounds, and has become an important contaminant in the environment with increasing technological developments, caused a combined and versatile toxicity in Allium cepa L. meristematic cells, especially by causing deterioration in antioxidant/oxidant dynamics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dose-dependent toxicity profile and genotoxicity mechanism of lithium carbonate

Kuloğlu

Yalçın

Çavuşoğlu

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…For example, Lindsay et al ( 2021) reported up to 1,700 μg L -1 of lithium in domestic water supply, and Thibon et al (2021a) reported 1.20 μg g -1 in soft-tissue of filterfeeder tissue. Research has demonstrated that high levels of lithium are toxic to aquatic organisms and humans (Aral & Vecchio-Sadus, 2008;Bolan et al, 2021).…”

Section: Core Ideamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(2021a) reported 1.20 μg g –1 in soft‐tissue of filter‐feeder tissue. Research has demonstrated that high levels of lithium are toxic to aquatic organisms and humans (Aral & Vecchio‐Sadus, 2008; Bolan et al., 2021).…”

Section: Lithium In the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, lithium in soil solution is readily taken up by plant roots via apoplastic (i.e., water movement by diffusion) and symplastic (i.e., movement of water by osmosis) pathways (Tanveer et al., 2019). Although there is no known biochemical function of lithium, plants uptake lithium even in uncontaminated soils that have only a few mg/kg of lithium in them (Bolan et al., 2021). Bioaccumulation of lithium in common crops including sunflower, lettuce, buckwheat, maize, pepper, cucumber, potato, and citrus with concentrations of 5–30 mg kg –1 have been reported (Ammari et al., 2011; Franzaring et al., 2016).…”

Section: Lithium In the Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proactive approach to minimize lithium pollution

Chow

2022

J of Env Quality

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With the advancements in lithium-ion battery technology, lithium has been extensively used in many electronic products. Lithium usage is expected to increase in the coming decades. Elevated levels of lithium in the environments, including source water and biota, have been recently reported. Lithium can cause soil dispersion and aggerate swelling and can be readily taken up by plants and filter-feeders, potentially causing toxicity to plants, organisms, and human. As learnt from the reactive approach of the Clean Water Act, many emerging pollutants have not been recognized until they have been widespread and reached dangerous levels in the environments.Aftermath cleanup costs are huge, and many of these damages are irreversible. To avoid lithium being the next global contaminant of emerging concern, environmental agencies shall implement proactive regulation and education soon.

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“…Statistically, global Li and Ga production is 82,000 and 300,000 tons annual respectively (USGS, 2021). Lithium as an important strategic element, much attention has focused on its occurrence (Sun et al, 2016), extraction (Sun et al, 2012), and biochemistry (Geddes et al, 2004) in previous studies, but now studies have proved the harm of lithium to human body (Bolan et al, 2021), plants (McStay et al, 1980; Shahzad et al, 2017), and aquatic organisms (Kszos and Stewart, 2003; Niemuth et al, 2019; Pinto-Vidal et al, 2021). Although there is no official standard for Li in drinking water, the US Geological Survey suggested a permissible limit of 60 μg/L and a health-based screening level of 10 μg/L (Lindsey et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence of harmful elements in the ‘high-aluminium coals' from the Pingshuo mining district, Shanxi Province, China

Zhao

Wang

et al. 2022

Energy Exploration & Exploitation

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“High-aluminous coal” is an important coal kind and widely distributed in North China in age of Permo-Carboniferous period. To explore their occurrence state, a total of 15 harmful elements (Li, Ga, In, Cd, Cr, Pb, Be, Mn, Zn, Ag, Co, Ni, Cu, Ba and U) in the No.9 coal and No.11 coal collected from Pingshuo mining district were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and scanning electron microscope with energy spectrum (SEM-EDX). The results showed that the content of Li, Ga, In, Pb, Ag and U were all exceed the world hard coal. In view of the result of clustering analysis within trace elements, it was found that Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Ag and Cr were mainly associated with sulfide minerals due to their common sulfophilic property. Manganese was mainly occurred in carbonate minerals, while Ba, Cd and U were mainly associated with total minerals. In addition, Pb was related to sulfides and Be is mainly distributed in clay minerals. The enrichment of such harmful elements in Pingshuo coal was caused by the combined effect of transgression and input of terrestrial materials in the peat accumulation stage. Li, Ga, In and Ag have reached the harmful grade.

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From mine to mind and mobiles – Lithium contamination and its risk management

Cited by 75 publications

References 167 publications

Dose-dependent toxicity profile and genotoxicity mechanism of lithium carbonate

Dose-dependent toxicity profile and genotoxicity mechanism of lithium carbonate

Proactive approach to minimize lithium pollution

Occurrence of harmful elements in the ‘high-aluminium coals' from the Pingshuo mining district, Shanxi Province, China

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