Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh say wastewater from Marcellus Shale fracking includes a substantial supply of lithium. A new report involving Justin Mackey, a Pitt PhD student, says there is enough lithium in the wastewater in Pennsylvania to cover about 30-to-40-percent of the demand across the nation. The mineral is sought after as a necessary component in the lightweight and powerful batteries that are running everything from electric vehicles to smart phones and other consumer electronics. Mackey says some new technology can be applied to extract lithium from the wastewater, allowing the fracking fluids to be reused and reducing the environmental impact of lithium mining operations.
