Zapp Petra, Schreiber Andrea, Marx Josefine, Kuckshinrichs Wilhelm
Institute of Energy and Climate Research-Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation (IEK-STE), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
MRS Bull. 2022;47(3):267-275. doi: 10.1557/s43577-022-00286-6. Epub 2022 Mar 17.
Rare earth elements (REEs) are important raw materials for green technologies. However, REE mining and production uses techniques that are often not environmentally sustainable. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a well-recognized method for evaluating the environmental impacts of products and technologies. This article provides an overview of the environmental impacts based on published LCA results of primary REE production. Existing major REE deposits (Bayan Obo in China, Mountain Pass in the United States, Mount Weld in Australia, ion-adsorption deposits in several Chinese southern provinces) and currently possible production routes are compared. Alternative minerals, such as eudialyte, are also discussed. The article shows which environmental effects can be minimized by technology optimization and environmental safety strategies. Additionally, some of the environmental impacts discussed, may be difficult to mitigate, as they depend on the mineral type. Activities along the complex process chain of REEs production that have particularly high environmental impacts are identified.
稀土元素（REEs）是绿色技术的重要原材料。然而，稀土开采和生产所采用的技术往往在环境方面不可持续。生命周期评估（LCA）是一种公认的评估产品和技术环境影响的方法。本文基于已发表的稀土初级生产的生命周期评估结果，概述了其环境影响。比较了现有的主要稀土矿床（中国的白云鄂博、美国的芒廷帕斯、澳大利亚的韦尔德山、中国南方几个省份的离子吸附矿床）和当前可能的生产路线。还讨论了诸如异性石等替代矿物。本文展示了哪些环境影响可以通过技术优化和环境安全策略降至最低。此外，所讨论的一些环境影响可能难以减轻，因为它们取决于矿物类型。确定了稀土生产复杂过程链中环境影响特别大的活动。
