The flamingos of the Salar de Atacama, collateral victims of lithium extraction

Lithium-ion batteries power virtually all mobile phones and computers, as well as electric cars, thus playing an essential role in the energy transition and the fight against climate change. However, lithium extraction could also be endangering the flamingos that inhabit the Andean highlands of South America, a region that houses more than half of the world’s supply of this element and serves as a refuge for three of the six species of flamingos in the world.

Although lithium is usually extracted from rocks, most of the world’s supply is in salty groundwater, called brines, a large part of which are found in what is known as the Lithium Triangle (a region in which Chile, Bolivia and Argentina coincide). Especially in the Salar de Atacama, northeast of Chile, where almost 30% of the known lithium in the world is concentrated.

The extraction process is as follows: groundwater is pumped and deposited in shallow ponds, where the sun and wind evaporate it until it leaves behind a high concentration of lithium and other chemicals. Companies then turn it into a commercial product that battery manufacturers use to build lithium-ion cells. According to a study coordinated by the University of Extremadura and published in the magazine Proceedings of the Royal Society B, producing a ton of lithium requires about 400,000 liters of water. Only in the Salar de Atacama, more than 1,700 liters of lithium-rich brine are extracted every second.

The problem is that the groundwater that the companies pump also feeds the desert lakes where the flamingos feed and breed. The extraction of lithium has caused some saline lakes in the Triangle to be in the lowest levels of the last 600 years. This, in turn, increases their salt levels and kills aquatic organisms that flamingos eat, such as brine shrimp and diatoms, a type of algae. Between 2002 and 2013, the water surface of the Salar de Atacama decreased by more than 40% in winter and the population of two species of flamingos decreased by 10% and 12%.

Flamingos play an essential role in the brine lake ecosystems and in the local economy. As herbivores, they help maintain the balance of the lake’s ecosystem by chewing on tiny organisms near the bottom of the food chain. On the other hand, are the base of the region’s ecotourism industry.

Lithium ion batteries vs sustainability

The production of the ore in the Lithium Triangle has increased eightfold in the last two decades. In 2021, the same number of electric vehicles were sold in one week as in all of 2012according to data from the American media Vox. For their part, the world’s largest automakers have pledged to sell more electric vehicles. Also, the battery market is expanding to other home electronics.

In light of the results obtained, the researchers demand that the companies more sustainable mining practices. Like the one developed by Lilac Solutions, a startup backed by BMW and a fund led by Bill Gates, to extract lithium from brines using lithium-absorbing beads, without using evaporation ponds.

In the future, recycling could present itself as another ally in reducing the demand for lithium. At the moment, only 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled. Also, recycling batteries can be dangerous and the cells tend to degrade over time. Looking ahead to 2030, recycling is estimated to supply less than 6% of global lithium demand.