The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats

Autores
Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando; Seghezzo, Lucas; Salas Barboza, Ariela Griselda; Escosteguy, Melisa; Arias-Alvarado, Paula Valentina; Kruse, Eduardo Emilio; Hufty, Marc; Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
This study estimates water consumption in two lithium mines (Olaroz and Fénix) that use different extraction technologies in Argentina’s salt flats. Based on Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), we assess the water footprint (WF) and brine consumption (BC) in both mines. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate WF and BC for lithium extraction and provides data to assess water consumption and better understand its implications for local ecosystems and communities. We also contextualize freshwater consumption in lithium extraction projects by estimating the blue water intensity (WIblue) and the population equivalent (PE), namely the number of local inhabitants that would consume an equivalent volume of water. Total WF was 51.0 and 135.5 m3/ton of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) for Olaroz and Fénix, respectively. Per unit of product, WF was 2.7 times higher in Fénix but BC was higher in Olaroz. WIblue indicates that, while F´enix had a higher WFblue, its impact on local blue water availability is moderate due to greater local water availability. WFblue in Olaroz and Fénix was equivalent to the water consumption of 32,238 and 141,047 inhabitants of their nearest towns (Susques and Antofagasta de la Sierra, respectively, both with a current population of less than 2,100 inhabitants). Our findings underscore that the water consumption of lithium mining can have important impacts that vary significantly with geographic context. EIRs provide a useful basis for estimating WF and BC, though certain limitations and challenges persist, particularly regarding incomplete or insufficiently detailed data.
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo
Materia
Ciencias Naturales
Brine consumption
Freshwater consumption
Lithium extraction
Population equivalent
Water footprint
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Repositorio
SEDICI (UNLP)
Institución
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
OAI Identificador
oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/181846

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network_name_str SEDICI (UNLP)
spelling The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flatsDíaz Paz, Walter FernandoSeghezzo, LucasSalas Barboza, Ariela GriseldaEscosteguy, MelisaArias-Alvarado, Paula ValentinaKruse, Eduardo EmilioHufty, MarcIribarnegaray, Martín AlejandroCiencias NaturalesBrine consumptionFreshwater consumptionLithium extractionPopulation equivalentWater footprintThis study estimates water consumption in two lithium mines (Olaroz and Fénix) that use different extraction technologies in Argentina’s salt flats. Based on Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), we assess the water footprint (WF) and brine consumption (BC) in both mines. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate WF and BC for lithium extraction and provides data to assess water consumption and better understand its implications for local ecosystems and communities. We also contextualize freshwater consumption in lithium extraction projects by estimating the blue water intensity (WIblue) and the population equivalent (PE), namely the number of local inhabitants that would consume an equivalent volume of water. Total WF was 51.0 and 135.5 m3/ton of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) for Olaroz and Fénix, respectively. Per unit of product, WF was 2.7 times higher in Fénix but BC was higher in Olaroz. WIblue indicates that, while F´enix had a higher WFblue, its impact on local blue water availability is moderate due to greater local water availability. WFblue in Olaroz and Fénix was equivalent to the water consumption of 32,238 and 141,047 inhabitants of their nearest towns (Susques and Antofagasta de la Sierra, respectively, both with a current population of less than 2,100 inhabitants). Our findings underscore that the water consumption of lithium mining can have important impacts that vary significantly with geographic context. EIRs provide a useful basis for estimating WF and BC, though certain limitations and challenges persist, particularly regarding incomplete or insufficiently detailed data.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo2025-02info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionArticulohttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/181846enginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2405-8440info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42523info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)reponame:SEDICI (UNLP)instname:Universidad Nacional de La Platainstacron:UNLP2025-09-29T11:49:38Zoai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/181846Institucionalhttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/Universidad públicaNo correspondehttp://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/oai/snrdalira@sedici.unlp.edu.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:13292025-09-29 11:49:38.984SEDICI (UNLP) - Universidad Nacional de La Platafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
title The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
spellingShingle The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando
Ciencias Naturales
Brine consumption
Freshwater consumption
Lithium extraction
Population equivalent
Water footprint
title_short The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
title_full The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
title_fullStr The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
title_full_unstemmed The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
title_sort The water footprint of lithium extraction technologies: insights from environmental impact reports in Argentina’s salt flats
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando
Seghezzo, Lucas
Salas Barboza, Ariela Griselda
Escosteguy, Melisa
Arias-Alvarado, Paula Valentina
Kruse, Eduardo Emilio
Hufty, Marc
Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro
author Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando
author_facet Díaz Paz, Walter Fernando
Seghezzo, Lucas
Salas Barboza, Ariela Griselda
Escosteguy, Melisa
Arias-Alvarado, Paula Valentina
Kruse, Eduardo Emilio
Hufty, Marc
Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro
author_role author
author2 Seghezzo, Lucas
Salas Barboza, Ariela Griselda
Escosteguy, Melisa
Arias-Alvarado, Paula Valentina
Kruse, Eduardo Emilio
Hufty, Marc
Iribarnegaray, Martín Alejandro
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Ciencias Naturales
Brine consumption
Freshwater consumption
Lithium extraction
Population equivalent
Water footprint
topic Ciencias Naturales
Brine consumption
Freshwater consumption
Lithium extraction
Population equivalent
Water footprint
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv This study estimates water consumption in two lithium mines (Olaroz and Fénix) that use different extraction technologies in Argentina’s salt flats. Based on Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), we assess the water footprint (WF) and brine consumption (BC) in both mines. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate WF and BC for lithium extraction and provides data to assess water consumption and better understand its implications for local ecosystems and communities. We also contextualize freshwater consumption in lithium extraction projects by estimating the blue water intensity (WIblue) and the population equivalent (PE), namely the number of local inhabitants that would consume an equivalent volume of water. Total WF was 51.0 and 135.5 m3/ton of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) for Olaroz and Fénix, respectively. Per unit of product, WF was 2.7 times higher in Fénix but BC was higher in Olaroz. WIblue indicates that, while F´enix had a higher WFblue, its impact on local blue water availability is moderate due to greater local water availability. WFblue in Olaroz and Fénix was equivalent to the water consumption of 32,238 and 141,047 inhabitants of their nearest towns (Susques and Antofagasta de la Sierra, respectively, both with a current population of less than 2,100 inhabitants). Our findings underscore that the water consumption of lithium mining can have important impacts that vary significantly with geographic context. EIRs provide a useful basis for estimating WF and BC, though certain limitations and challenges persist, particularly regarding incomplete or insufficiently detailed data.
Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo
description This study estimates water consumption in two lithium mines (Olaroz and Fénix) that use different extraction technologies in Argentina’s salt flats. Based on Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs), we assess the water footprint (WF) and brine consumption (BC) in both mines. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to estimate WF and BC for lithium extraction and provides data to assess water consumption and better understand its implications for local ecosystems and communities. We also contextualize freshwater consumption in lithium extraction projects by estimating the blue water intensity (WIblue) and the population equivalent (PE), namely the number of local inhabitants that would consume an equivalent volume of water. Total WF was 51.0 and 135.5 m3/ton of lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) for Olaroz and Fénix, respectively. Per unit of product, WF was 2.7 times higher in Fénix but BC was higher in Olaroz. WIblue indicates that, while F´enix had a higher WFblue, its impact on local blue water availability is moderate due to greater local water availability. WFblue in Olaroz and Fénix was equivalent to the water consumption of 32,238 and 141,047 inhabitants of their nearest towns (Susques and Antofagasta de la Sierra, respectively, both with a current population of less than 2,100 inhabitants). Our findings underscore that the water consumption of lithium mining can have important impacts that vary significantly with geographic context. EIRs provide a useful basis for estimating WF and BC, though certain limitations and challenges persist, particularly regarding incomplete or insufficiently detailed data.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-02
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info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Articulo
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status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/181846
url http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/181846
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/issn/2405-8440
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42523
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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