Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh found a large amount of lithium in Pennsylvania.
The discovery suggests that up to 40 percent of the lithium used in the United States could come from the wastewater from Marcellus Shale gas wells in PA.
Lithium is essential for the production of technology we use every day, including smartphones and laptops, but it comes from places like Chilie and then sent to China to be processed.
The United States Geological Survey lists lithium as a critical mineral.
Justin Mackey, research scientist the National Energy Technology Laboratory and PhD student at Pitt said that designation means the U.S. government wants all lithium to be produced domestically by 2030, and this discovery could lead to Pennsylvania fueling domestic production.
“Wastewater from oil and gas is a burgeoning issue,” Mackey said. “Right now, it’s just minimally treated and reinjected.” But it has to potential to provide a lot of value. After all, he said, “It’s been dissolving rocks for hundreds of millions of years — essentially, the water has been mining the subsurface.”