In the world of supply chain management, finding new sources of valuable materials is a constant challenge. While traditional mining and extraction methods have long been relied upon, scientists are now exploring innovative ways to recover raw materials from an unlikely source: water.
Water is everywhere, and it is estimated that the Earth’s oceans alone hold billions of dollars’ worth of precious metals and other materials. Researchers have been exploring ways to extract these materials using a variety of techniques.
One promising method is desalination, the process of removing salt and other minerals from seawater.
This not only produces fresh water for consumption, but also leaves behind concentrated brine that can be processed to recover valuable metals such as gold, silver, and lithium.
Another method under investigation is microbial mining, which involves using bacteria to leach metals out of water. These bacteria are attracted to certain metals, and can be used to extract everything from copper to rare earth elements.
Finally, harvesting materials from wastewater is another potentially fruitful approach.
Many metals are flushed into our water systems through industrial runoff and other sources, and finding ways to recover them from wastewater could provide a valuable source of raw materials.
These methods are still in the early stages of development, but the potential benefits are clear. By unlocking the potential of water, scientists may be able to provide new sources of essential materials that can help boost supply chains and drive innovation in a variety of industries.
Edited by Zeng Han-Jun
Written by Juliana Rodriguez
Terra Link Research 