TITLE:
Global Production Estimation of Rare Earth Elements and Their Environmental Impacts on Soils
AUTHORS:
Georgios Charalampides, Konstantinos I. Vatalis
KEYWORDS:
Rees, Production, Reserves, Environment, Fertilizers
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.3 No.8,
October
20,
2015
ABSTRACT: Due to
high demand and limited availability of rare earth elements (REEs), Europe is
unable to meet its industrial needs, especially High Tech needs, today for the
manufacturing sector. Therefore, the EU has included them in the group of 14
critical minerals. China currently controls completely the mining activity, the
enrichment technologies and metallurgy, and end-metal products of rare earths,
resulting both Europe and the U.S.A. in full industrial dependency. The
exploitation and wide use of REEs in fertilizers have led to accumulation of
these elements in soils, resulting in an agriculture field pollution, which
affects directly the soil microfauna with a toxic potential effect.