Recovering Lithium from Soil Using Plants: A Harvest-Free Approach
A study conducted by Ritsuko Yaokawa et al. was published in the Environmental Science & Technology.
With the rapid expansion of electric vehicles, global demand for lithium is increasing sharply. At the same time, lithium contamination of soils caused by mining residues and discarded lithium-ion batteries has emerged as a new environmental concern. One promising approach to recover lithium from soil is phytoremediation, which utilizes the ability of plants to accumulate metals. However, conventional methods require harvesting and often incinerating plant biomass to recover the accumulated metals, leading to high energy consumption and cost. In addition, efficient recovery of lithium from plant tissues has not yet been established.
In this study, we focused on Rhodes grass, a salt-tolerant plant, and proposed a novel lithium recovery method based on collecting salts excreted from leaf surfaces. We experimentally demonstrated that acids released from plant roots promote the dissolution of lithium in soil, enabling lithium uptake and subsequent excretion at high concentrations through leaf salt glands. This approach allows lithium to be recovered without harvesting or burning the plants. Our findings suggest a new pathway for low-impact lithium recovery and highlight the potential of plant-based systems to support a more sustainable lithium cycle.
Title: Sustainable Recovery of Lithium from Contaminated Soil through Halophyte Salt Excretion
Authors: Yaokawa, R., Sugimoto, H., Kosaka, S., Nonaka, T., Kitagawa-Yogo, R.
Journal Name: Environmental Science & Technology
Published: May 20, 2025
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5c03574