How can the water use of lithium brine mining be adequately assessed?
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Extended life cycle assessments that include brine, as well as ore in the scope of analysis, may reveal a more comprehensive water scarcity footprint of lithium-ion batteries, particularly when integrated with local hydrological cycles and downstream processing pathways.
“Extended LCAs that do include brine, as well as ore in the scope of analysis, may reveal a more comprehensive water scarcity footprint of lithium-ion batteries, particularly when integrated with local hydrological cycles and downstream processing pathways”
From Lithium and water: Hydrosocial impacts across the life cycle of energy storage (2024) · cites this paper as Schomberg & Bringezu, 2023
Increased lithium brine extraction has raised concerns about its potential impact on surrounding water bodies (e.g., local groundwater levels and lagoon surface areas).
“Increased lithium brine extraction has raised concerns about its potential impact on surrounding water bodies (e.g., on local groundwater levels and lagoon surface areas) [19-22].”
From Toward a Localized Water Footprint of Lithium Brine Extraction: A Case Study from the Salar de Atacama (2025) · cites this paper as [22]
There is a lack of consensus on the methodology for the assessment of brine in LCA.
“These studies have used a variety of methods and approaches, most notably there is a lack of consensus on the methodology for the assessment of brine, also highlighted by Schomberg and Bringezu, 2023.”
From Life cycle assessment and water use impacts of lithium production from salar deposits: Challenges and opportunities (2024) · cites this paper as Schomberg and Bringezu, 2023
Cites
Regionalized life cycle assessment of present and future lithium production for Li-ion batteries
Schenker, V., Oberschelp, C., & Pfister, S. (2022) · Resources, Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106611 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
Chordia, M., Wickerts, S., Nordelöf, A., & Arvidsson, R. (2022) · Resources, Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106634 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Climate Change and Lithium Mining Influence Flamingo Abundance in the Lithium Triangle
Gutiérrez, J. S., Moore, J. N., Donnelly, J. P., Dorador, C., Navedo, J. G., & Senner, N. R. (2022) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.2388 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
The evaluation of brine prospects and the requirement for modifications to filing standards
Houston, J., Butcher, A., Ehren, P., Evans, K., & Godfrey, L. (2011) · Economic Geology · doi:10.2113/econgeo.106.7.1225 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Schomberg, A. C., Bringezu, S., & Flörke, M. (2021) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-020-00080-9 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
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Metal mining is a global driver of environmental change
Giljum, S., MAUS, V. W., Sonter, L. J., Luckeneder, S., Werner, T. T., Lutter, S., Gershenzon, J., Cole, M. J., Siqueira‐Gay, J., & Bebbington, A. (2025) · Nature Reviews Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43017-025-00683-w · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Halkes, R. T., Hughes, A., Wall, F., Petavratzi, E., Pell, R., & Lindsay, J. J. (2024) · Resources, Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107554 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Lithium and water: Hydrosocial impacts across the life cycle of energy storage
Blair, J. J. A., Vineyard, N., Mulvaney, D., Cantor, A., Sharbat, A., Berry, K., Bartholomew, E., & Ornelas, A. F. (2024) · WIREs Water · doi:10.1002/wat2.1748 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
“…are interconnected and hydrodynamic rather than static, so concerns remain about the potential depletion of fresh groundwater flowing into salt flats in place of pumped brine (Agusdinata et al., 2018; Alam & Sepúlveda, 2022; Liu et al., 2019; Liu & Agusdinata, 2021; Schomberg & Bringezu, 2023).”
S-LCA of lithium mining in Chile and its potential impacts on water and the local community
Roche, L., Link, A., Marinova, S., Coroama, V., & Finkbeiner, M. (2025) · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · doi:10.1007/s11367-024-02378-8 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“Some authors argued that brine should be considered water because of its molecular dynamic properties and the possibility of adverse effects on the local hydrological system (Ejeian et al. 2021; Schomb-erg et al. 2021; Schomberg and Bringezu 2023).”
Sun, X., Giljum, S., Maus, V., Schomberg, A., Zhang, S., & You, F. (2025) · Environmental Science & Technology · doi:10.1021/acs.est.4c12749 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationFreshwater inflows to closed basins of the Andean plateau in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia
Kirshen, A., Moran, B., Munk, L., Russo, A. A., McKnight, S., Jenckes, J., Corkran, D., Bresee, M., & Boutt, D. F. (2025) · Communications Earth & Environment · doi:10.1038/s43247-025-02130-6 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Lithium Mining in the Salar de Atacama—Accounting Practices for Water Footprinting
Link, A., Marinova, S., Roche, L., Coroamă, V., Hinkers, L., Borchardt, D., & Finkbeiner, M. (2025) · Water · doi:10.3390/w17111670 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Link, A., Marinova, S., Roche, L., Coroamă, V., Hinkers, L., Borchardt, D., & Finkbeiner, M. (2025) · Water · doi:10.3390/w17223311 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Nishikawa, E., Sleep, S., & Bergerson, J. A. (2025) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108598 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Eine sichere und faire Nutzung globaler Ressourcen in Produktion und Konsum
Bringezu, S. (2026) · Globale Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung. · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-70118-8_1-1
Self-citationRegion-Focused Architectural Design in the Context of the Circular Economy
Gurskaya, O., Feoktistova, Y., Иноземцева, Т. А., & Yussubaliyeva, M. (2026) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-30518-3_27
- Authors
- Schomberg, A. C., & Bringezu, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Kassel (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Schomberg, Anna C.
- Venue
- Resources, Conservation and Recycling
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-03
- Volume
- 190
- Pages
- 106806
- ISSN
- 0921-3449 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4311086252
- Cited by
- 11
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3
- FWCI
- 0.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Resources Conservation and Recycling (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Extraction and Separation Processes
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Chemical Engineering › Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes › Molten salt chemistry and electrochemical processes
- Keywords
- water use assessment, water footprint, metal recycling, waste printed circuit boards, electrolysis, copper recovery, environmental impact comparison
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