Kansas Geological Survey Tests Coal Waste for Rare Earth Minerals and Cleanup Methods
The Kansas Geological Survey has launched a grant-funded project to test piles of coal waste in southeastern Kansas for high-value rare earth minerals used in computer components, smartphones and batteries, while studying how to clean up the harmful substances the waste leaves behind. The project focuses on mining waste in Cherokee and Crawford counties, a region once prosperous from coal mining that is now dotted with waste piles. Researchers note that coal waste leaches into waterways, turning water orange and lowering its pH; the testing aims both to determine whether the waste contains extractable rare earth minerals and to identify best practices for cleaning up and restoring the piles. Blair Schneider, a researcher on the project, said that if the results show extraction is worthwhile, the project will also provide workable procedures for mining the minerals and remediating contaminated areas. The project was reported by the Kansas News Service on November 5 and was among the science and environment stories drawing attention in Kansas that day.
(Source: Kansas Geological Survey)
Source: Kansas Geological Survey
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 匹兹堡（堪萨斯州）市区（图：Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 3.0） / Downtown Pittsburg, Kansas (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)
