Conocimiento Científico

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://inlisa-conocimiento.tailfc37a4.ts.net//handle/123456789/40

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6

Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Transición sociotécnica en la extracción de Litio en Chile: Repensando la medición de la sustentabilidad
(Ediciones Científicas de la Universidad Católica del Norte, 2026)
;
Claudia Moura-Romero
;
Iván Ojeda-Pereira
;
Carolina Rojas-Córdova
;
Fernando Campos-Medina
Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Evaluating circular economy technologies for end-of-life mining tyres: A decision framework for Chile's mining industry
(SAGE Publications, 2026)
Órdenes-Sarabia, Isabel
;
Rojas-Córdova, Carolina
;
Cruz-Rojas, Constanza
;
;
Rampasso, Izabela
Mining tyres, exceeding 4 m in diameter with operational lifespans of approximately seven months, present significant environmental and operational challenges through considerable waste accumulation. While substantial research addresses conventional tyre recycling, end-of-life mining tyres (ELMTs) require specialised management strategies due to their unique composition and operational constraints. This study develops a decision framework to assess and prioritise ELMT management solutions within Chile's mining sector, the world's leading copper producer. The hybrid methodology integrates Rogers’ Technology Adoption Model with Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS), utilising data from 17 mining industry experts. Results indicate that while pyrolysis demonstrates the highest adoption potential, retreading and shredding exhibit superior environmental performance. This choice is primarily driven by compatibility considerations, particularly operational safety and continuity, constituting approximately 52% of selection criterion weight. The findings highlight a critical trade-off between ecological benefits and operational dependability in mining environments, providing valuable insights for mining companies implementing circular economy practices, recycling technology suppliers and policymakers developing targeted mining waste management regulations.
Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Distinct taxonomic signatures in the rhizobiome of two native plants from the polyextreme Salar de Huasco ecosystem
(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2026)
Juan Castro-Severyn
;
Coral Pardo-Esté
;
João Saraiva
;
Background Global food security faces mounting pressure from population growth, climate change, and deteriorating soil conditions. Rhizospheric microbial communities (rhizobiomes) play a key role in plant physiology, enhancing growth and tolerance to abiotic stress. To explore their potential contribution to plant resilience in extreme environments, we characterized the rhizobiomes of Deyeuxia curvula and Werneria incisa across the Salar de Huasco (SH) in the Chilean Altiplano (~ 3800 masl), a polyextreme ecosystem characterized by high UV radiation, salinity gradients, water scarcity, and high metal concentrations. Our objectives were to identify microbial taxa associated with plant adaptation and to infer functional traits linked to survival under these conditions. Results We generated 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from 200 rhizosphere samples. Both host plant identity and geographic location significantly shaped microbial community composition, with site explaining a larger proportion of variance than plant identity alone. Actinomycetota dominated both rhizobiomes, with genera such as Modestobacter and Blastococcus (known for UV resistance, desiccation tolerance, and genomic plasticity) contributing to species-specific profiles. At the genus level, Ilumatobacter, Nesterenkonia, Tropicimonas, and Nitriliruptor were enriched in D. curvula, whereas Pseudarthrobacter, Kocuria, Crossiella, and Blastococcus were more abundant in W. incisa. Network analysis revealed greater complexity and functional redundancy in D. curvula, while W. incisa harbored a more generalist network. Functional predictions indicated that chemoheterotrophy dominates both rhizobiomes, while denitrification, methylotrophy, and ureolysis were enriched in W. incisa, and osmotic stress-tolerance functions such as glycine betaine cycling were enriched in D. curvula. Conclusion The two plants follow contrasting ecological strategies: D. curvula relies on a specialization and resilience strategy supported by a diverse, stress-adapted rhizobiome, while W. incisa employs a nutritional versatility strategy through a generalist, metabolically flexible community. These findings highlight the value of high-altitude Andean rhizobiomes as reservoirs of great biodiversity with relevant functions for future biotechnological applications particularly for agriculture under arid and saline conditions. This underscores the importance of extending conservation policies to native microbial communities in protected areas such as the Salar de Huasco.
Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Dataset of Snowmelt and Groundwater Recharge in an Arid Andean Basin: the case of the Salar de Atacama, Chile
(2025)
Sonia Valdivielso
;
Lopez Juan Ignacio
;
Emilio Custodio
;
Rotman Criollo Manjarrez
;
John Pomeroy
Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Toward a Localized Water Footprint of Lithium Brine Extraction: A Case Study from the Salar de Atacama
(MDPI AG, 2025)
Andreas Link
;
Sylvia Marinova
;
Lindsey Roche
;
Vlad Coroamă
;
Lily Hinkers
The extraction of lithium from salt flats such as the Salar de Atacama (SdA) has raised concerns about its potential impact on the local water balance. This study evaluates the possibility of including localized mining impacts on groundwater tables, lagoons, brine–freshwater mixing, evaporation, precipitation feedback, and recharge in a localized water footprint case study of lithium mining in the SdA. Using ready-to-use hydrogeological models, we primarily assessed the effects of lithium extraction on groundwater levels, evaporation, precipitation, and basin recharge dynamics. The influence on evaporation and recharge appears to be limited, with surplus evaporation due to mining accounting for a maximum of 4% of basin-wide evaporation. Regarding groundwater tables, drawdown exceeding 25 cm to several meters has largely been confined to areas that are not critical for local ecosystems. Available hydrogeological models have also helped to estimate whether the extraction of freshwater by mining companies can exacerbate groundwater drawdown during brine extraction. Consequently, non-overlapping, geographically distinct depression cones have been identified, but total water consumption by all users in the basin has not been considered. Furthermore, the aspect of model uncertainty requires further investigation, as do changes in lagoon areas and brine–freshwater mixing, which are not yet comprehensively captured by existing models.
Some of the metrics are blocked by your
consent settings
Water footprint of battery-grade lithium production in the Salar de Atacama, Chile
(Elsevier BV, 2025)
Sylvia Marinova
;
Lindsey Roche
;
Andreas Link
;
Matthias Finkbeiner
The increasing demand for lithium, driven primarily by the electric transportation and renewable energy technologies, highlights the need to comprehensively assess the environmental implications of its production. Thus, a profound exploration of the water-related impacts caused by the life cycle of raw materials like lithium is necessary. In this context, we performed a cradle-to-gate water footprint of lithium extracted from the Salar de Atacama (SdA) operation in Chile for the production period of 2022 and 2023. Based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach we evaluated the water inventories and explored the potential impacts of water vulnerability and scarcity by applying AWARE and WAVE + characterisation models. This resulted in a total potential impact of 442 m3 and 5.5 m3 world equivalents per ton of lithium product (87% lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) and 13% lithium hydroxide (LiOH)) for AWARE and WAVE+, respectively. The AWARE results indicate that concentrated lithium brine production significantly dominates the water footprint of lithium battery-grade products, with 326 m³ world equivalents per ton. WAVE + results are consistent, attributing 3.81 m³ equiv. to brine production. In the final production stages, the Li₂CO₃ production is prominent, with AWARE and WAVE + values of 59.9 m³ and 1.01 m³ equiv. per ton, respectively, largely due to sodium carbonate consumption and electricity generation. However, it is noteworthy that the water scarcity and vulnerability impacts remain minimal for these final production phases, which is primarily attributable to the utilisation of desalinated water. In addition, we compared the production periods of 2020–2021 and 2022–2023 finding that all measured indicators improved in 2022–2023 in the range of 9%–42%. This suggests increased efficiency of the operations in the SdA, with higher brine recovery rates and lower energy usage in certain process steps. The insights gained from this research contribute to the understanding of brine-based lithium production practices, providing a basis for exploring further mitigation strategies aimed at reducing the environmental footprint, particularly in production stages with higher water impact.

Conocimiento Científico

Browse

Filters

Settings

Sort By

Results per page

Search Results