Origin of Critical Metals in Fe–Ni Laterites from the Balkan Peninsula: Opportunities and Environmental Risk

Author:

Economou-Eliopoulos MariaORCID,Laskou Magdalena,Eliopoulos Demetrios,Megremi Ifigeneia,Kalatha Sofia,Eliopoulos George

Abstract

As the global energy sector is expected to experience a gradual shift towards renewable energy sources, access to special metals in known resources is of growing concern within the EU and at a worldwide scale. This is a review on the Fe–Ni ± Co-laterite deposits in the Balkan Peninsula, which are characterized by multistage weathering/redeposition and intense tectonic activities. The ICP-MS analyses of those laterites indicated that they are major natural sources of Ni and Co, with ore grading from 0.21 to 3.5 wt% Ni and 0.03 to 0.31 wt% Co, as well as a significant Sc content (average 55 mg/kg). The SEM-EDS analyses revealed that fine Fe-, Ni-, Co-, and Mn-(hydr)oxides are dominant host minerals and that the enrichment in these elements is probably controlled by the post-formation evolution of initial ore redeposition. The paucity of rare earth element (REE) within the typical Fe–Ni laterite ore and the preferential occurrence of Co (up to 0.31 wt%), REE content (up to 6000 mg/kg ΣREE), and REE-minerals along with Ni, Co, and Mn (asbolane and silicates) towards the lowermost part of the Lokris (C. Greece) laterite ore suggest that their deposition is controlled by epigenetic processes. The platinum-group element (PGE) content in those Fe–Ni laterites, reaching up to 88 μg/kg Pt and 26 μg/kg Pd (up to 186 μg/kg Pd in one sample), which is higher than those in the majority of chromite deposits associated with ophiolites, may indicate important weathering and PGE supergene accumulation. Therefore, the mineralogical and geochemical features of Fe–Ni laterites from the Balkan Peninsula provide evidence for potential sources of certain critical metals and insights to suitable processing and metallurgical methods. In addition, the contamination of soil by heavy metals and irrigation groundwater by toxic Cr(VI), coupled with relatively high Cr(VI) concentrations in water leachates for laterite samples, altered ultramafic rocks and soils neighboring the mining areas and point to a potential human health risk and call for integrated water–soil–plant investigations in the basins surrounding laterite mines.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Geology,Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

Reference91 articles.

1. A New Industrial Strategy for Europe. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM(2020) 102 Final,2020

2. On the Possibilities of Critical Raw Materials Production from the EU’s Primary Sources

3. ProMine Mineral Databases: New Tools to Assess Primary and Secondary Mineral Resources in Europe;Cassard,2015

4. Improvement of KDPs’ Applications and Interaction with the RMIS and the GeoERA Information Platformhttps://geoera.eu/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/D5.5-KDP%E2%80%99s-applications-delivery-to-RMIS.pdf

5. Identification and Quantification of Primary CRM Resources in Europehttp://scrreen.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/SCRREEN-D3.1-Identification-and-quantification-of-primary-CRM-resources-in-Europe.pdf

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3