New Jersey Institute of Technology chemists have demonstrated a new lab-based method to detect traces of PFAS from food packaging material, water, and soil samples in just three minutes or less.

Researchers say their approach could significantly speed up efforts to study and address the bioaccumulation of PFAS in the environment.

Involves an Ionization Technique for Detection

It also includes more than $2 billion of EPA grant funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for states to conduct water quality testing and treatment for the emerging contaminants.

“There are thousands of different species of PFAS, but we’ve yet to understand the extent of their distribution in our environment because the current testing methods are costly and time-consuming, taking hours for sample preparation and analysis in some cases,” said Hao Chen, the study’s corresponding author and NJIT chemistry professor. “What our study demonstrates is a much faster, sensitive and versatile method that can monitor our drinking water, land and consumer products for contamination in minutes.”

Chen and colleagues say the new method — involving an ionization technique for analyzing the molecular composition of sample materials called paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) — is 10-100 times more sensitive than the current standard technique for PFAS testing, liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

“PFAS can be ionized and rapidly detected by a high-resolution mass spectrometer, which gives a clear view of each PFAS species present and the degree of contamination down to a parts-per-trillion (ppt) level,” explained Chen. “For more complex matrices like soil, we’ve applied a related method called desalting paper spray mass spectrometry (DPS-MS) that washes away salts which normally suppress the ion signal of PFAS. Together, they greatly improve our ability to detect these compounds.”

Analysis Revealed Traces of 11 Different PFAS Molecules

“Our limit of detection for PFAS is roughly 1ppt. For context, this amount has been likened to a drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools,” added Md Tanim-Al Hassan, the paper’s first author and Ph.D. chemistry student at NJIT.

In tests, the team was able to detect PFAS in one minute or less by analyzing pieces of various food packaging materials directly. The test includes microwave popcorn paper, instant noodle boxes, as well as fry and burger packaging from two multinational fast food restaurant chains.

The analysis revealed traces of 11 different PFAS molecules, including common types that have been linked to increased cancer risk and immune system suppression, such PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic Acid) and PFOS (Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). In their water analysis, the team detected traces of PFOA in samples of local tap water in under two minutes, while finding no traces of PFAS in samples taken from the university’s filtered fountain water.

“The EPA has already proposed to establish maximum contamination levels (MCLs) for six PFAS in drinking water nationwide, and PFOA and PFOS are among them,” said Mengyan Li, study co-author and NJIT associate professor of environmental sciences. “This analytical method could facilitate more intensive screenings for toxic PFAS that may be needed under such a proposal to protect the safety of our water supply.”

May Also Advance the Study of Airborne PFAS

Using DPS-MS, the team also identified two species of PFAS from as little as 40mg of soil in under three minutes. Already, the team’s rapid detection method is being tested for use alongside cutting-edge techniques for remediating PFAS that are being developed at NJIT’s BioSMART Center.

“Remarkably, in our lab we were able to couple this analytical method to a novel degradation catalyst, which degrades 98.7% of PFAS in drinking water samples within three hours,” said Wunmi Sadik, study co-author and chair of NJIT’s Department of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. “This work may have a national impact, but the immediate effect will be felt in the Northeast area. Roughly 10% of 9.2 million New Jersians have high levels of perfluorooctanoic acid in their drinking water compared to the national average of 1.9%.”

Chen says the advance could also have a swift impact on the monitoring of consumer products, from cosmetics and medicine to fresh and processed foods. The team plans to demonstrate the method’s capabilities for air monitoring as well.

“Near term, this could be extremely useful for ensuring the safety of food products … it may allow farming produce to be more efficiently monitored for PFAS contamination for example,” explained Chen. “Our method may also advance the study of airborne PFAS in a similar way to what we’ve demonstrated in this study, which would further help us address this widespread environmental issue.”

Source: New Jersey Institute of Technology

 

Revolutionary Diamond Detection Method: Alrosa on the Brink of Groundbreaking Discoveries

Alrosa, (RUSSIA) the world's largest diamond mining company, is on the cusp of a groundbreaking discovery thanks to a new diamond detection method focusing on olivine. 

This innovative approach, developed by geologists from ETH Zurich and the University of Melbourne, has the potential to streamline the diamond detection process, ensuring its reliability and making it more cost-effective. With expectations of new ore body discoveries within the next two to three years, the future of the diamond industry looks brighter than ever.

Quadri Adejumo
12 Feb 2024 

Revolutionary Diamond Detection Method: Alrosa on the Brink of Groundbreaking Discoveries

In a world where the lure of diamonds continues to captivate, Alrosa, the leading diamond mining company, stands on the brink of a groundbreaking discovery. A novel method for detecting diamond deposits, developed by geologists from ETH Zurich and the University of Melbourne, has the potential to revolutionize the diamond mining industry. The discovery, published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications, promises to streamline the detection process and ensure its reliability.

The Link Between Olivine and Diamonds

The innovative approach focuses on establishing a connection between diamond occurrence and the mineral olivine. Olivine, a common mineral in Earth's mantle, plays a crucial role in the formation of kimberlite rock, the primary source of diamonds. By analyzing the iron-to-magnesium ratio in olivine, scientists can determine the diamond content of kimberlite rock with remarkable precision.

A Simplified Detection Method

The new method simplifies the process of detecting diamond deposits, making it a more efficient and cost-effective solution for the diamond mining industry. By estimating the diamond content in kimberlite rock through olivine analysis, geologists can better predict the presence of diamonds and prioritize areas for exploration.

Alrosa's Anticipated Diamond Discoveries

Alrosa, the world's largest diamond mining company, is optimistic about the potential of this new detection method. With its current reserves of raw diamonds at deep levels sufficient to develop deposits until 2060, Alrosa continues its quest for new deposits to ensure sustainable operations in the coming decades and maintain its average production volume.

Over the past five years, geologists have discovered over twenty kimberlite bodies, with appraisal work completed for eight of them. The company anticipates discovering new ore bodies or deposits within the next two to three years, with expectations for this year. The new detection method could accelerate this timeline and lead to even more significant discoveries.

As the demand for diamonds continues to grow, the development of new detection methods becomes increasingly vital. The collaboration between ETH Zurich, the University of Melbourne, and Alrosa demonstrates the power of innovation in propelling the diamond mining industry forward. With the potential for new diamond deposit discoveries by 2023, the future of the diamond industry shines brighter than ever.

Impossible for Panama's next government to ignore mining, says First Quantum CEO

Canadian miner holds out hope May elections will bring change in fortune for its besieged Cobre Panama mine

Author of the article:Naimul Karim
Published Feb 12, 2024 •

First Quantum Minerals' Cobre Panama is one of the world’s largest new copper mines to open in the past decade. 

The Panamanian government’s order to shut down Toronto-based First Quantum Minerals Ltd.‘s lucrative copper mine in December seemed like the final straw for the company, which has faced several issues in the Central American country in recent years.

Panama and First Quantum initially tussled over the terms of a new contract to run the mine. Although a deal was reached, thousands of protestors demonstrated against it on environmental grounds. The nation’s Supreme Court then intervened and annulled the deal, which led to the order to close the Cobre Panama mine, about 120 kilometres west of Panama City.

Two months on, however, things have taken a slightly positive turn for First Quantum, according to chief executive Tristan Pascall. The protests have cooled down and there may be a space opening up to discuss mining’s contribution to Panama’s economy as the country heads to an election in May.

“We see that some of the emotion (from the protests) has really dialled back,” he said. “There’s significant economic challenges emerging in the country … and we believe it’s impossible for the next government to ignore the contribution that a responsible mining sector can make.”

Cobre Panama is one of the world’s largest new copper mines to open in the past decade. It’s a key asset since the demand for metals such as copper and lithium has increased in recent years due to their importance in the world’s gradual energy shift away from fossil fuels.

The mine also plays a key role for the country’s economy since it accounts for about five per cent of Panama’s gross domestic product. In addition, Cobre Panama employs about 7,000 people, with another 33,000 individuals dependent on the mine indirectly, First Quantum said.

As the mine gets set to shut down — a process that may take several years — “there’s more questioning around the decision” regarding the impact the move could have on the country’s economy, Pascall said.

Panama’s former finance minister Dulcidio De La Guardia said the order to shut down the mine was “very unfortunate” and expects the country’s economy to be “significantly” hit.

“The expected growth rate for Panama this year is between one and two per cent,” he said. “In contrast, last year, Panama grew in excess of six per cent. We are going to see a significant slowdown because of the loss of the output of the mine.”

Joana Abrego, a legal manager at the Environmental Advocacy Center of Panama (CIAM), which protested against the mine, said there were concerns “for a potential reactivation of the mine” due to recent statements made by several presidential candidates. But she added there would be significant legal obstacles for First Quantum to reactivate the mine.

The CIAM has opposed mining in Panama for nearly two decades, but even though the protests against Cobre Panama are no longer active, Abrego said people expect the mine closure process to continue.

“(Metal mining) is environmentally and socially unviable in the country,” she said.

Pascall, however, said Cobre Panama has a net-zero environmental impact and that a lot of the anti-mining emotion was sparked because of fake news and misleading information, which he hopes to correct as the space for debate and discussions on the mine widens.

For example, he said there were rumours about how the company was taking water from the Panama Canal, which he said was “absolutely not the case.”

There were also allegations about the company clearing large swathes of forestry. Pascall said the company had cleared 3,000 hectares, but had a licence to clear 5,900 hectares. He said this was a very small percentage compared to the overall clearing of forests in Panama.

“By some sources, Panama has cleared 78,000 hectares of tropical rain forest since 2020,” he said, adding that First Quantum has already reforested 4,200 hectares and has committed to reforesting 11,175 hectares.

Despite the apparent change in mood, Pascall won’t indulge in speculation about whether this could lead to a possible restart of the mine. He didn’t provide a timeline either.

“Obviously, it’s up to the Panamanian people to decide that,” he said. “We are ready to be part of a long-term solution for the country.”

Currently, Pascall is more focused on the company’s preservation and safe management plan, which will address issues such as the fate of the mine’s employees, management of the mine to ensure there’s no environmental degradation and questions about who is going to foot the bill.

This entire process could cost between $15 and $20 million per month. The company met with Panamanian ministers and submitted a draft of the plan in mid-January. So far, Pascall said engagement with the government has been “constructive.”

First Quantum could also try to seek compensation through an international arbitrator, which would be legally binding. The company has publicly announced two arbitration processes, but even though Pascall said the company’s legal case is “extremely strong,” it wouldn’t be the company’s preferred route.

“We would rather get to a resolution with the government of Panama in a sensible fashion,” he said.

Still, the waiting process and the production shutdown are hurting First Quantum. Cobre Panama was responsible for nearly half of First Quantum’s revenue in 2023 and the company’s stock has been cut in half in the past five months.

As a result, the company is considering selling stakes of its larger businesses in Zambia and some of its smaller mines. Overall, the plan is to cut costs and strengthen its finances. But it’s still holding out hope for Cobre Panama.

“We are absolutely committed to Panama. We put $10 billion into the country,” Pascall said. “Ultimately, we will see resolutions. I am confident in that.”

Electra Receives $5 Million Grant from Government of Canada to Support the Development of the North American Electric Vehicle Supply Chain

Toronto, Ontario – (February 9, 2024) – Electra Battery Materials Corporation (NASDAQ: ELBM; TSX-V: ELBM) (“Electra” or the “Company”) today announced that it has received a $5 million investment from the Government of Canada towards the construction of North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery. Located in Temiskaming Shores, Ontario, the facility will produce approximately five percent of the global supply of battery grade cobalt needed for electric vehicles. The investment will be provided in the form of a grant from the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario (FedNor).

“Canada has surpassed China as the top jurisdiction in the global battery supply chain, given its strength in raw materials mining and processing,” said Trent Mell, Electra’s CEO. “Today’s announcement from the Government of Canada’s demonstrates its continued commitment to building a strong, domestic EV supply chain. We are grateful for this additional investment as it represents added validation of our progress and will allow Electra to continue to work toward our goal of producing secure, clean, and ethically sourced materials that are a crucial part of a sustainable future for electric vehicles in Canada.”

“Critical minerals are an essential element of the electric vehicle supply chain. Today’s investment from the Government of Canada means that Northern Ontario will seize the economic opportunities created by Canada’s transition to a green economy. This investment also means good-paying jobs for middle-class families in the region. This is part of our plan to build an economy in Northern Ontario that works for everyone, not just the few,” said the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor regarding today’s announcement.

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources added, “Building up a low-carbon economy is a generational economic opportunity for Canada. Canada has vast critical mineral resources, materials that are integral to the development of the clean technologies, like electric vehicles, we need to reduce emissions and create good jobs. By supporting companies like Electra, Canada is making the smart investments necessary to secure reliable and prosperous electric vehicle value chains and drive sustainable economic growth in communities right across Canada.”

Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages, and Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing–Timiskaming were on hand for the announcement.

“The Government of Canada is stepping up to support innovation and the green economy in Northern Ontario. This strategic investment will fuel economic growth, create jobs, and stimulate the regional economy,” said Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and to the Minister of Official Languages.

Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing–Timiskaming, said “The Government of Canada, through FedNor, is working hard to expand the electric vehicle supply chain right here in Northern Ontario. Today’s funding ensures that Northern Ontario’s mining sector will continue to play an important role in our transition to a clean and sustainable economy, and will promote a strong and thriving regional economy in Nipissing-Timiskaming.”

“This is an important announcement that shows the Government of Canada’s commitment to Northern Ontario. By investing in Electra, the Government of Canada is leveraging the unique expertise and innovation available right here in Northern Ontario and taking concrete steps to build a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles,” said Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury. “This is the type of investment that is needed to grow our economy and create a greener, more sustainable future.”

Pending completion, Electra’s refinery complex aims to be the first in North America to integrate the production of critical minerals, including cobalt sulfate and nickel sulfate, needed for the North American electric vehicle battery supply chain with the processing of black mass material, designed to recover high value elements found in recycled lithium-ion batteries, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite, and copper.

Throughout 2023, Electra operated a plant scale battery recycling trial at its refinery complex, processing more than 40 tonnes of black mass material and producing high-quality nickel, cobalt and lithium products.

Once fully commissioned, the refinery could produce sufficient cobalt for up to 1.5 million electric vehicles annually. On July 24, 2023 Electra announced that its battery grade cobalt sulfate agreement with LG Energy Solution, a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, had been extended and expanded from initial terms. The agreement now provides for the supply of 19,000 tonnes of cobalt contained in sulfate beginning in 2025. The total will represent up to 80% of Electra’s expected annual production.

It is estimated that the refinery complex has a current replacement cost of over $250 million. The cobalt project has been derisked through the delivery of most long lead equipment and by commissioning the legacy refinery operations for the black mass demonstration plant.

About Electra Battery Materials

Electra is a processor of low-carbon, ethically sourced battery materials. Currently focused on developing North America’s only cobalt sulfate refinery and a black mass demonstration plant, Electra is executing a multipronged strategy to onshore the electric vehicle supply chain. Keys to its strategy are integrating black mass recycling and nickel sulfate production at Electra’s cobalt refinery located north of Toronto, advancing Iron Creek, its cobalt-copper exploration-stage project in the Idaho Cobalt Belt, and expanding cobalt sulfate processing into Bécancour, Quebec. For more information, please visit www.ElectraBMC.com.

Carbon capture tech a ‘complete falsehood’, says Fortescue chairman

Reuters | February 13, 2024 |

Andrew Forrest, Australian billionaire and Chief Executive Officer of Fortescue. (Credit: Fortescue Metals Group)

Carbon capture is not a solution for the energy transition and political leaders need to provide real, non-greenwashed, commitments to encourage investment, Andrew Forrest, executive chairman of Fortescue Metals, said on Tuesday.


Speaking at the 50th anniversary meeting of the International Energy Agency, Australian billionaire Forrest said the investment community needs a level-playing field and honest answers from political leaders on phasing out fossil fuels in order to invest.

“There’s a simple question from business leaders…when do we stop burning fossil fuels?” Forrest said at the Paris conference.

“If you want to drive capital…we must have clear and obvious disincentives for what is doing harm and clear incentives for what is doing good.”

Countries including the US have rolled out public subsidies for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects as part of their incentives to push the green energy transition.

CCS technologies capture carbon dioxide emissions, often from a source like a factory smoke stack, to prevent them from being released into the atmosphere. The captured CO2 can then be stored permanently underground, or repurposed in industrial processes that use CO2.

Oil demand growth is not set to peak until the end of this decade at the earliest and Forrest said carbon capture was not a viable solution.

“We’re going to keep burning fossil fuels and somehow magically get rid of the carbon down into the ground where there is no proof that it will stay there, but heaps of proof that it fails,” Forrest told the conference.

“I say for policy makers everywhere do not be the next idiot waiting for the old lie to be trotted out and say I believe in carbon sequestration. It has only failed for 75 years…It’s a complete falsehood.”

Australia’s Fortescue is a major iron ore producer, which is used in steel-making and it announced a new project last year to produce green steel on a commercial scale. Iron and steel-making account for a major share of global heavy industry emissions, and its trade has become source of contention between the United States and the EU, which have so far failed to negotiate a “green steel” trade deal.

(By Julia Payne; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Rio Tinto autonomous train derails in Western Australia

Cecilia Jamasmie | February 13, 2024 | 

Rio Tinto operates about 14,000 ore cars across its Pilbara rail network. (Image courtesy of Rio Tinto.)

Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) said on Tuesday that an unloaded autonomous train derailed on Sunday evening about 120km (75m) from Western Australia’s Dampier port, where Rio Tinto ships iron ore through Cape Lambert.


The world’s largest iron ore miner said no one was injured in the accident, which involved about 38 wagons of the self-driving train.

It noted the derailment happened on a dual track section, which means that trains can continue to operate in the area, limiting disruption.

“An investigation has begun, and the appropriate regulators have been notified. Work to recover derailed wagons has also commenced,” a Rio Tinto spokesperson said in an email.

A similar incident occurred with an autonomous Rio Tinto train in June last year, when as many as 30 wagons left the tracks about 12 miles from Dampier.

Rio Tinto’s peers, BHP (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue (ASX: FMG) have also reported derailments at their iron ore operations in recent months.

The most infamous Pilbara train derailment took place in 2018 when BHP was forced to deliberately push a runaway train off its track. The machine was almost 2 miles long with its four locomotives and 268 wagons fully laden and, at one point, reached average speeds of about 110km/h (68m/h) on the track between Newman and Port Hedland.

The company operates about 14,000 ore cars across its Pilbara rail network, each of which can hold an estimated 118 tonnes of iron ore.

British Columbia rare earth project testing makes 50% TREO concentrates with 80% recovery

Staff Writer | February 13, 2024 | 

The Wicheeda camp near Prince George, B.C. Credit: Defense Metals.

Defense Metals (TSXV: DEFN; OTCQB: DFMTF) says metallurgical testing of samples from its Wicheeda rare earth project in British Columbia has shown that a 50% total rate earth oxide (TRE) concentrate can be made. The tests were carried out by SGS Canada and the recovery rate was 80%.


“Continuing positive results from our technical studies suggest that our wholly-owned Wicheeda REE project has the potential to become the next producer of rare earth elements in North America, accounting for a significant amount of the rare earths needed for the western world’s future magnet metal production,” Defense Metals CEO Craig Taylor said in a release.

Beginning in 2018 up to the present, Defense has spent about $5 million on metallurgical test work and the creation of flowsheets for the Wicheeda project. Recent studies optimized the milling and hydrometallurgical processes and the response of 21 variability samples representing different rare earth element (REE) grades, lithologies and locations within the deposit.

The results of the metallurgical tests will be included in the prefeasibility study due to be completed in the second quarter of 2024, said Taylor, and then work would begin on the feasibility study.

The Wicheeda project has measured and indicated resources that total 34.2 million tonnes grading 2.02% TREO and contain 699,000 tonnes of TREO. The inferred portion is 11.1 million tonnes at 1.02% TREO and contains 113,000 tonnes.

Canada to accelerate critical mineral mining – energy minister

Reuters | February 13, 2024 |

Canada’s Natural Resources and Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson says more funding for critical minerals projects is on its way. Credit: Government of Canada

Canada plans to boost its energy security by slashing the time it takes to develop new critical mineral mines by nearly a decade with improved permitting processes, energy minister Jonathan Wilkinson told Reuters on Tuesday.


Ottawa is focused on six critical minerals key to making electric vehicles and wind turbines: lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, copper, and so-called rare earth elements.

Wilkinson said the mining and processing of critical minerals was currently too dominated by China.

“(We’re) looking at how do we optimize the regulatory and permanent processes so you can take what is a 12 to 15-year process and bring it down to maybe five,” he said.

“There are ways you can just do things smarter … There’s no reason that you can’t do permitting of different things between federal and provincial governments at the same time, instead of doing them sequentially.”

Canada plans to reduce the time to approve mining permits by better funding the regulatory agency to get rid of paperwork backlogs and running permitting and environmental assessment processes at the same time.

The country will have to continue importing cobalt, Wilkinson said, due to its limited resources of the metal. China controls most of the world’s refined cobalt and rare earths supplies.

To cover costs, Canada is putting in place investment tax credits to pay for a “significant chunk” of the capital associated with new mining and mineral processing projects, Wilkinson said.

Funds are also ready to be made available for infrastructure like transmission lines and roads that will help accelerate the development of new minerals, he added.

The government is also investing billions of dollars in several companies’ battery factory projects in Canada, including Swedish battery producer Northvolt and German car manufacturer Volkswagen.

A loan guarantee programme is being put in place as well to provide access for indigenous communities to low-cost debt for investing as equity participants in existing and future projects, Wilkinson said.

In July, a group of five First Nation communities protested against mining plans in the so-called “Ring of Fire”, a region in the remote James Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario that is seen as the next frontier for mining metals such as copper, cobalt and nickel.

Wilkinson said streamlining permitting and environmental assessments would not lead to corner-cutting.

“I think the environmental community also recognizes that there is no energy transition without significantly enhanced volumes of critical minerals,” he said.

(By Forrest Crellin and Julia Payne; Editing by Mark Potter)

Indonesia names two Chinese nationals as suspects in nickel fire

Bloomberg News | February 12, 2024

Image: Tsingshan Holding Group.

Indonesia named two Chinese nationals as suspects in an investigation into a deadly blast at a nickel smelter owned by top producer Tsingshan Holding Group.


The fire, which killed 21, showed the hidden cost of the Southeast Asian nation’s rapid expansion of its nickel industry. Indonesia now makes more than half of the global supply thanks to a wave of Chinese investments into plants that process the metal, which have come under scrutiny due to a series of accidents at the sites.

A spokesperson for the police in Central Sulawesi, home to the Morowali Industrial Park where the fire took place, didn’t say why they were named as suspects and identified them only by their initials.

One was a furnace supervisor at a different smelter in the park who had been seconded to Tsingshan’s facility, while the other was also employed by a different firm.

(By Chandra Asmara and Eddie Spence)

Lundin Mining reports fatality at Neves-Corvo mine in Portugal

Reuters | February 12, 2024 | 

Neves-Corvo is a mainly copper and zinc mine producing copper, zinc and lead concentrates. Credit: Lundin Mining

Canadian miner Lundin Mining on Monday said an employee at its Neves-Corvo mine in Portugal died after a fall-of-ground incident while operating a piece of equipment underground.


The company said operations at the mainly copper and zinc producing mine have been temporarily suspended.

Lundin said that it is working with Portugal’s authorities in their investigation.

(By Vallari Srivastava; Editing by Tasim Zahid)