The long-term impact of expanding existing mines gets less scrutiny than that of newly-built mines

While brownfield mining is common industry practice, its sheer scale, pace, and impact remained poorly understood at the global level.

Cell Press

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Mining companies worldwide are expanding mineral extraction at existing mines, as the rate of opening new sites slows, to meet global demand driven mainly by the need for clean energy infrastructure.

A study, publishing January 22 in the Cell Press journal One Earth, shows that the practice of expanding and intensifying mining at existing sites can worsen environmental and social risks over time. But these operations tend to draw less scrutiny and regulation.

“Current policy and debate are focused on approving new critical mineral mines,” says first author Deanna Kemp of the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. “That is important, but our study draws attention to a deeper shift, which is the ongoing expansion of existing mines and the long-term environmental and social liabilities this creates.”

Global demand for minerals has been rising over the past decades, often because of their central roles in the renewable energy transition. Metals like copper, cobalt, and lithium are key components of electric vehicles, power grids, and batteries. Some estimates suggest that the need for these minerals could increase by as much as six times by 2040.

To meet such demand, mining companies around the world are increasingly turning to brownfield mining, which involves exploring and extracting minerals at or near existing operations for longer periods and at deeper levels. Such practice tends to generate more waste, take up more land, and lead to greater overall impact in these places. Unlike new mining projects, which can take up to 15 years to permit and develop, brownfield expansion often unfolds with less public scrutiny.

While brownfield mining is common industry practice, its sheer scale, pace, and impact remained poorly understood at the global level.

To address this gap, Kemp and her team used data on global mineral production and investment to show how capital has been increasingly flowing to brownfield mining. They identified 366 brownfield sites around the world for further analysis.

By mapping these operations with satellite imagery and other data that tracks social and environmental conditions worldwide, the team found that more than one-fifth of the sites lie within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of ecologically pristine or partially modified areas, including Arctic tundra regions and high-mountain environments. More than half of the sites are located within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of biodiversity hotspots or protected areas, potentially posing threats to sensitive ecosystems.

The team also found that many brownfield operations are concentrated in countries facing high levels of structural inequality, where access to opportunities like education and employment varies across groups.  More than a third of the brownfield sites they identified are in countries affected by conflict or militarization.

Overall, nearly 80% of the brownfield mines analyzed are in locations facing multiple high-risk conditions, which also include water scarcity, weak governance, and limited press freedom.

“What stood out to us is that many of these mines are operating in contexts with layers of social and environmental complexity,” Kemp says. “These are conditions where regulatory oversight is harder while risks accumulate.”

Kemp adds that with new mining technologies, some brownfield expansions are happening underground, and they are difficult to detect and evaluate with satellite imagery. As a result, the team’s findings may underestimate the extent of such industrial expansion.

“If larger, deeper, and longer-life mines is how we move the energy transition forward, our regulatory frameworks should better reflect that practice,” Kemp says. “That means assessing mine expansion for cumulative and long-term effects rather than treating expansion as a routine decision compared to new projects.”

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This work was supported by the Australian Research Council and the Ford Foundation.

One Earth, Kemp et al., “The rise of brownfield mining is reshaping global mineral supply and intensifying social and environmental risk” http://cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(25)00389-6

One Earth (@OneEarth_CP), published by Cell Press, is a monthly journal that features papers from the fields of natural, social, and applied sciences. One Earth is the home for high-quality research that seeks to understand and address today’s environmental Grand Challenges, publishing across the spectrum of environmental change and sustainability science. A sister journal to Cell, Chem, and Joule, One Earth aspires to break down barriers between disciplines and stimulate the cross-pollination of ideas with a platform that unites communities, fosters dialogue, and encourages transformative research. Visit http://www.cell.com/one-earth. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

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Journal

One Earth

DOI

10.1016/j.oneear.2025.101563 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

The rise of brownfield mining is reshaping global minerals supply and intensifying social and environmental risk

Article Publication Date

22-Jan-2026

 

What do caregivers feel when witnessing terminal lucidity in children?

The findings suggest that witnessing terminal lucidity in children may initiate a spiritual transformation with implications similar to post-traumatic growth or to the changes often observed in individuals who have had a Near-Death Experience

BIAL Foundation

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Research assessed caregivers’ perceptions when witnessing episodes of terminal lucidity in children. The findings indicate that witnessing these episodes was regarded as a profoundly spiritual experience, capable of influencing personal belief systems. All caregivers shared what they had seen with others, receiving reactions of scepticism and/or acceptance.

There are records of several unusual experiences reported by people in a terminal state, occurring in the final days, hours, or minutes of life. One such experience, known as terminal lucidity (TL), is characterised by an unexpected surge of mental clarity, which may occur along with a brief recovery of cognitive abilities. TL can be considered a medical enigma which is difficult to explain, as those who experience it often, though not always, exhibit irreversible physiological decline.

Although research on TL has increased substantially over the past decade, most studies focus on reports from elderly adult populations. Some cases of TL in children have recently been documented in contemporary literature, however, no study has examined the caregivers' feelings when witnessing TL in children.

Recognising this gap, an international team of researchers, led by Natasha Tassell-Matamua (Massey University, New Zealand) and supported by the Bial Foundation, investigated the impact that witnessing TL in children may have on caregivers. The aim was to assess how caregivers perceived TL, how this experience might influence their belief systems, how they disclosed what they witnessed to others, and what reactions they received.

In the article Impacts on Caregivers of Witnessing Terminal Lucidity in Children, published in OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying, the authors explain that, between 2023 and 2025, they conducted an online survey with seven caregivers to assess the impact of witnessing TL in 11 children aged between 3 and 16 years.

The findings revealed that witnessing TL in children was regarded as a transformative spiritual experience, influencing caregivers’ belief systems and making them more spiritually inclined. All caregivers who participated in the study disclosed what they had witnessed to others, receiving a mix of accepting and sceptical responses.

Healthcare professionals were considered the most sceptical about TL, except for those who worked closely with the child and developed a sense of connection. Other colleagues of the caregivers reported feeling comforted and inspired upon learning about the TL their peer had witnessed. The results of this study highlight the need for greater education on end-of-life experiences among healthcare professionals, to reduce the stigma associated with disclosing TL to colleagues and to provide the peace and comfort necessary for caregivers of terminal patients.

“We can say that research on TL is still in its infancy”, notes Natasha Tassell-Matamua, while emphasising that “TL appears to be a profoundly moving experience for terminally ill patients and a potentially transformative experience for those who witness it”. In particular, the findings of the study “suggest that witnessing TL in children may initiate a spiritual transformation with implications similar to post-traumatic growth or to the changes often observed in individuals who have had a Near-Death Experience (NDE) or who have been educated about NDEs training”, reflects the researcher.

Learn more about the project “129/22 - Mapping the characteristics and impacts of terminal lucidity in children” here.

 

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Journal

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying

DOI

10.1177/00302228251391552 

Method of Research

Survey

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Impacts on Caregivers of Witnessing Terminal Lucidity in Children

 

U.S. Rural hospital bypass by patients with commercial health insurance

JAMA Network Open

About The Study: 

Rural hospital bypass (when rural residents receive care at hospitals other than their nearest hospital) rates among commercially insured patients were substantial between 2012 and 2021, generating large payments to receiving hospitals. Relative to Medicare bypass rates, commercial bypass rates were high in this sample. The findings of this study support concerns that commercial bypass contributes to financial distress at rural hospitals.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Caitlin E. Carroll, PhD, email carrollc@umn.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.55017)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

#  #  #

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article 

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.55017?guestAccessKey=1b34668e-afe8-4888-aa3d-dd05b3b83eff&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=012226

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication. 

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Journal

JAMA Network Open

The face scars less than the body — a Stanford Medicine study unravels why

Stanford Medicine

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Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found. If results from their study, which was conducted in mice, translate to humans, it may be possible to avoid or even treat the formation of scars anywhere on or within the body.

Scarring is more than a cosmetic problem. Scars can interfere with normal tissue function and cause chronic pain, disease and even death. It’s estimated that about 45% of deaths in the United States are due to some type of scarring (also known as fibrosis) — usually of vital organs like the lungs, liver or heart.

Scars on the skin’s surface, while rarely fatal, are stiffer and weaker than normal skin and they lack sweat glands or hair follicles, making it difficult to compensate for temperature changes.

Surgeons have known for decades that facial wounds heal with less scarring than injuries on other parts of the body. This phenomenon makes evolutionary sense: Rapid healing of body wounds prevents death from blood loss, infection or impaired mobility, but healing of the face requires that the skin maintain its ability to function well.

“The face is the prime real estate of the body,” said professor of surgery Michael Longaker, MD. “We need to see and hear and breathe and eat. In contrast, injuries on the body must heal quickly. The resulting scar may not look or function like normal tissue, but you will likely still survive to procreate.”

Exactly how this discrepancy happens has remained a mystery, although there were some clues.

“The face and scalp are developmentally unique,” said professor of surgery Derrick Wan, MD. “Tissue from the neck up is derived from a type of cell in the early embryo called a neural crest cell. In this study we identified specific healing pathways in scar-forming cells called fibroblasts that originate from the neural crest and found that they drive a more regenerative type of healing.”

Activating this pathway in even a subset of fibroblasts around small wounds on the abdomen or backs of mice caused them to heal with much less scarring — similar to untreated facial or scalp wounds.

Longaker, the Deane P. and Louise Mitchell Professor in the School of Medicine, and Wan, the Johnson & Johnson Distinguished Professor in Surgery II, are the senior authors of the study, which was published Jan. 22 in Cell. Plastic surgery resident Michelle Griffin, MD, PhD, and clinical and postdoctoral scholar Dayan Li, MD, PhD, are the lead authors of the research.

“Many of the authors on this paper are fellow physician scientists,” said Li, who is board certified in dermatology. “This project was inspired by what we’ve observed in our patients — facial wounds in general heal with less scarring. We wanted to understand, mechanistically, why this is.”

Proteins determine scarring

Li and his colleagues used laboratory mice to investigate differences in wound healing at various sites on the animals’ bodies. They anesthetized the mice before creating small skin wounds on the face, scalp, back and abdomen. The wounds were stabilized by suturing small plastic rings around them to prevent differences in mechanical forces as the animals moved. Mice were given pain relief during the healing process.

After 14 days, the wounds on the face and scalp expressed lower levels of proteins known to be involved in scar formation as compared with those on the abdomen or back of the animals. The sizes of the scars were also smaller.

The researchers then transplanted skin from the face, scalp, back and abdomen of mice onto the backs of control mice. After the transplants had engrafted, they repeated the experiment on the transplanted skin. As before, wounds in the skin transplanted from the faces of the donor mice expressed lower levels of scarring-associated proteins.

Additionally, Li and his colleagues isolated fibroblasts from skin samples from the four body sites in the donor mice and injected them into the backs of control mice. They observed reduced levels of scarring-associated proteins on the recipient animals’ backs injected with fibroblasts from the donor animals’ faces as compared with fibroblasts from the scalp, back or abdomen.

“We found you don’t need to change or manipulate all fibroblasts within the tissue to have a positive outcome,” Li said. “When we injected fibroblasts that we had genetically altered to more closely resemble facial fibroblasts, we saw that the back incisions healed very much like facial incisions, with reduced scarring, even when the transplanted fibroblasts made up only 10% to 15% of the total number of surrounding fibroblasts. Changing just a few cells can trigger a cascade of events that can cause big changes in healing.”

A less-fibrotic wound healing

Digging deeper, the researchers identified changes in gene expression between facial fibroblasts and those from other parts of the body and followed these clues to identify a signaling pathway involving a protein called ROBO2 that maintains facial fibroblasts in a less-fibrotic state. They also saw something interesting in the genomes of fibroblasts making ROBO2.

“In general, the DNA of the ROBO2-positive cells is less transcriptionally active, or less available for binding by proteins required for gene expression,” Li said. “These fibroblasts more closely resemble their progenitors, the neural crest cells, and they might be more able to become the many cell types required for skin regeneration.”

In contrast, the DNA in fibroblasts from other sites of the body allows free access to genes like collagen that are involved in the creation of scar tissue.

“It seems that, in order to scar, the cells must be able to express these pro-fibrotic genes,” Longaker said. “And this is the default pathway for much of the body.”

ROBO2 doesn’t act alone. It triggers a signaling pathway that results in the inhibition of another protein called EP300 that facilitates gene expression. EP300 plays an important role in some cancers, and clinical trials of a small drug molecule that can inhibit its activity are underway. Li and his colleagues found that using this pre-existing small molecule to block EP300 activity in fibroblasts prone to scarring caused back wounds to heal like facial wounds.

“Now that we understand this pathway and the implications of the differences among fibroblasts that arise from different types of stem cells, we may be able to improve wound healing after surgeries or trauma,” Wan said.

The findings are likely to extend to internal scarring as well, Longaker said. “There’s not a million ways to form a scar,” he said. “This and previous other findings in my lab suggest there are common mechanisms and culprits regardless of the tissue type, and they strongly suggest there is a unifying way to treat or prevent scarring.”

Researchers from the University of Arizona contributed to the work.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01-GM136659, U24DE029463, R01-DE032677, R01-AR081343, RM1-HG007735 and 5T32AR007422-43), The Hagey Laboratory for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the Scleroderma Research Foundation, the A.P. Giannini Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Longaker is an inventor on a patent application that covers a machine-learning algorithm for analysis of connective tissue networks in scarring and chronic fibroses.

Longaker is a member of Stanford’s Bio-X, the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, the Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, and the Stanford Cancer Institute.

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About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu.

 

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Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2025.12.014 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Fibroblasts of disparate developmental origins harbor anatomically variant scarring potential

Article Publication Date

22-Jan-2026