A new study using remote sensing and machine learning found that mining for green technology minerals has unexpected consequences on biodiversity. The research revealed that commodities such as lithium and cobalt have the highest biodiversity risks despite lower levels of forest loss.
A groundbreaking study quantified CO2 emissions from acid mine drainage neutralization in metal mining, finding it releases a similar amount of CO2 as conventional copper production. The long-term impact is concerning, as the process can continue for centuries, making it a significant challenge for decarbonizing the industry.
A global review of 411 studies found that river sand and gravel mining is removing sand faster than it can be replenished, threatening rivers, infrastructure, and communities. The study recommends better tracking, measurement, and regulation to manage extraction and protect the environment.
Researchers at Flinders University have found evidence of 7000 years of Aboriginal mining at Sugarloaf Hill in South Australia's Riverland region. The study sheds light on the traditional practices and trade networks of Aboriginal people in the area.
Researchers developed a robotic system inspired by social insects to optimize mining operations. The honeybee-inspired approach outperformed others in tests, reducing travel distance by up to 80% and completing ore delivery tasks 60% faster.
Researchers at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) have successfully addressed an airflow anomaly caused by heavy rain, thanks to data-driven decisions and advanced airflow sensors. By analyzing this phenomenon, they've gained valuable insights for underground operations worldwide.
A new national analysis found that mesothelioma deaths and diagnoses continue to rise in the US, with little improvement in survival rates. The disease disproportionately affects women and several high-risk states tied to shipbuilding, mining, and legacy asbestos exposure.
A three-year field study shows that pairing biochar with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can improve soil health, nutrient supply, microbial diversity, and maize productivity. The treatment also increased soil water content, porosity, organic carbon, available phosphorus, and enzyme activity.
The study found that mining operations in Africa lead to the destruction of 187,000 hectares of forest between 2001 and 2020. Mines extracting cobalt and copper cause the highest rates of overall deforestation.
Brazil needs to build separation and refining facilities, master permanent magnet production, and address environmental risks. The country's capacity to meet global demand for rare-earth magnets is currently only around 6%.
A new study published in the Journal of Big Data highlights the journal's emergence as a leading publication in data science and artificial intelligence research. The study found that JBD has become a central hub for high-impact research worldwide, with significant contributions from top researchers.
University of Oklahoma economist Georgia Kosmopoulou will study the environmental and economic impacts of industries like agriculture and mining in Peru. Her research aims to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and bring economics into existing partnerships.
The study models fork rate in a network of heterogeneous miners and quantifies the power wasted in mining orphaned blocks. The wasted energy has drastically increased over the past decade, equivalent to half of the UK's power generation in 2025.
A new model combines text mining and machine learning to extract service-specific aspects and customer actions from online reviews. The model effectively identifies core technical issues and user love for a platform, enabling targeted decisions for improvement. Researchers validated the model using 231,705 online reviews of Roblox.
New research from North Carolina State University predicts data center power demand will increase by up to 57% by 2030, leading to higher electricity costs and CO2 emissions. The study finds that regional price increases will vary depending on where new data centers are built.
A new study analyzes global nickel demand and its environmental costs, finding that meeting future demand could harm biodiverse ecosystems. The research calls for sustainable mining practices and stronger regulations to minimize ecological impacts.
Archaeologists uncover evidence of ancient copper smelting in a mountain cave, spanning over 2,000 years. Human remains and lost jewelry suggest the site may have been a burial ground, while fire played a deliberate role in processing the green mineral fragments.
A study published by National Jewish Health found significant gaps in understanding occupational risks for mineral non-coal miners, with silicosis affecting a substantial portion of the global mining workforce. The research emphasizes the importance of ongoing exposure monitoring and medical surveillance to reduce disease rates.
Researchers have developed a technique to detect and measure the concentration of rare-earth elements in plants without destroying them. The method uses fluorescence spectroscopy to distinguish between autofluorescence from plant matter and rare-earth element uptake.
Researchers at Stockholm Environment Institute developed a new method to identify and reduce risks of violating Sámi rights linked to industrial projects on traditional lands. The method highlights significant risks to human rights, particularly for the Gabna Sámi reindeer herding community.
The University of Utah has launched a new Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals (ICSM) to address the US's growing reliance on foreign critical minerals. The institute aims to expand sustainable, domestic sources and production of critical minerals through education, workforce development, and cutting-edge research.
Researchers have discovered a new species of glassfrog in Ecuador named after Neisi Dajomes, the first Ecuadorian woman to win an Olympic gold medal. The Dajomes glassfrog has uniformly green skin with a pebbly texture and a white membrane covered in light-reflecting cells on its underside.
A collaborative study from The University of Haripur and China University of Mining and Technology provides a concrete roadmap for balancing regional wealth with environmental health. To achieve true carbon neutrality, governments must aggressively fund renewable energy grids and realign outdated industrial frameworks.
Researchers developed REMINLASER, an airborne instrument that rapidly identifies critical raw materials in mining waste, key to European energy and digital transition. The system is a breakthrough in laser spectroscopy, enabling real-time geochemical analysis of large surfaces.
A new framework, 'just-shoring,' aims to shift focus from competition and security to the rights and interests of local communities whose lands are most at risk. The approach prioritizes accountability and transparency, giving communities a legal right to co-govern throughout the mineral lifecycle.
Scientists extracted thousands of years' worth of air pollution from a 9.5-meter ice core, recording medieval mining, fires, and volcanoes. However, global warming is destroying this frozen archive, and researchers warn that it's a race against time to capture critical climate information.
Researchers found that the river recovered its natural shape within four years after mining stopped, but the local economy did not bounce back. The study recommends a fairer, more sustainable model for river sediment extraction to minimize environmental and human impacts.
A team from UCO develops a 100% recycled paving block made from mollusk shells and mining waste, replacing natural aggregates and conventional cement. The block meets mechanical, durability, and safety criteria without using single natural material, contributing to circular economy and decarbonization in the construction sector.
Researchers found that adding native forest litter rapidly reshaped soil microbial communities and improved their functional potential. This low-cost strategy could help accelerate ecological recovery in degraded landscapes worldwide.
Researchers have discovered six Bronze Age mining sites in southwestern Spain, revealing extensive metal extraction and trade networks. The findings provide a concrete archaeological context for previous studies on the origin of Scandinavian Bronze.
A new method to extract phosphorus from the Baltic Sea could reduce Europe's dependence on imported phosphate mining, revitalizing the ecosystem. Researchers at KTH Royal Institute of Technology have developed a two-step approach using microbes to loosen and bind phosphorus.
To meet basic copper demands, prices must rise substantially and mining processes need reforms. Recycling and alternative materials can alleviate some demand but may come with higher emissions.
Researchers propose a novel approach leveraging mutual interaction between neural topic model and language model to improve argument mining tasks. The proposed method effectively captures contextual information on targets, cross-domain adaptation, and implicit argumentative information within arguments.
The North American wild mountain sheep is losing its habitat to industrial mining, human activity, and climate change. The book highlights the risks faced by this species, which nearly collapsed in previous decades but now faces grave risks from disease and habitat loss.
A study investigates uranium exposure in children living near gold mining dumps and finds higher levels of uranium in their hair compared to children from reference sites. The study collected over 400 hair samples and analyzed them alongside information on the children's age, gender, and living conditions.
A study reveals that expanding existing mines worsens environmental and social risks over time, with many operations concentrated in high-risk contexts. The practice tends to draw less regulation due to its routine nature, unlike new mining projects.
Researchers have identified novel sources of soybean resistance to cyst nematode that could help protect global soybean production. The study reveals a wealth of previously untapped genetic resistance to SCN by mining deep into soybean genomes.
Andreas Zeller recognized for his work on automated debugging and security testing, with a total of nine Test of Time Awards. He is one of the few researchers to receive two ERC Advanced Grants from the European Research Council.
Jundong Li, an associate professor at the University of Virginia, has received the 2025 Tao Li Award for his significant contributions to data mining and machine learning. His research focuses on developing models that can extract actionable insights from structured data, particularly graphs.
A study analyzing corporate ESG reporting through data mining reveals a significant trend toward the homogenization of reports, with greater emphasis on social and governance issues. The findings suggest that companies are adopting similar ESG frameworks, which can enhance legitimacy but limit innovation.
The study found that consuming bananas grown in soil impacted by iron mining waste poses a possible health risk to children aged six years or younger. The team correlated the risk to human health with the transfer of toxic elements from the soil to the plant, revealing high concentrations of cadmium, chromium, and other metals.
A comprehensive analysis of 503 fish found high levels of 13 heavy metals and toxic substances, making consumption inadvisable due to health risks. The study highlights the persistence of contamination in the Doce River basin, with ongoing mineral exploitation and industrial activities contributing to pollution.
A team led by ICE-CSIC analyzed C-type asteroids and carbon-rich minor bodies to assess their viability for resource extraction. The study supports the idea that these asteroids can serve as crucial material sources, but mining undifferentiated asteroids is still far from viable.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute present efficient and low-CO2 process to extract copper, nickel, and cobalt from deep-sea ore nodules. The method generates significantly less waste and deforestation compared to traditional land-based mining.
Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to convert hazardous acid mine drainage into ferric chloride, a widely used water treatment chemical. Laboratory tests achieved removal rates of over 99% for pollutants from river water.
Boris Karanov and Frank Rhein receive funding to develop new algorithms for optical communication systems and reduce CO2 emissions from cryptocurrency mining. Their research aims to improve the performance of optical networks and mitigate the environmental impact of blockchain technology.
The study found that sand mining in the Mekong River is causing a decline in the reverse flow system that feeds water into Tonlé Sap Lake. The lake is home to 885 species and provides livelihoods for almost two million fishers, but its future is at risk due to the increased extraction rates.
A new study finds that deep-sea mining waste can disrupt marine life in the midwater 'twilight zone', where vast communities of zooplankton support the ocean's food system. The waste, released during a 2022 mining trial, has lower concentrations of amino acids, threatening the delicate balance of the food web.
Research by Dr. Dorothy Vesper and her team found that abandoned coal mines can transport CO2 from bedrock to the atmosphere through unremediated discharge. The mine waters, loaded with sulfuric acid, break down carbonate rocks releasing ancient CO2 that then converts to CO2 or other forms of carbon in the water.
The city's relocation to a depression resulted in colder temperatures, up to 10 degrees lower in winter. The new design prioritizes aesthetics over climate protection, creating a 'bloody wind tunnel' and neglecting essential features like snow insulation.
A team of scientists introduces a nature-based solution to tackle global soil pollution by harnessing microbes and iron minerals. Microbial iron mining removes toxic substances like heavy metals and organic pollutants, transforming them into less hazardous forms.
A recent study reveals that mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining directly contaminates food crops through the air, not soil. This poses a significant risk to human health and food security in Africa, where millions of people depend on local agriculture for survival.
The African Data Drive is an interactive tool that provides accessible, quality-assured spatial data to empower decision-makers to balance development needs with conservation priorities. The platform enables users to assess potential risks to biodiversity and access the most appropriate information on sustainable development.
A new study reveals that ancient hominids were exposed to lead earlier than thought, up to two million years before modern humans began mining the metal. This exposure may have shaped the evolution of hominid brains, limiting language and social development in all but modern humans due to a protective genetic variant.
A study reveals that the Mar Menor lagoon has sediments with excessive levels of lead, arsenic, and other toxic metals accumulated over centuries due to mining activities. The research highlights the ongoing risk these metals pose to aquatic organisms and ecosystems, even after the closure of mines in the 1990s.
Researchers developed nitrogen-responsive promoters in Bacillus licheniformis, enabling expression systems to respond to changing nitrogen conditions. The newly identified promoters were found to initiate transcription and mediate transglutaminase gene expression, improving industrial production efficiency.
The M-Cube associated research laboratory combines micron-level visualization tools with precise mineralogical and geochemical analyses to identify new avenues for optimizing the mining cycle. The collaboration aims to reduce the environmental impact of uranium mining sites and better understand the mobility of radioactive descendants.
Research suggests that the US can mine sufficient graphite to produce batteries for electric vehicles and stationary storage, but economic factors make it challenging. The country's supply of natural graphite exceeds demand projections, while synthetic graphite demand is expected to outpace supply.
The Australian National University (ANU) has developed a technology that can recover untapped critical resources such as copper and lithium from mining waste. The BERST system, inspired by nature, uses nanotechnology to separate and extract high-purity minerals and metals, while turning dirty water into clean water.
Curtin University has signed two international agreements to advance next-generation robotics and autonomous systems, with a focus on finding life on Mars. The LifeSpringsMars Working Group will unite scientists and industry experts from around the world to develop new technologies for mining, defence, and remote operations.