How does anything with gold impact water?
Jewelry, electronics, dentistry and banks use gold. Artisanal miners like this one mine 20% of this gold. They collect ore from pits and riverbeds, crush it, then mix it with water to create a slurry.
photo credit: Marc Choyt
When they add mercury to the slurry, gold particles bind to the mercury and form an amalgam. When miners "cook" these lumps, methyl mercury (a dangerous neurotoxin) evaporates-- and then they have a sellable gold nugget. How do methyl mercury's vapors and tailings contaminate nearby waterways and land?
Solar panels attract dirt. Rinsing the panels with water lets them generate electricity to their full potential. How much water do solar panels use to keep clean? Solar panels have four applications of PFAs. When panels crack, do these chemicals leach into ground water?
Mobile devices like smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles use lithium to hold charge. How much water does lithium mining require?
How much water does a data storage center's cooling system require?
How would mining the deep sea for "green" technologies' elements impact deep sea life?
How does transporting raw materials, goods and garbage impact water?
Raw materials and finished electronics, appliances, energy systems and vehicles get trucked, trained, flown and shipped between continents.
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