Research into the extraction and recycling of materials and minerals for batteries is crucial for protecting our environment and to promote sustainable resource use. Understanding the environmental impacts and challenges associated with these activities, such as health implications for local populations exposed to air and water pollution, biodiversity loss from mining and recycling activities, and the distinct environmental effects of deep-sea versus land-based mining, can support with the development of sustainable and more efficient practices. Guest-edited by Jennifer Dunn (Northwestern University) and Juliana Segura-Salazar (The University of Queensland), this gold open-access themed collection highlights the environmental impact of mining and recycling of minerals and metals from batteries, also publishing papers at the social-environmental science interface. Please enjoy the articles in the collection below.
| Sustainable copper mining: a pathway to emission reduction through renewable energy
Mohsen Rabbani, Sima Nikfar, Seyedkamal Mousavinezhad, Sheida Nili, Ario Fahimi, Carl Nesbitt, Ehsan Vahidi* Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2025) 4 (7): 1035–1044, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00043b
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Life cycle inventory data for critical mineral mining: recommendations and new U.S. data compendium Jenna N. Trost, Daniel Zitomer, Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez and Jennifer B. Dunn* Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2026) 5 (2): 522–533, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00188a
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| Process intensification by resonant vibratory mixing for samarium–cobalt magnet leaching with deep eutectic solvents
Zainab Nasrullah*, Frank Agyemang, Mehran Saddat, Richard LaDouceur Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2026) 5 (2): 510–521, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00283d
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Energy, greenhouse gas, and water life cycle analysis of synthetic graphite anode production in the United States
Ramsharan Pandey, Ulises R. Gracida-Alvarez, Rakesh K. Iyer and Jarod C. Kelly* Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2025) 4 (12): 2055–2068, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00171d
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| Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide particles cause developmental neurotoxicity in Caenorhabditis elegans
Roi Faroud Lopez, Javier Huayta, Gordon D. Z. Williams, Sarah A. Seay, Pooja D. Lalwani, Sasha N. Bacot, Avner Vengosh, Joel N. Meyer* Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2025) 4 (11): 1767–1781, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00103j
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Comparative analysis of systematic variations in life cycle analysis of lithium-ion batteries for automotive applications Siddharth Shukla*, Kang Shen, Rakesh K. Iyer, Jarod C. Kelly Environ. Sci.: Adv. (2026) 5 (8): 1878–1893, DOI: 10.1039/d5va00190k |