From Trace Element Biogeochemistry to Critical Minerals Resourcing: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Innovation.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States.
- 2Department of Geochemistry, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS), Øster Voldgade 10, Copenhagen1350, Denmark.
- 3Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, Missouri65409, United States.
- 4National Energy Technology Laboratory , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania15236, United States.
- 5Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, UppsalaSE-750 07, Sweden.
Abstract
Critical minerals and materials, which are raw materials essential to modern technologies yet vulnerable to supply disruption, have emerged as a major focal point of research to diversify resources, advance processing technologies, and bolster supply chains. Many of these elements, however, have long been studied in the context of trace-element biogeochemistry, where decades of work have elucidated their speciation, transport, transformation, and biological interactions in natural and engineered systems. This Perspective article reaffirms these foundational principles as a powerful framework for advancing critical mineral resourcing. Principles studied for pollution mitigation, such as sorption, redox transformations, and biological uptake, can be reenvisioned as strategies for selective recovery from dilute and complex feedstocks, including industrial wastewater, solid residuals, and unconventional geological materials. Advances in molecular-scale characterization, geochemical modeling, and data science further link element speciation, extractability, and product quality. Such connections could offer new pathways for process design, such as biological approaches that would apply to low-energy and distributed recovery systems. Importantly, the viability of new processes extends beyond conventional economic metrics and must consider regulatory drivers, circularity goals, and societal impacts, as demonstrated in related sectors, such as phosphorus recovery and waste reutilization. By integrating concepts from biogeochemistry with advances in materials research, environmental sciences, and data analytics, the field is well positioned to contribute to a new paradigm for mineral resourcing─one that emphasizes sustainability, resilience, and environmental stewardship alongside technological innovation.
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BibTeX
@article{hsukim2026from,
title = {{From Trace Element Biogeochemistry to Critical Minerals Resourcing: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Innovation.}},
author = {Heileen Hsu-Kim and Case M van Genuchten and Joel G Burken and Djuna Gulliver and Jon Petter Gustafsson and Mengling Stuckman},
journal = {Environmental science \& technology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1021/acs.est.6c08144},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42917001},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - From Trace Element Biogeochemistry to Critical Minerals Resourcing: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Innovation.
AU - Heileen Hsu-Kim
AU - Case M van Genuchten
AU - Joel G Burken
AU - Djuna Gulliver
AU - Jon Petter Gustafsson
AU - Mengling Stuckman
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Environmental science & technology
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.6c08144
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42917001
AB - Critical minerals and materials, which are raw materials essential to modern technologies yet vulnerable to supply disruption, have emerged as a major focal point of research to diversify resources, advance processing technologies, and bolster supply chains. Many of these elements, however, have long been studied in the context of trace-element biogeochemistry, where decades of work have elucidated their speciation, transport, transformation, and biological interactions in natural and engineered systems. This Perspective article reaffirms these foundational principles as a powerful framework for advancing critical mineral resourcing. Principles studied for pollution mitigation, such as sorption, redox transformations, and biological uptake, can be reenvisioned as strategies for selective recovery from dilute and complex feedstocks, including industrial wastewater, solid residuals, and unconventional geological materials. Advances in molecular-scale characterization, geochemical modeling, and data science further link element speciation, extractability, and product quality. Such connections could offer new pathways for process design, such as biological approaches that would apply to low-energy and distributed recovery systems. Importantly, the viability of new processes extends beyond conventional economic metrics and must consider regulatory drivers, circularity goals, and societal impacts, as demonstrated in related sectors, such as phosphorus recovery and waste reutilization. By integrating concepts from biogeochemistry with advances in materials research, environmental sciences, and data analytics, the field is well positioned to contribute to a new paradigm for mineral resourcing─one that emphasizes sustainability, resilience, and environmental stewardship alongside technological innovation.
SN - 0013-936X
SN - 1520-5851
ER -