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Biological Isotopy of Lithium in Littoral Zones

Project description

Monitoring lithium contamination in coastal waters

Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are rechargeable power sources used in various applications. However, Li is toxic to aquatic life and its river flux to the ocean threatens marine ecosystems. Amid the ongoing energy transition, being able to monitor Li levels in coastal waters is central. Funded by the European Research Council, the SeaLi2Bio project will integrate novel isotopic methods with ecological studies to trace Li sources. Researchers will determine Li contamination by investigating the levels in plankton and its biological effects. Correlation with environmental conditions will help upscale project findings globally and establish a comprehensive global reference to address this critical environmental concern.

Objective

Lithium (Li) is key in the energy transition and massively used to produce mobile devices and electrical vehicles. Yet its current consumption rate exceeds its river flux to the ocean, and it is poorly recycled, while Li excess is toxic for aquatic life and humans. Although concentrations of Li and its isotopes have been measured in coastal waters, at river outlets, to study continental chemical weathering and climate controls, Li monitoring has been occasional. Moreover, bias caused by anthropogenic inputs is not quantified.
Combining a novel isotopic methodology with ecotoxicology and biology approaches, SeaLi2Bio will first determine and understand the littoral Li contamination sources, flux and controls, and quantify its current contribution to the Li cycle. Plankton, macroalgae and bivalves will act as long-term bioindicators at reference sites located along urbanisation gradients. The biological controls of Li isotopes will be determined by aquaculture of model organisms, over a range of representative environmental and metabolic conditions, and confronted to in situ measurements. Upscaling from regional to global scale will be achieved with a multivariate statistical model accounting for geospatial data on watershed characteristics, population density and socioeconomic parameters.
This project will also anticipate future environmental and health issues caused by Li contamination, focusing on the North Chile coast where Li levels are known as the highest, and using innovative health-monitoring tools (Cu-Zn isotopes). Finally, the evolution of Li contamination will be simulated at the continental and global scale, following scenarios of energy transition impacting differently Li demand and waste.
By disentangling the factors of Li contamination from the natural background, SeaLi2Bio will assemble a first robust reference for a global issue tied to the history of climate and its future evolution in response to reduction of fossil fuels use.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) ERC-2022-ADG

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Host institution

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 338 199,00
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 3 182 574,00

Beneficiaries (2)

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