RARE EARTHS

RARE EARTHS

Made by: Alba De Lucas and Daniel Silva

WHAT ARE RARE EARTHS?

For what they are used?

characteristics that increase its demand

• Luminescence
• Thermal stability
• Electrical and magnetic conductivity
• (Someones have) Optical properties that enable their use in LED displays and other optical devices
• They are semiconductors

WHERE ARE THEY FOUND?

They are distributed worldwide, the largest reserves are found in China, which controls approximately 80% of global production. Other countries, such as Russia, the United States, Australia, and Malaysia, also have significant deposits.

80%

Health impact

SOCIAL IMPACT

GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT

ENVIRONMENTAL impact

Geopolitical Interests of the United States in Canada and Greenland: Connected Strategies in the Arctic

ECONOMIC IMPACT

BIBLIOGARPHY

Production of rare earth oxides in tons

HEALTH IMPACT

• Pneumoconiosis and Fibrosis
• Granulomatous Degeneration
• Cytotoxicity
• Transgenerational Damage
• Impact on Childhood
• Radioactive Waste
• Cancer Risk

Distribution of TR imports worldwide in 2019

But China, in addition to being the main producer, is also the main consumer of rare earths, absorbing more than 70% of total global production, followed by Australia (11%) and the United States (8%)

Geopolitical Interests of the United States in Canada and Greenland:

• Territorial expansion and control of the Arctic
• Natural resources and rare earth elements
• National security and rival containment
• Trade routes
• Military bases and defense systems

ECONOMIC IMPACT

• Rare earths are strategic for the global and technological economy, with an expanding market.
• China's dominance in the value chain influences global prices and availability.
• For Spain (and Europe), extracting and processing them can mean more investment, jobs, and autonomy, but also high costs and social/environmental barriers.

SOCIAL IMPACT

• Impact on local communities
• Human rights violations
• Global inequality

BIBLIOGRAPHY

https://ingenieriaambiental.net/tierras-raras/https://www.atalayar.com/fr/opinion/juan-manuel-chomon-perez-andreas-ganser-ieee/tierras-raras-lucha-hegemonia-mundial/20220104140049136051.html https://www.mintur.gob.es/Publicaciones/Publicacionesperiodicas/EconomiaIndustrial/RevistaEconomiaIndustrial/420/Dolores%20Algora%20Weber.pdf https://www.lanacion.com.ar/opinion/las-tierras-raras-impactan-en-la-politica-global-nid09062025/ https://wwwhatsnew.com/2025/02/18/las-tierras-raras-distribucion-geografica-y-conflictos-geopoliticos-contemporaneos/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987119300258?via%3Dihub https://ecologiaverde.elperiodico.com/tierras-raras-que-son-lista-caracteristicas-para-que-sirven-y-donde-estan-6349.html https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12583-018-0999-6

HEALTH IMPACT

• Pneumoconiosis and Fibrosis
• Granulomatous Degeneration
• Cytotoxicity
• Transgenerational Damage
• Impact on Childhood
• Radioactive Waste
• Cancer Risk

HEALTH IMPACT

• Pneumoconiosis and Fibrosis
• Granulomatous Degeneration
• Cytotoxicity
• Transgenerational Damage
• Impact on Childhood
• Radioactive Waste
• Cancer Risk

DEFINITION OF STRANGE EARTHES

Rare earths are a set of 17 chemical elements that include scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanide group elements. These elements are transition metals that share similar chemical properties and are found in nature in a variety of minerals.

PRINCIPAL USES

• permanent magnets
• electronic technology
• catalysts
• medical applications
• renewable energy
• defense industry
• lighting
• chemical and metallurgical
• research and development
• electronic waste recycling

CONSEQUENCES ON THE HEALTH

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ENVIRONMNETAL IMPACT

• Ecosystems are physically altered or destroyed through land clearing and mining infrastructure.
• Water resources are at risk from acid mine drainage and pollutant leaching.
• Air quality degrades due to dust and emissions from mining/refining.
• Radioactive and toxic wastes present long-lasting threats to soil, water, and communities.
• Biodiversity loss and disruption of natural cycles can persist for decades or longer.

GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT

• The Sino-American Struggle for Technological Hegemony
• Europe: Environmental Legislation vs. Industrial Safety
• Trade Wars and Alliance Reconfigurations