Lithium Pollution Arising from Papermaking and Textile Dyeing Industries: Emission Characteristics and Environmental Impact

Elevated concentrations of lithium (Li) in natural ecosystems have intensified concerns about its potential environmental and health risks. However, the role of traditional industrial activities in Li pollution remains poorly understood. Here, we present the first comprehensive assessment of Li pollution originating from the papermaking and textile dyeing industries. Results show that effluents from industrial wastewater treatment plants contain Li at concentrations that are 10-100 times those in natural waters, thereby substantially increasing the dissolved Li concentrations in adjacent surface water and groundwater. Conventional wastewater treatment processes show limited efficiency in removing dissolved Li. Quantitative analysis estimates that the annual Li emissions from China's papermaking and textile dyeing industries are 60.2 and 231 t, respectively, accounting for approximately 6% of the total Li flux in China's river systems. Moreover, paper products and industrial dust from these sectors are significantly enriched in total Li with a high proportion associated with labile fractions. Li isotope signatures of traditional industrial sources differ from those of natural sources, thus serving as an effective indicator for source apportionment. These findings uncover the previously overlooked contribution of traditional industries to the global Li cycle and provide new evidence to inform mitigation of Li contamination from these sources.