Use of Delithiated Beta Spodumene (DBS) manufactured sands in roads – Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment

The Challenge

Western Australia faces a shortage of building sand relative to the needs of future large infrastructure projects. Bulk manufactured sands produced by the state’s mining and mineral refining industries could help to address this need, but WA currently lacks the regulatory frameworks, standards, and guidelines required to support such re-use.

Proposed Solution

In conjunction with road construction works to be completed at the Albemarle Lithium Processing Plant at Kemerton, trial sections of road base will incorporate blends of DBS and standard road fill as a manufactured sand product. The environmental and human health implications of these products will be evaluated through a combination of laboratory analysis, geochemical modelling, and environmental monitoring, helping to inform technical criteria for future environmental decision-making on the use of DBS and in construction and infrastructure projects.

Proposed Benefits to WA

Validation of DBS as an alternative construction material would benefit Western Australia by: (1) reducing projected shortfalls of building sand available in the state; (2) reducing the cost and environmental impacts of mining and process residue disposal for the lithium industry, and; (3) supporting creation of regional jobs in processing and construction.

This work can also help to inform future assessments of novel co-products and recovered materials for suitability in major infrastructure projects, helping to develop and sustain robust circular economy practice in the WA minerals sector.

Financial Assistance DOI

DOI: 10.71342/130888757296