Earths In Acid M...: New Sensor Able To Detect Rare

For decades, the abandoned coal mines of Appalachia have bled "orange water"—a toxic cocktail known as acid mine drainage (AMD) that chokes local streams and rivers. But recent breakthroughs are transforming this environmental burden into a high-tech gold mine. The Problem: A Toxic Legacy

: It works in highly acidic environments and is as accurate as the "gold standard" laboratory mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), but is potentially portable and far cheaper. Impact: Turning Waste Into Wealth New sensor able to detect rare earths in acid m...

By identifying high-concentration sites with these sensors, companies can focus their extraction efforts where they are most profitable. For decades, the abandoned coal mines of Appalachia