Towards better monitoring of technology critical elements in Europe: Coupling of natural and anthropogenic cycles.

ABSTRACT: The characterization of elemental cycles has a rich history in biogeochemistry. Well known examples include the global carbon cycle, or the cycles of the 'grand nutrients' nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. More recently, efforts have increased to better understand the natural cycling of technology critical elements (TCEs), i.e. elements with a high supply risk and economic importance in the EU. On the other hand, tools such as material-flow analysis (MFA) can help to understand how substances and goods are transported and accumulated in man-made technological systems ('anthroposphere'). However, to date both biogeochemical cycles and MFA studies suffer from narrow system boundaries, failing to fully illustrate relative anthropogenic and natural flow magnitude and the degree to which human

SUBMITTER: Nuss P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5681708 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature