(Based on AI Overview of GOOGLE Search on 28 June 2026.)
Chinese
Rare earth extractions in Myanmar's Kachin State relies on in-situ leaching, an
industrial process that pumps chemical solutions directly into mountainsides to
dissolve and collect valuable heavy metals like dysprosium and terbium.
The
operations are highly destructive, supply chains are entangled with armed
conflict, and the output feeds heavily into China. The Extraction Process In-Situ
Leaching is often described as an "IV drip" for the mountains.
Workers drill holes into hillsides, lay a network of pipes, and inject leaching
agents (such as Ammonium Nitrate or Ammonium Sulfate) into the soil.
The chemical solution seeps through the earth, dissolving the naturally occurring rare earth elements bound to the ionic clay. The metal-rich liquid flows downslope and is captured in large, tarpaulin-lined leaching pools for collection.
Acids
are added to the collected liquid to form a precipitate, which is then heated
into a concentrated powder or sludge for export. Environmental Impact of Heavy
Metal Contamination is quite common. The chemicals and acidic wastewater
frequently leach into local aquifers and streams, heavily contaminating water
sources with arsenic, lead, and cadmium.
The process releases naturally occurring radioactive materials (Radioactive Waste), rendering local water supplies and soil unsafe for human consumption or agriculture. The saturation of hillsides with chemical solutions degrades soil stability, significantly increasing the risk of landslides and erosion.
Chinese
Dominance of Geopolitical & Supply Chain is evidently devastating Myanmar
soil and water environment. China processes the most of the world's rareearths but
evidently outsources a significant portion of its extraction to Myanmar to
avoid environmental degradation within its own borders.
The
lucrative mines are located in regions heavily controlled by ethnic armed
groups, primarily the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which took control of key
mining hubs like Pangwa on China-Burma-Border from another Kachin Armed
insurgent group last year.
Chinese
companies bypass the Myanmar military junta by partnering directly with the KIA
and local militias to secure mining rights, essentially funding the rebel group
while buying the critical minerals used in electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Following videos are for a visual breakdown of how the in-situ leaching process
is applied to the mountainous terrain in Kachin State.
