English: The U.S. is 90% reliant on imports of PGEs (platinum-group elements) which are essential for cleaning automobile exhaust, for manufacturing glass, fertilizer, high-octane fuel, and a variety of chemicals, including cancer fighting drugs. They are widely used in jewelry and electronics such as hard drives, circuitry, and cell phones. PGEs could also play a crucial role in fuel cell technology to produce clean energy for cars, homes, and businesses.

The first-ever inventory and geological assessment of known and undiscovered platinum-group element (PGE) resources estimates that more than 150,000 metric tons of PGEs may exist in the two southern African countries that produce most of the global supply of these critical elements. This is more than 20 times the total tonnage produced since the 1920s when PGE mining began in these countries.

The identified resources will meet global demand for many decades, given current growth rates and with supplies also coming from recycling, according to the study. About 90% of PGEs in the Earth occur in limited areas of only three countries: South Africa’s Bushveld Complex, Zimbabwe’s Great Dyke, and Russia’s Norilsk region.

Learn more at on.doi.gov/PGEs

Photo Credit: Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution