11. Impact on the environment

Scandium is released into the environment either by the industries that produce it, particularly during metal purification operations, or by certain end-of-life equipment (halogen lamps, sports equipment, etc.). It gradually accumulates in soil and water, increasing its concentration in humans, animals and plants. Scandium has been shown to damage the cell membranes of certain aquatic animals, and to have a negative effect on their reproduction and nervous systems.

Radioactivity is also an environmental constraint in the extraction and purification of scandium: uranium and thorium follow scandium in hydrometallurgical processes.