Bridging Malaysian thorium processing and sustainable environmental policy with life cycle assessment

Thorium (Th), a natural alternative to uranium, provides enormous advantages for nuclear energy, particularly less radioactive waste and enhanced fuel efficiency. However, its extraction from rare-earth element (REE) processing generates significant environmental issues, including radioactive hazards, increased radiotoxicity, and ionic radiation. In Malaysia, the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP) has drawn public and regulatory attention concerning the management of radioactive residues, especially Water Leach Purification (WLP) waste containing high thorium concentrations. Despite these challenges, an effective environmental assessment of the specific extraction technologies used is notably lacking. To date, only one case study has applied the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) paradigm to the LAMP facility’s overall operations. Addressing this critical research gap, this review evaluates the potential environmental hotspots of three main extraction processes: cracking and leaching, solvent extraction, and electrosorption, applying the LCA framework. We explore key environmental problems, encompassing energy usage, water consumption, chemical compounds, transportation, and waste generation. This study addresses these technical evaluations within Malaysia’s environmental regulations, waste management obligations for WLP and Neutralization Underflow (NUF) outputs, and the economic potential for sustainable resource development. By carefully recognizing environmental stresses, the review highlights the critical necessity for data-driven LCA to support evidence-based policy, optimize industrial sustainability, and promote public trust in Malaysia’s REE industry.