Negative Impact Of Mining On The Environment – The mining industry has been an important part of the global economy for decades. The extraction of mineral resources makes the mining sector important for many industries, from the use of metals to lithium as batteries to power our devices. Although the products and resources produced are now commonplace, the mining process has negative environmental and social impacts.

The negative impacts of mining occur at all levels, from local to regional and global. It also affects humans, birds, and land and aquatic animals. In this article, we will explore the environmental impacts of mining-related activities and dissect the impact of mining operations on ecological systems and natural conditions. It also investigates its impact on the world in which humans and all biota live.

Negative Impact Of Mining On The Environment

Mining is the extraction of useful mineral resources from the earth and sea. The business of the mining industry is to extract valuable minerals and other geological materials. Mined substances are substances that cannot be obtained or produced through agricultural or manufacturing processes in laboratories or industry.

Environmental Impact Of Mining

Extracted minerals are inorganic substances found in nature with certain physical properties or molecular structures and precise chemical composition. Minerals in the earth are mixed with other unwanted rock minerals. However, they are only valuable in their pure form.

Pure mineral forms come from processing and refining extracted substances to separate them from unwanted rocks and other minerals. Converting these extracted substances into valuable materials will improve the economies where they are mined and processed.

Additionally, the total amount of minerals present in a deposit is the mineral inventory. On the other hand, the amount that can be mined for profit is ore reserves.

Some examples of substances we extract are gold, iron ore, copper, coal, oil shale, limestone, rock salt and potassium.

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Mining is an important industry and one of the largest contributors to the global economy. The development of the mining industry has an impact on the potential for resource acquisition and economic growth of a country. This makes it one of the most important sources of income for a country rich in mineral reserves that can be profitably extracted by the mining industry.

Statistics show that the revenue of the 40 leading global mining companies, representing the majority of the world’s mining industry, reached 656 billion US dollars in 2020.

In addition, the start of the mining industry dates back to prehistoric times. The first mineral to be mined was flint, which was ideal for scrapers, knives, and arrowheads because its natural pattern made it easily break into sharp shards. In addition, mining of gold, ocher and bronze metals – copper minerals, dates back to prehistoric times, during the Neolithic Period or Stone Age.

The mining industry is divided into two industrial classifications, namely the geophysical industry and the chemical industry. This classification depends on the characteristics of the mining industry, with the relative depth of mineral deposits and the economic value of those minerals all playing an important role in determining mining techniques.

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Additionally, mining techniques have two categories. The first is the type of excavation, which consists of surface, subsurface, or underground mining. The second is the target material category which consists of placer mining and in situ mining. Below we briefly explore mining techniques:

Surface mining is the excavation of minerals close to the earth’s surface. This involves removing surface vegetation, soil, and even bedrock layers. The goal is the extraction of buried oil deposits.

Surface mining is a broad category of mining that involves the removal of soil and overlying rock from a mineral deposit. Miners use surface mining to extract the most commonly mined minerals such as coal, iron, and bauxite. This type of mining has different techniques such as strip mining, mountaintop removal mining, high wall mining, dredging, and open pit mining.

Open-pit mining involves digging up large tracts of land and bringing the ore to the surface using conveyor belts. Extraction of gold, silver, and copper involves this technique.

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Strip mining involves clearing vegetation and rocks on the ground surface before extraction. Its use is mainly to extract coal and other hard minerals.

Mountaintop removal mining removes the top of the mountain and extracts ore in the depths of the mountain.

Today, open-pit mining accounts for two-thirds of the world’s solid minerals. Its use is dominant in obtaining gravel, crushed stone, sand, coal, phosphate, copper, iron and aluminum. Additionally, many miners prefer open pit mining to underground mining because it is cheaper and less hassle. It is also safer in terms of electricity and water.

In contrast to surface mining, which removes the surface of the soil and overlying rock, underground mining removes mineral deposits through shafts and tunnels. The rocks above were left in place.

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Underground or subsurface mining consists of digging deep beneath the earth’s crust at the location of mineral resources. This involves digging subversive tunnels and chambers below ground level. Miners use equipment such as drilling rigs to excavate rock and extract oil from excavated tunnels.

Compared to surface mining, this mining method is expensive and dangerous. As a result, miners use them primarily in situations where there are narrow concentrations of valuable ore such as gold.

There are various underground mining techniques when extracting valuables such as coal, diamonds and ore. Miners use different techniques in hard and soft rock formations. A significant advantage of subsurface mining over surface mining is the possibility of underwater excavation.

In situ leaching (ISL), also known as in situ recovery (ISR) or solution mining, is a technique of extracting valuable minerals from ore. This release is carried out without extracting the ore and rock mixture to the surface for processing.

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This technique involves injecting chemicals into ore deposits to soften the metal and allow it to flow to the surface. ISR involves dissolving mineral deposits in the ground and then processing them on the surface without excavating any rock.

In situ mining is often considered more environmentally friendly because it causes minimal noise, dust and greenhouse emissions. It also causes minimal physical disruption and is cost effective. Its use is common in recovering uranium, gold, silver, zinc, lead, and other metals. The study noted that in 2019, 57% of the world’s uranium was mined through in situ leaching.

The name placer comes from the Spanish word “placera,” meaning “alluvial sand.” Placers are particles formed from sedimentary rock layers hitting the earth’s surface due to tectonic movements.

Placers are loosely distributed gravel deposits that contain precious metals such as gold or other heavy metals. We can find these placers in alluvial deposits, rocks, sand, and gravel sediments in modern or ancient river beds.

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Placer mining is a method of extracting valuable mineral deposits from loose river sediments. Experts use it to filter valuable metals from sediment in river channels, beach sand, or other environments.

These mining techniques mine deposits of precious metals (mainly gold and gemstones) and range from small-scale on-site gold mining to larger industrial-scale operations.

Placer mining techniques are usually carried out in habitats with natural sediment accumulation. It is also common in river beds and sand. Examples of minerals that miners collect using placer mining include platinum, diamonds, and tin. Additionally, choosing one of these mining techniques depends on several considerations. These considerations include the location of mineral deposits and the economic value of these deposits. Another factor is the chemical composition of the deposit as well as environmental considerations.

Although mining makes a significant contribution to the global economy, mining operations have a negative impact on the environment. These impacts occur both before and after mining activities. In response, most countries around the world have enacted regulations to reduce its impact.

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However, due to the high demand for extracted mineral reserves, full enforcement of these regulations is impossible. Mining has the potential to release hazardous substances into the air and water and can cause soil damage. In addition, pollution also pollutes water and air, endangers wildlife and nature, and permanently disrupts natural landscapes. Research reveals that more than 40% of river flows in river basins in the Western region are contaminated by acid mine drainage and heavy metals3.

The environmental impacts of mining operations occur at all levels and affect areas outside the mining site. This occurs at local, regional and global levels through direct and indirect mining techniques. These impacts cause erosion, loss of biodiversity, and sinkholes. It also causes contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water through the release of chemicals during the mining process.

Mining causes water pollution through acid mine drainage and increased sediment levels in water bodies. Waste materials are environmental evidence of the role of mining in water pollution.

Acid drainage is the leakage of sulfuric acid formed due to air exposure of sulfides from mined ore to rivers. This is the main source of groundwater pollution due to mining. Drainage of acid rock occurs over decades and centuries, even after mining activities cease. In addition, chemicals to dissolve ore, such as cyanide, sulfuric acid, arsenic, and mercury, enter rivers and oceans, thereby polluting water bodies.

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When there is an increase in the concentration of toxic chemicals in rivers and oceans, this poses a threat to aquatic animals. This also influences

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