Kibria reported in 2013 that mining is a key sector that leads to economic development, employment, supply of essential raw materials for society, and for production systems. Mining has historically served as a viable route to national development in resource-rich countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States where mining was the main driver of growth and industrialization. Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) (subsistence miners) in Africa have been identified as an important economic opportunity for people in rural areas. Environmental impacts: Mining and mineral exploration can impact on the environment via generation of hazardous wastes (wastes that threats to public health or the environment). Some of the negative environmental impacts are contamination of air, soil, water, plants and food with sulfate, metalloids (arsenic), metals (cadmium, copper, lead, mercury), radioactive substances (uranium, radon), fly ash (residues generated in combustion of coal), acids (sulfate), mining processed chemicals (cyanides).
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) waters can have high sulfate, iron and aluminium, and elevated copper, chromium, nickel, lead and zinc and elevated calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. AMD containing high metal and salt concentrations may impact on the use of the waterways in the downstream for irrigation, fisheries, raw town supply, livestock watering, drinking water supplies and industry water usage. Metal and metalloid concentrations and acidity levels in AMD if exceeds toxicity threshold values of aquatic ecosystem can lead to sub-lethal and lethal effects on aquatic life (fish, invertebrates). Some of the metalloids and metals (arsenic, cadmium, mercury, uranium) are known to bio-accumulate in fish, crops, livestock, therefore the transfer of toxic metals to human via the food chain is easily possible (note: arsenic, cadmium and uranium are carcinogenic to humans). Irrigation of crops with stream water that is affected by AMD effluents could be phytotoxic to crops. High concentrations of bioavailable metals and metalloids can cause a reduction of biodiversity, changes in species diversity, depletion of numbers of sensitive species, and even fish kills and death of other species. During coal mining operations, methane and other toxic gases are released; the exposure of methane and other toxic gases may cause “pneumoconiosis” (a disease of the lungs) to coal miners. Coal combustion also releases toxic chemicals such as arsenic, mercury. Salt levels particularly chloride concentrations, can be extreme in the coal mine sites. Social impacts: Mining may cause several negative effects on the quality of life and lifestyle of the communities. The rapid influx of people into mining areas can lead to price inflation of local goods (food, fuel, land/housing etc.). Furthermore, social ills such as alcohol abuse, prostitution, spread of communicable diseases, namely, HIV/AIDS often increase in mining areas.
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Mining operations
3. Economic impacts
4. Environmental impacts
4.1: Mining waste- physical and chemical characteristics
4.2: Acid mine drainage (AMD)
4.2.1: Chemistry of oxidation of pyrites
4.2.2: Some facts about AMD
4.2.3: Impacts of AMD
4.3: Mine water and its impact
4.3.1: Toxic heavy/trace metals (Arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury)
4.3.2: Other environmental impacts
4.4: Coal mining impacts
4.5: Climate change and mining chemicals
4.6: Some examples (Australia, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea, USA)
5. Social impacts
6. Reducing mining impacts
7. Conclusion
8. References
The author concluded that mining is both beneficial (e.g. economic prosperity of a nation, employment) as well as harmful to environment (e.g. water and food contamination by harmful metalloids, metals and processed chemicals; decline or loss of biodiversity due to toxicity of metals) and human health (e.g. cancer from exposure to As, Cd, U; lung diseases from exposure of coal dust). Monitoring and assessing the risk posed from chemicals released from mining activities (metalloids, metals and processed chemicals) via air, soil, water routes to the environment and public health should be given a priority. Mining can result in deaths and injuries from mine collapse, coal dust explosions, and exposure to methane gas, rock falls, and carbon monoxide poisoning, therefore, mining safety standards need to be improved in particular in third world countries. Initiatives should be developed to reduce the amount of hazardous material released into the environment.
Clean-up and remediation measures are crucial since abandoned mines will continue to have an impact on both health and environment unless mine closure practices are strictly preformed. It is vital to conduct regular monitoring and surveillance/investigation activities of the environment and community’s health. There is a further need for a deeper and long-term evaluation of the mining impacts on workers and communities’ health. All these measures will help to protect the health and safety of people working in, living near, and those otherwise impacted by historic, current, and proposed mines.
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