Environmental Report: Mining's Impact on Water, Air, and Wildlife

This report examines the multifaceted environmental impacts of mining activities. It begins with an introduction to the concept of environment and its importance, followed by a discussion of the ways mining affects the environment. The report focuses on specific areas like water resources, detailing acid mine drainage, soil erosion, and the contamination of surface waters. It also explores the impact of mining on air quality, including the generation of dust, mobile and stationary pollution sources, and the effects on human health and flora. Furthermore, the report addresses the effects of mining on wildlife and soil quality, including topsoil removal and fauna displacement. The second part of the report discusses the process of extracting copper minerals from ore bodies, detailing methods such as froth floatation and pyro-metallurgical processes. The report concludes with a discussion on various remediation methods to mitigate the negative impacts of mining, including water quality regulations, tailings management, and better management of waste rocks. It underscores the importance of environmental protection and sustainable mining practices.

Environmental Studies

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
A) Ways mining can impact on the environment and the methods that can be used to
remediate mine sites....................................................................................................................1
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................4
D) Describe the process of extracting copper mineral from the ore body and ways in which
copper mining can impact the environment................................................................................4
1. Beatification by froth floatation of an ore to give use of copper concentrate.........................4
2. Pyro-metallurgical copper production process........................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Environment is an aggregate of the surrounding things and all external factors which
affect the overall process of the nation. It include sum of living being and natural forces which
give the proper condition of development growth and damage of any kind of factors. All the
natural things which affect the human activities is called an environment. In environment mining
is more important for the nation because it is important source of the energy minerals which is
obtain from the earth (Ross and Thomas, 2010). It largely impact on environment in both
positive and negative way. The impact of mining on environment carried of erosion, formation,
loss of biodiversity, surface water and contamination of soil. In any case of environmental
damage it affect the local population and on their health because some the result of damages is
leakage of chemicals. For reducing the negative impact mining company follow all the codes
which is related to the environmental. Present report is based on mining impact of environment
and people life.
TASK 1
A) Ways mining can impact on the environment and the methods that can be used to remediate
mine sites
Mining is the procedures of acquiring the coal from mine on the earth. It is also achieving
the valuable minerals which is useful for the population. It impact on local communities in both
manner like positively as well as negatively. The positive impact of mining is to number of
employment for local people which aid in developing the economy growth. On the other hand
negative impact of mining is it impact on health of the people (Raymond and et.al., 2010). The
important effect of the mining on water resources but in below mentioned report there are
various impact of mining on the environment which are as follows:
Impact on water resources:
Mining is largely affect the water resources in the environment. Water pollution is one of
the biggest cause of the mining which define the acid mine drainage which increase from the soil
erosion. Acid mine drainage: Underground mine, dump materials all are the negative cause of the
water sources. This is related to the geology, hydrology that employees at mine location.
The basic and important source of acid is sulfide material which affect the water and air
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in the environment. All the minerals are increase by the waste coal which creating harm
from the population and also increase the acidity in the water which is unacceptable by
the people for drinking. Ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite all are the found at the location of
mine which is high level of compounds. If the mine generated acid that it impact on fish
animals ad well as plant which exist in the environment and human being is also affected
by the negative impact of the water on their life.
 Erosion of soils and mine wastes into surface waters: This is more serious problem on
water quality. The residual of mines goes into the surface water and makes it unfit for
general purpose use. For example, at the places where there are uranium mines the ions
of uranium polluted water bodies which results in various kinds of defect in the human
body when it is used (Orlitzky, Siegel and Waldman, 2011). While talking about soil
erosion it needs to be considered that these soil erosions make the bank of rivers and
other water bodies very weak. When excess amount of water comes into these then banks
collapses which may lead to severe floods.
Impacts on the Air quality in the environment:
Mining largely effects the human bodies because it create dust which create from
production of coal. Various hazards are increased in human bodies who are worked on mines site
which also affect their next generation because it destroy the body organ of the workers they
suffering from various health hazards like Silicosis, Asbestosis, Byssinosis and coal workers
faced Pneumoconiosis. It increases the particulate matter in the air which degrades the air quality
and makes it unfit for inhaling. Excess of carbon content due to dust generated from coals mines
leads to degradation of flora or plant kingdom in the surroundings. In the mine of uranium the
ions reacts with the air and pollute air up to the extent where if it is choked inside the body then
it not only effects the health condition of the people but also has its implications on their coming
generation in the form of defects in their organ or body structure. Mobile resources: In their pollution the mobile sources is also a part which create
negative impact on environment because it create the polluted air by using truck, cars and
trains which is used by the transportation process of the mining (Jacobs, Singhal and
Subramanian, 2010). It is the largely depend on consumption of the fuel that include the
various sources like carbon monoxide and another polluted components which affect the
human bodies by inhaling of the oxygen.
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 Stationary sources: This is involve the consumption of the power generation like
grinding machine which used by the workers to cut the pieces to transfer other location so
that dust of the components include in the air that affect the human health by destroying
their breathing system.
 Fugitive sources: These type of impact increase due to the leakage of the gases which is
mostly seen in the industry which increase the pollution in the air that negatively impact
on claimant and affect the population at the site on mines
Impacts of mining on Wildlife:
Mining affect all the undomesticated animals as well as animals because it create
negative pollutants which is affect their lives because they chocked air and it destroy the body
parts (Gwynne and Cristobal, 2014). Top soil, fauna displacement and vegetation removal is the
main reason of the polluted environment that increased day by day due to the mining coal and it
negatively affect the wildlife animal and plant as well.
Impacts of mining on the soil quality:
Wastage of mining components which increase the polluted air and soil. It also increase
the physical damage due to the unfit environment and wastage of production in large number that
impact on human life. Burning coal is also a biggest reason behind the polluted environment.
Change in the soil is also define the negative consequences for the human as well as wildlife
which also impact on water which is unacceptable by any lining things because it create the
health problems in their bodies.
Various methods that can be used to remediate the mining sites:
Different types of methods can be used by the population to reduce the negative impact
of the mining of the site which helps in maintaining the healthy environment in order to set the
positive aspects to attain the healthy surrounding from the living things. Environmental damage
increase the pollution in water that is unacceptable by the human because t negatively affect their
body structure and also increase the health hazards.
 Water Quality Regulations: For reduce the negative impact of mining on the water it is
an effective remediate to maintain the water standard. For maintain the water quality the
government authorities set their rules and policies on mining location so that which aid in
reduce the flow of pollutants (DeLoughrey and Handley, 2011). Geochemical,
geotechnical and hydro geological is also an effective as well as advances models which
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should be used by the mines site of water so that it aid in cleaning the surface water that
is acceptable by the living things. Dealing with the water issue is also a more important
step which is take by the operators to maintain the standard of the water. They also
regulate policies that do not dump wastage of mine on the water because it makes the
polluted water.
 Tailings management: Tailings is a part of wastage of mine which is remain after the
process of mineral content. So that effective management of wastage products of mine is
more important for the operation on the mining site so that they reduce the main cause of
pollutants of air as well as water. It include the chemical and physical process that add in
the production of the mining. All these affect the human health in negative manner
because the remaining dust can be polluted to the air which is harm for all the living
things.
 Better management of wastage rocks: large number of wastage rocks are available after
the mining process. It is more important to manage it effectively and reduce the negative
impact on environment (Davidson, Smith and Bondi, 2012). It is an important
responsibility of mining society who work on the location to follow all the rules and
regulation which set by the government bodies to reduce the negative impact and
maintain the healthy environment.
TASK 2
D) Describe the process of extracting copper mineral from the ore body and ways in which
copper mining can impact the environment
Copper extracting is a process of acquiring the copper from its ores. It is a serious of
chemical and physical processes that demand on the ore nature. This is an effective method
which is used to extract the copper from its ore.
Process of extracting copper minerals from the ore body
1. Beatification by froth floatation of an ore to give use of copper concentrate.
There is only 0.5 to 1 percent of copper when its ore being extracted from the mines. Using the
process of direct smelting requires to large amount of energy and the furnaces of higher capacity.
This is because of its high dilution content. Sdo the process of Benefication using Froth
floatation is used.
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At the first step the heavier ores are grinded into smaller chunks , which are very fine
particles and is 100 micro meter in size (Yang, Hong and Modi, 2011). After that by the use of
Semi autogenous rod or mills wet grinding is done. Important minerals are separated using froath
floatation of the ore pulp. This exploits different surface properties related to gangue and
sulphuric copper. Since the sulphides are hydophilic in nature hence they gets stuck to air
bubblesthat is stirred up into the pulp which rise with them to the their surface and later skinned
off as a froth comprises of fine concentrate. The hydrophilic gaunge materials stays in the pulp.
Organic reagents that has sulphur containing group at the polar ends are used as a accumulator in
this process. Modifiers such as ions of hydroxyl are used in the selection of various sulphide
materials such as pyrite and chalcopyrite. Alcohols are used for the process of froth stabilisation.
This process comprises of several stages which is controlled carefully in order to obtain
concentrates with high quality. In this process sensors and scientific equipments are used.
2. Pyro-metallurgical copper production process.
It comprises of two furnace processes which is as follows:
Blast furnace smelting: The blast of shaft furnace is one of the best structure that can be used
for smelting of lumpy and quality copper ores. If the fine concentrates are available they must be
first agglomerated by sintering, pelletizing or brequitting. There are three zones inside the
furnace reduction, smelting and heating zone. Heating zone is the upper most layer where water
evaporation dissociation of less stable substance takes place. Reduction zone which is the second
uppermost part where heterogeneous reaction between solid charges and gases takes place
((Smol and Stoermer, 2010). And the lowest part is the smelting zone where reaction of liquid
phases takes place. The operation mode is reducing smelting that leads to yeilding of two
products (sulphide ore having 40-50 wt% Cu and slag that is to be disposed having 0.5 wt% Cu).
Now oxide ores are processed directly into impure black copper and slug having higher
concentration of copper. To obtain slug (low copper content) and matte together two variety of
ores are smelted together.
Reverberatory furnace smelting: Here near the burners charge is passed through the roof of
lateral openings. Natural gas, pulverised coal and heavy oil can be used as a fuel. Slight
oxidation is caused by atmosphere and the temperature maximum flame is up to 1500 degree
centigrade.
Highly concentrated copper (<= 95%) can be obtained using these two kind of smelting process.
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Impact of copper mining to the environment:
 Copper released in the environment because of mining and its manufacturing process
because its particles are get involves in the air that affect the human as well as wildlife at
mining location.
 Copper toxic affect the environment that affect fish, plant and other animals which
depend on the water because high level of copper particles involve in the water.
 This affect the human health because because it is biggest cause of air and human are
chocked through nose and the throat (Christopherson, Michie and Tyler, 2010). Which
lead to vomiting and diarrhea and also affect the liver.
 Habitat destruction is one of the big issue of the copper mining because it affect the large
area that destroyed through mine construction.
All are the impact of mining on environment in negatively which affect the overall human life as
well as wildlife.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Christopherson, S., Michie, J. and Tyler, P., 2010. Regional resilience: theoretical and empirical
perspectives. Cambridge journal of regions, economy and society. 3(1). pp.3-10.
Davidson, J., Smith, M. M. and Bondi, L. eds., 2012. Emotional geographies. Ashgate
Publishing, Ltd..
DeLoughrey, E. and Handley, G. B. eds., 2011. Postcolonial ecologies: Literatures of the
environment. Oxford University Press.
Gwynne, R. N. and Cristobal, K. A. Y., 2014. Latin America transformed: globalization and
modernity. Routledge.
Jacobs, B. W., Singhal, V. R. and Subramanian, R., 2010. An empirical investigation of
environmental performance and the market value of the firm. Journal of Operations
Management. 28(5). pp.430-441.
Orlitzky, M., Siegel, D. S. and Waldman, D. A., 2011. Strategic corporate social responsibility
and environmental sustainability. Business & society. 50(1). pp.6-27.
Raymond, C. M and et.al., 2010. Integrating local and scientific knowledge for environmental
management. Journal of environmental management. 91(8). pp.1766-1777.
Ross, A. and Thomas, S., 2010. The health benefits of yoga and exercise: a review of
comparison studies. The journal of alternative and complementary medicine. 16(1).
pp.3-12.
Smol, J. P. and Stoermer, E. F. Eds., 2010. The diatoms: applications for the environmental and
earth sciences. Cambridge University Press.
Yang, M. G. M., Hong, P. and Modi, S. B., 2011. Impact of lean manufacturing and
environmental management on business performance: An empirical study of
manufacturing firms. International Journal of Production Economics. 129(2). pp.251-
261.
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