Literature Review: Effects of Mining on Groundwater in Australia

This literature review examines the detrimental effects of mining activities on groundwater resources, with a specific focus on the Australian context. The review begins by establishing the global hydrological cycle and its importance, then delves into the specifics of groundwater contamination withi...Read More

Running head: EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
Effects of mining on ground water
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Author Note

1EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
1.0 Over view
This chapter aims to understand the effects of mining and its adverse consequences on
ground water contamination within the region of Australia. Due to the increased demand for raw
materials, the effects of mining have also increased. The various view points and the opinions of
the authors and the scholars have been taken in to consideration in the course of this chapter. As
a result, academic journals, books and articles pertaining to the secondary sources of literature
have been consulted with in a comprehensive manner in order to understand the purpose of this
research.
1.1 Global Process and Hydrological Process
According to Chen et al. (2019), water is the main requirement of all living individuals of
the planet Earth. Earth is considered to be the most unique planet of the entire solar system
because of the presence of two important constituent factors that is the atmosphere and water. In
the words of Ward et al. (2015), therefore, it can be observed that the presence of life on Earth
can mainly be attributed to the presence of water and atmosphere.
However, as argued by Devia, Ganasri and Dwarakish (2015), water is simply not present
within the atmosphere of the Earth. It is present everywhere on Earth as a result of the hydro-
logical cycle that takes place at a continuous pace within the globe. According to Szabo et al.
(2018), hydro-logical cycle refers to the process by which water is transformed from one form to
the other with the aid of the different natural forces of the Earth, especially that of the sun and
the temperature of the Earth.
The hydrological cycle usually starts from the water which is present on the surface of the
Earth in the form of river, lakes and seas. As stated by Abraham, Dowling and Florentine (2018),

2EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
due to the heat of the Sun, the water from such sources evaporates in to water vapour. Due to the
decrease in the density of the water droplets, they rise up in to the atmosphere, where they start
to condense in to water droplets. Such process of condensation occurs as a result of the decrease
in the temperature in the higher levels of the atmosphere. According to Cardenas et al. (2016),
the water droplets in the atmosphere condense together to form clouds. Once the water bearing
capacity of the clouds reaches to a significant extent, the clouds condense and returns back to the
surface of the Earth in the form of rain, ice, hail and sleet.
The rain water, as opined by Rippy et al. (2017), flows to the different corners of the Earth
such as the seas, the oceans and the lakes. The surface of the Earth also receives certain rain
water which seeps down in to the ground in the form of ground water. Thus, according to
Abraham, Dowling and Florentine (2018), the hydrological cycle is the most important cycle for
the survival of the human race as it ensures the presence of the much needed water in various
spheres of human life. As stated by Devia, Ganasri and Dwarakish (2015), the ground water
forms an important source of water body for the human beings as the water stored in such
regions of the world is considered to be fresh water. As a consequence, the ground water is
perhaps the most important constituent of drinking water for all life forms on Earth.
1.2 Ground water contamination within the country of Australia
The level of ground water contamination within the country of Australia is significantly
higher when compared with the other countries of the world. The country of Australia is
primarily a dry region of the world. There are not many in flows of rivers and streams in this part
of the world despite being surrounded by water bodies in all the four sides. Furthermore,
according to Cardenas et al. (2016), the water which is available are not usable for drinking
purposes since they are salt water in their character. As a result of this. As opined by Rippy et al.

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(2017), the ground water becomes the most dependent upon source of fresh water in Australia.
The area of Perth relies completely on the Gnangara Mound aquifer for the supply of water.
However, it can be observed that the level of water table has significantly dropped in this region
at a continual pace for the last forty years, as stated by Palma (2016).
The Great Artesian Basin of Australia is one of the main sources of ground water. It contains
nearly 65,000 cubic kilometer of ground water. However, according to Szabo et al. (2018), the
level of extraction of ground water from this sources is faster than its level of replenishment.
However, as argued by Ward et al. (2015), it can be observed that there is a severe potential
risk for ground water contamination in the context of Australia. The leakages from the different
septic tanks, industrial sites and land fill sites and fuel storage sites, all have the ability to
contaminate the much needed ground water of Australian aquifers. Furthermore, one of the most
important sources of contamination of ground water of Australia is that of mining activities. The
low soluble metals such as zinc, copper and iron gets absorbed in the land sediments and
accumulates in contamination.
1.3 Ground water contamination in New South Wales
According to Palma (2016), the problem of ground water contamination is especially
extremely high within the region of New South Wales. The demand for consumption of ground
water has seen a significant rise in the recent times within New South Wales. However, in the
words of Swan et al. (2019), this has posed a severe problem for the citizens of this area as the
level of contamination of such ground water has also seen a significant rise.
The contamination of such ground water occurs either at a non-point source or at a point
source, spread across a wide area. Such contamination of point source is usually taken care of by

4EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
the Environmental Protection agency of Australia. However, as opined by Thangarajan and
Singh (2016), it can be observed that the ground water pollution with respect to New South
Wales has increased as a result of the industrial wastes that flows in to the Murray Darling River
of Australia. Such wastes are usually generated by the activities of mining and therefore, the
human activity of mining poses a severe threat to the quality reduction of such ground water
sources.
1.4 Problems related to mining
According to Sengupta (2018), the activity of mining refers to the process whereby the
different resources of the Earth present inside the surface are mined and brought to the surface of
the Earth. As a result, there are certain inherent problems associated with such an activity of
mining which poses a problem not only for the human health but also for the health of the entire
environment. Certain problems which are related to the activity of mining are those of bringing
of acid rain, the generation of waste water and a few other related problems associated with
mining.
1.4.1 Acid Drainage
According to von der Goltz and Barnwal (2019), acid drainage refers to the process
whereby the different harmful chemicals associated with mining are intermixed with the watr
bodies surrounding such mines. The nearby rocks consist of certain sulphide minerals which is
highly soluble in nature. Such liquid drains from the surrounding rock structure in the event of
any disturbances or in the cases of coal washing or acid rock drainage. It has been observed that
the liquid consist of certain extremely toxic metals which includes iron or copper. As opined by
Niu et al. (2018), these toxic metals in turn have a reduced pH balance level and in the event that
they reach a nearby water body, they have the potential to negatively impact such an aquatic

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ecosystem. As argued by Dontala, Reddy and Vadde (2015), the generation of such acid
drainage can be attributed to the activities of mining. The extraction of materials from the surface
of the Earth is accompanied by the release of harmful gases as well. However, since the
management of such released gases is not effective in nature, the gases and chemicals mingle
with the water bodies, causing extreme damage in the form of acid drainage.
1.4.2 Generation of waste water
Another severe problem which is related to the activity of mining is that of generation of
waste water. According to Ma et al. (2015), the process of mining is accompanied by the
extraction of various sources of energy from the surface of the Earth. The extraction of such
sources is accompanied by the generation of certain wastes as well since the process of mining is
not very effective in nature which only aims to extract what is needed. The generation of such
wastes usually finds its way to the nearby water sources of the land, leading to the generation of
waste water.
Thus, it can be stated that the effects of mining has an adverse effect on the water bodies
of the land. The mining of sources is followed by the generation of such waste materials which in
turn negatively affects such water bodies.
1.4.3 Other related problems with mining
Besides the generation of acid rain and the generation of waste water, there are other
related problems with mining. According to Sasmaz, Dogan and Sasmaz (2016), the different
problems which are related with mining are those of the erosion of the soil, the loss of
biodiversity and the formation of sink holes. The depletion of ground water means that there is
not enough moisture which is available for the soil cover. For the proper maintenance of the soil,

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they are need of such moisture which aids to keep the soil particles bounded with one another.
However, the loss of ground water leads to the loss of such soil cover as well.
However, as argued by Niu et al. (2018), the loss of biodiversity is seen to the main
problem which is related with mining. The generation of the wastes which is associated with
mining leads to the pollution of the nearby water bodies. As a result of the presence of such
pollutants, eutrophication is observed to be taking place in the water sources. Eutrophication in
turn, leads to the reduction of oxygen in the water which poses a severe threat to the survival of
the fishes and other aquatic animals in such water bodies.
The process of mining leads to the loosening up of the soil materials on the surface of the
Earth. According to Ma et al. (2016), this poses a challenge to the maintenance of the soil cover
as they longer remain bonded to one another. This in turn, as stated by Ma et al. (2015), leads to
the formation of sink holes. Sink holes refer to the occurrence of the process of suffusion Sink
holes form in the regions where the soil below is made of soluble materials such as gypsum. The
activities of mining causes a lot of pressure on the surface of the land and this in turn, leads to
the dissolution of the soluble materials, causing the ground to break and form a sink hole.
1.5 Effects on ground water
As stated by Ross, McGlynn and Bernhardt (2016), the concerning problem related to the
activity of mining in the contemporary world still remains that of contamination of the ground
water which is present in the surface of the Earth. The activity of mining affects the level of
ground water since it leads to the generation of waste material and harmful gases.
According to Sengupta (2018), the release of harmful gases leads to the generation of acid rain

7EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
which in turn is absorbed by the surface of the Earth. This water percolated down to the interior
layers of the Earth where the gases mix with the ground water, thereby contaminating it.
Another severe impact of mining on the level of ground water occurs by the way of
generation of waste materials. Generation of such waste materials mix with the nearby water
bodies. Some of the water from such sources percolate down inside the Earth and contaminate
the ground water sources. This poses a challenge to the human beings as ground water is the
most important source of fresh water which can be directly consumed by the individuals. Thus,
there is a dire need to control the negative impact of mining as it is seen to negatively impact all
the different spheres of human activity.
1.6 Summary
To summarize, this chapter provides an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of how
the human activity of mining produces an adverse impact on the environment at large. One of the
main draw backs of mining activity is that of the contamination of ground water. In this regard,
this chapter has provided an examination of the statements of the opinions put forward by the
other authors and scholars with respect to the harmful and adverse activities of mining. The
chapter tries to understand how does the problem of ground water contamination occur with
respect to the activity of mining and how does this, in turn pose a severe challenge to the human
beings of the society in particular and the environment in general.

8EFFECTS OF MINING ON GROUND WATER
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contamination in the soils of a legacy mine site in Central Victoria,
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