Extraction and Uses of Mineral Resources: Mining Impacts and Mitigation
Mineral Resources and Their Extraction
Industrial Resources
Ornamental Rocks: Examples include marble and granite. Quarries extract these in block form, requiring minimal treatment before use.
Sand & Gravel: These are fragments of rock, gravel, and sand. Extracted from gravel pits, they are washed and crushed for use in concrete and fill.
Rocks with Industrial Processes: Limestone, dolomite, and some clays are used to make cement. Sandstones rich in quartz and quartzite are used to make glass.
Non-Metallic Mineral Resources: These include gypsum, sulfur, and common salt.
Metallic Minerals: Examples include iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), tin (Sn), lead (Pb), and aluminum (Al).
Clays: These minerals contain silicon oxide and have a laminar crystal structure. They are used in slate and ceramics.
Mining Risks
Subsidence or Collapse
During operation, galleries are shored up to prevent collapse. When the mine is abandoned, the bracing is removed, and cavities may collapse.
Landslides in Tailings
Tailings are arranged in compacted horizontal layers. Drainage systems, sealed bases, and leachate collection systems are used to prevent water accumulation.
Destabilization of Slopes
Scour and slope modification can lead to avalanches and landslides.
Erosion
Deforested areas experience rapid erosion, increasing the risk of flooding.
Deposits
A mineral deposit is a mass of rock containing a sufficient quantity of a mineral to be profitable. They can form in various environments.
Underground Mines
Tunnels are dug to exploit mineral veins or strata.
Opencast Mines
Excavations are performed on the surface, mobilizing large quantities of rock.
Mining Impacts
Impacts on Health
Workers handling toxic substances or working in dusty environments may develop respiratory diseases.
Positive Impacts
Mining creates jobs and improves the local economy.
Impacts on the Environment
Noise and Vibration
Caused by the use of explosives and machinery.
Air Pollution
Generated by smoke and dust.
Soil and Aquifer Contamination
Leachate can contaminate aquifers.
Overexploitation of Aquifers
Due to heavy pumping of water.
Alteration of Relief
Impacts on Animals
Prediction, Mitigation, and Correction
Prediction
Mitigation and correction measures are performed before and during excavation.
Mitigation Measures
During exploitation, measures are taken to reduce negative impacts, such as using silencers on machines, installing filters in chimneys, and maintaining sludge accumulation rafts. Strict protocols are established for vehicle movement, repair, and refueling.
Correction of Impacts
Restoration Measures
These measures aim to return the land to its original appearance by filling excavated cavities, covering with trees, and establishing screens to hide the work.
Remedial Measures
These measures address existing problems, such as inerting waste in tailings storage, evacuating contaminated soils, purifying and recharging groundwater, and decontaminating and restocking.