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The Geosphere and Geochemistry
Published in Stanley E. Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, 2022
Some of the environmental effects of surface mining have been mentioned earlier. Although surface mining is most often considered for its environmental effects, subsurface mining may also have a number of effects, some of which are not immediately apparent and may be delayed for decades. Underground mines have a tendency to collapse, leading to severe subsidence. Mining disturbs groundwater aquifers. Water seeping through mines and mine tailings may become polluted. One of the more common and damaging effects of mining on water occurs when pyrite, FeS2, commonly associated with coal, is exposed to air and becomes oxidized to sulfuric acid by bacterial action to produce acid mine water discussed in Chapter 6. Some of the more damaging environmental effects of mining are the result of the processing of mined materials. Ore is usually only a small part of the material that must be excavated. Various beneficiation processes are employed to separate the useful fraction of ore, leaving a residue of tailings. A number of adverse effects can result from environmental exposure of tailings. For example, residues left from the beneficiation of coal are often enriched in pyrite, FeS2, which is oxidized microbiologically and chemically to produce damaging acidic drainage (acid mine water). Uranium ore tailings unwisely used as fill material have contaminated buildings with radioactive radon gas.
® Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT) Approach
Published in Abhilash, Ata Akcil, Critical and Rare Earth Elements, 2019
Steven R. Izatt, Reed M. Izatt, Ronald L. Bruening, Krzysztof E. Krakowiak, Neil E. Izatt
Increasing global market demand for PGM, REE, and Co as well as other critical metals requires recycling in addition to mine output wherever possible (Ueda et al. 2016). Major benefits of recycling are that it alleviates depletion of valuable resources, decreases environmental effects of mining, and provides a reliable domestic source for the recycled metal. In the case of PGM, relatively low-ore grades of g/ton mean that >99% of mined ore becomes solid waste and must be dealt with as part of the mining operation. It has been estimated that, on average, production of one ounce of high-purity Pt requires processing of 7–12 tons of ore (Mooiman et al. 2016). Limited distribution of Pt in earth’s crust requires mining existing deposits at increasingly greater depth to meet demands, which exacerbates the problem (Gordon et al. 2006). Mooiman et al. (2016) discussed the current and emerging challenges confronting the mining industry in meeting the global demand for PGM. These challenges include metal price volatility; decreasing grades and increasingly complex mineralogy of global PGM deposits; increasing metal production costs; increased requirements to properly dispose of deleterious byproducts such as toxic metals; increasing need to deal with geopolitics, public perception, and environmental regulations in the mining region; maintenance of sustainable development in the mining region; and increased energy and water use as mining increases in complexity. Similar concerns exist for REE (Binnemans 2013) and Co (Roberts and Gunn 2014).
The Geosphere and Geochemistry
Published in Stanley Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, 2017
Some of the environmental effects of surface mining have been mentioned above. Although surface mining is most often considered for its environmental effects, subsurface mining may also have a number of effects, some of which are not immediately apparent and may be delayed for decades. Underground mines have a tendency to collapse, leading to severe subsidence. Mining disturbs groundwater aquifers. Water seeping through mines and mine tailings may become polluted. One of the more common and damaging effects of mining on water occurs when pyrite, FeS2, commonly associated with coal, is exposed to air and becomes oxidized to sulfuric acid by bacterial action to produce acid mine water discussed in Chapter 6. Some of the more damaging environmental effects of mining are the result of the processing of mined materials. Ore is usually only a small part of the material that must be excavated. Various beneficiation processes are employed to separate the useful fraction of ore, leaving a residue of tailings. A number of adverse effects can result from environmental exposure of tailings. For example, residues left from the beneficiation of coal are often enriched in pyrite, FeS2, which is oxidized microbiologically and chemically to produce damaging acidic drainage (acid mine water). Uranium ore tailings unwisely used as fill material have contaminated buildings with radioactive radon gas.
The concentration of radioisotopes (Potassium-40, Polonium-210, Radium-226, and Thorium-230) in fillet tissue carp fishes: A systematic review and probabilistic exposure assessment
Published in International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2022
Peyman Ghajarbeygi, Vahid Ranaei, Zahra Pilevar, Amene Nematollahi, Sahebeh Ghanbari, Hajar Rahimi, Hoda Shirdast, Yadolah Fakhri, Trias Mahmudiono, Amin Mousavi Khaneghah
This study showed that the most radioactive substances detected in carp fillets were 40K, 210Po, 226Ra, and 230Th, respectively. In line with our study, Fakhri et al. (2022), in a review study of radioisotopes in tuna fish, stated that 40K, 210Po, 226Ra, 210Pb, and 137Cs were the most common radioactive materials in tuna fish tissue (Fakhri et al. 2022). These radioactive substances in carp fillets can be associated with mining (Milenkovic et al. 2019). For example, in Lind et al. study in Kyrgyzstan, the environmental effects of mining on fish’s water and bodies were observed, with a significant accumulation of radioisotopes in the gills of fish (Lind et al. 2013). Another study found trace elements 210Po, 230Th, and 238U in fish samples in India (Giri, Singh, Jha and Tripathi).
Local knowledge of risks associated with artisanal small-scale mining in Ghana
Published in International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 2022
Rejoice Selorm Wireko-Gyebi, Rudith Sylvana King, Imoro Braimah, Anne Mette Lykke
The significant association between miners’ location and awareness of disease, injury and social risks could be associated with the various experiences of the miners in the three different districts in terms of accidents, availability of social amenities and availability of large-scale mines. The limited relationship between miners’ awareness of environmental risks and their location suggests that environmental effects of mining as seen by miners in the three districts are not different. The low knowledge levels notwithstanding, there is the need for regulatory authorities to streamline activities of the ASM sector and educate them to protect them from the risks they are exposed to. Regrettably, the study showed that regulatory bodies such as the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency played a limited role in the ASM sub-sector. The limited role played by the Minerals Commission, in particular, in imparting knowledge to miners has an implication on any future intervention for the sector. The identified sources of awareness imply that educational programmes that focus on ASM-related risks are limited even though most developing nations have no laid down regulations for monitoring the operations of artisanal miners and the health and safety issues, as also found in Kyeremateng-Amoah and Clarke [1].