Soil and Water Pollution

due to mining
Anita Punia
M.Phil
2nd Semester

Introduction
Miningis the extraction of valuable minerals or
other geological materials from the earth from
an orebody, lode, vein, seam or reef, which
forms the mineralized package of economic
interest to the miner.
Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal,
oil shale, gemstones, limestone, dimension
stone, rock salt, potash, gravel and clay.
On the basis of excavation mining divided into
two types: surface and underground mining

Mining- India
The GDP contribution of the mining
industry varies from 2.2% to 2.5% only
Indias rank in mining
First- sheet mica
Second- Iron
Fifth- Bauxite
India has significant sources of coal,
bauxite, titanium ore, chromite, natural
gas, diamonds, petroleum and
limestone.

Environmental impacts
Environmental issues can include
erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss
of biodiversity, and contamination of
soil,
groundwater
and
surface
waterby chemicals from mining
processes.

 Exposure to airborne silica and asbestos can cause

lung cancer, pneumoconiosis and numerous other
health effects.
The hazards to human health caused by exposure to
heavy metals including lead, cadmium and mercury
have been thoroughly documented. These metals
are associated with a range of neurological deficits in
both children and adults in addition to a range of
other systemic effects.
More commonly, small-scale gold mining utilizes
significant quantities of mercury to extract gold from
the ore. Exposure to mercury in these operations not
only endangers miners and their families, but is also
detrimental to the environment when deposited into
the water supply.

Pathways of metal from mineralized areas in the earths crust to their

final resting place as diffuse pollutants in soil and sediments and in
waste dumps (Salomons, 1995)

Potential environmental impacts

of metal mining- Physical impacts
Destruction of natural habitat at mining site and
waste disposal site
Destruction of natural habitat as a result of
emissions and discharges
Changes in river regime and ecology due to flow
of modification
Changes in landforms
Land degradation due to inadequate rehabilitation
after closure
Land instability/subsidence
Danger from failure of structures and dams
Abandoned equipment, plant and buildings

Pollution impacts

Drainage from the mining site- Acid mine drainage

Sediment runoff from mining site
Pollution from mining into river
Effluents from minerals processing operations
Soil contamination
Leaching of pollutants from tailings, disposal, areas
and contaminated soils
Air emissions from mineral processing operations
and ventilation on mines
Dust emissions (vegatation destruction)

Occupational impacts

Dust inhalation
Handling of chemicals, residues, products
Fugitive emissions within the plants
Exposure to toxic materials used on-site
Air emissions in confined spaces from
transport, blasting, combustion
Exposure to heat, noise, vibration,
radiation
Physical risks at a plant or at the site

Shematic diagram of potential environmental impacts of

mining/smelting industries