How does mining affect the environment?
The major impact of mining on the environment is mainly due to the physical damage of the landscape and the production of large volume of harmful wastes. In general, only a small fraction of the ore is valuable, the remaining large part is waste (tailings). For example, in the Cu mining industry, only about a kilogram of the metal is extracted from one-half ton rock. (Ore is an economic term for a rock from which a mineral can be extracted profitably). The figure above summarizes the environmental impact of mining and smelting. It shows that mining and smel ting produce solid, liquid and gaseous wastes/contaminants. These cause serious environmental damage once they are discharged to the land (terrestrial ecosystem) and bodies of water (aquatic ecosystems) or when they are emitted into ambient air. In particular, they cause soil and water acidification, air, water, soil and plant contamination by trace elements, deterioration of soil biology and fertility, and soil erosion. Studies hav...