Open-pit mining: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 08:57, 11 February 2025

Revision as of 22:21, 4 March 2025

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===Pollutants===

Open-pit mining involves the process of disrupting the ground, which leads to the creation of air pollutants. The main source of air pollutants comes from the transportation of minerals, but there are various other factors including drilling, blasting and the loading and unloading of overburden.<ref name=impact>{{Cite journal |last1=Huertas |first1=José I. |last2=Huertas |first2=María E. |last3=Izquierdo |first3=Sebastián |last4=González |first4=Enrique D. |title=Air quality impact assessment of multiple open pit coal mines in northern Colombia |journal=Journal of Environmental Management |volume=93 |issue=1 |pages=121–129 |date=January 2012 |pmid=22054578 |doi=10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.08.007|bibcode=2012JEnvM..93..121H }}</ref> These type of pollutants cause significant damage to public health and safety in addition to damaging the air quality. The inhalation of these pollutants can cause issues to the lungs and ultimately increase mortality.<ref name=impact /> Furthermore, the pollutants affect flora and fauna in the areas surrounding open-pit mines.

Open-pit gold mining is one of the highest potential mining threats on the environment as it affects the air and water chemistry. The exposed dust may be toxic or radioactive, making it a health concern for the workers and the surrounding communities.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Abdul-Wahab|first1=Sabah|last2=Marikar|first2=Fouzul|date=2012-01-01|title=The environmental impact of gold mines: pollution by heavy metals|journal=Open Engineering|volume=2|issue=2|page=304|doi=10.2478/s13531-011-0052-3|bibcode=2012CEJE....2..304A|s2cid=3916088|issn=2391-5439|doi-access=free}}</ref>

===Deforestation===

Open-pit [[Nickel mine|nickel mining]] has led to environmental degradation and pollution in developing countries such as the [[List of mines in the Philippines|Philippines]] and [[List of mines in Indonesia|Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rick |first1=Mills |title=Indonesia and China killed the nickel market |url=https://www.mining.com/web/indonesia-and-china-killed-the-nickel-market/ |work=MINING.COM |date=4 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Land grabs and vanishing forests: Are ‘clean’'clean' electric vehicles to blame? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/14/land-grabs-and-cleared-forests-why-electric-vehicles-are-getting-a-bad-rep |work=Al Jazeera |date=14 March 2024}}</ref> In 2024, nickel mining and processing was one of the main causes of [[deforestation in Indonesia]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Indonesia’sIndonesia's massive metals build-out is felling the forest for batteries |url=https://apnews.com/article/indonesia-nickel-deforestation-rainforest-mining-tesla-ev-184550cddf1df6aad8e883862ab366df |work=AP News |date=15 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=EU faces green dilemma in Indonesian nickel |url=https://www.dw.com/en/eu-faces-green-dilemma-in-sourcing-nickel-from-indonesia/a-69681557 |work=Deutsche Welle |date=16 July 2024}}</ref> Open-pit [[Copper extraction|cobalt mining]] has led to [[Deforestation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo|deforestation]] and habitat destruction in the [[Mining industry of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|Democratic Republic of Congo]].<ref>{{cite news |title=How 'modern-day slavery' in the Congo powers the rechargeable battery economy |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara |work=[[NPR]] |date=1 February 2023}}</ref>

==Hydrology in mining==