Although gold, silver, copper, coal and oil are essential to satisfy some human needs, their extraction based on the overexploitation of natural resources ends up leaving traces that are very difficult to erase. If you want to know what is the environmental impact of mining, continue reading.
Mining is almost as old as the origin of civilization. But with population growth and the consequent increase in industrial activity to meet their demands, this sector began to grow exponentially.
Mankind has always made use of everything that the Earth provides to satisfy his many needs, for survival or to improve his quality of life.
The need for new construction and for the supply of energy has triggered the demand for raw materials, that are present in deposits accumulated in the ground and beneath the surface of the earth.
As the centuries unfolded this quickly began to cause very serious problems for the environment, ecosystems, wildlife, and even for human beings who initiated.
Mining can cause the following:
- 1. Destruction of the earth’s crust
Mineral extraction requires extensive excavation, which means that it requires not only the soil to be removed, but also the vegetation on top of it. As a result, large tracts of land end up becoming deforested due to mining activities.
An immediate effect is erosion. The soil is left out in the open, exposed to the displacement of particles, often composed of toxic materials, such as arsenic, cadmium, and lead.
In agricultural areas, mining can destroy or disturb arable or grazing land; and in wilderness areas, it can destroy ecosystems and alter many biological processes.
The creation of pits and waste rock piles contribute to the deterioration of the surrounding land. In addition, surface ground movements can then generate subsidence and, therefore, affect roads and other infrastructure.
- 2. Water pollution
The availability, conservation and quality of water are also affected by mining.
This activity requires massive amounts of water (hundreds of thousands per month, something that reduces the water table in the area where the mineral extraction is taking place.
On the other hand, metals dissolved by mining activity precipitate in water, both surface and underground. This action can increase the levels of sediment or suffocation of stream beds, due to increased soil erosion.
Additionally, the dumping of chemical waste, with a strong presence of heavy metals, in water sources can make them more acidic. In Guatemala, for example, hundreds of complaints were made against the Marlin Mine, which caused heavy contamination of the water of the Tzalá River and the Quivichil stream. Iron, aluminum, magnesium and arsenic were found in them. On the other hand, in 2014, a neighborhood in Bolivia was flooded with toxic waste after the collapse of a dam in Potosí that caused the spill of some 33,000 cubic meters of chemical waste.
- 3. Damage to flora and fauna
High levels of metal and the acidity of soils and water also end up being harmful to plants and animals, posing a great threat to biodiversity. In the long run, this can lead to the loss or displacement of species.
Changes in temperature or pH, destruction of soils and vegetation can affect the livelihood of many animals. The most vulnerable species are endemic ones, which are responsible for maintaining the balance of indigenous ecosystems. However, these often fail to resist the disturbances caused in their habitats.
However, the concentration level of the chemical substances released by mining, as well as the extension of land covered by the mining activity, together with the nature of the same, can determine the degree of affectation in one or other species. Some are more resistant and can tolerate them a little more, but others can even die, as in the case of aquatic animals that are poisoned by ingesting contaminated water loaded with toxic substances.
- 4. Air pollution
In many of the mineral extraction and treatment processes, (or rather, in all) , dust particles and other toxic gases are released into the environment that rise into the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect., largely responsible for climate change that in recent years have accentuated its consequences.
- 5. Human health conditions In
addition to adverse effects on the environment, the leakage of chemicals as a result of mining activity can affect people’s health. When absorbed through the skin or ingested, they can cause respiratory problems or skin conditions.
- 6. Social Conflicts
But, there is more. The commercial exploitation of mineral resources that lie underground can also cause conflicts between companies eager to fill their pockets with wealth from the mining business, and residents of the surrounding areas who are affected by the improper use of the land.
There are many cases in which mega-mining has caused conflicts due to the resistance of communities to extractive models that affect the environment and violate human rights. It is worth the opportunity to name the cases of Cajamarca and Tía María in Peru, for example.
The impact varies by type of mining.
In general, these are the negative consequences of mining. However, these may vary depending on the type or method of mining that is practiced.
- Subsoil mining: This type of extraction requires interconnected excavations. For this , tunnels are built that allow reaching the deepest deposits. Although its impact is much less, it does not mean that it is no longer polluting for water and soils.
- Well drilling: It is used mainly to extract and obtain gas and oil. They are carried out even in maritime areas. Although there are those who consider it a not so invasive technique, the truth is that one of its collateral effects is the sinking of the ground in the areas where the wells are dug.
- Open pit mining: This method is based on the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources found on the earth’s surface. It requires excavations of the land surrounding the site, either by means of machinery or with explosives. It may involve the use of chemicals such as cyanide, mercury, or sulfuric acid; highly toxic substances that eliminate sterile land (that which is not usable on the farm).
Quarries and alluvium fall into this classification. With the former, aggregates, industrial and ornamental rocks are extracted. The latter consist of the exploitation of sand for gold and precious stones.
Consequences of open-pit
mining Open-pit mining destroys and changes the morphology of the earth’s crust and destroys all types of existing flora. The chemical substances used favor the creation of large craters. But its effects do not stop there:
- The toxic dust that is given off during this activity, if it is not properly treated and stored, can seep into water sources and into the subsoil, endangering all forms of life present in them.
- In addition, the excavation itself generates noise pollution, which scares away animals from the area and disturbs the surrounding populations.
- Mining operations can cause so much damage to the communities where they are carried out that they can become incapable of supporting themselves.
- This form of exploitation is capable of destroying what at one time could have been an attractive landscape for tourism.
This type of mining is the one that has opened up more and more space and is more used, especially in Latin America, where there is already a strong presence of companies thirsty for the profit generated by the vast resources that the region has.
Mining through the Americas
America today is the bearer of chilling data in terms of environmental effects and violations caused by large-scale mining exploitation. But let Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela say it.
- In the United States there has been an increase in mining.
- In Brazil, the greatest mining pressure occurs in the region of the Tapajós river.
- Illegal mining in Peru has caused extremely high levels of deforestation that have even reached the Tambopata National Reserve. If you want to know more, don’t stop reading: the two faces of mining in Peru.
- In Venezuela, one of the cases with the greatest impact from mining occurs in the Amazon. More information in the article: mining in Venezuela, a dangerous cocktail.
- The extraction of gold and coltan in the basins of the Putumayo, Caquetá and Guainá rivers has affected a large part of the Colombian territory, especially the areas considered of special management, including forest reserves, border areas, national parks and indigenous territories.
- By 2016, Bolivia became the third country in the Americas with the most released mercury emissions (133 tons per year).
Water pollution, soil degradation and the expulsion of populations, as direct consequences of mining, also end up being serious human rights violations. Its adverse effects are not only environmental, but also cultural, social and economic. For this reason, public policies committed to Mother Earth and not to the pockets of multinationals are required.