Mining is one of the oldest activities developed by man, being a sector of special relevance in the progress of the human being. It consists of the exploitation, selective extraction and use of minerals and other materials arranged in the earth’s cortex or in the subsoil, of which an economic benefit can be obtained.
Do you want to know more? In ecology, we tell you everything about the handmade mining and its effects on the environment.
Mining and Environment according to types
There are different Types of Mining Depending on the mineral that is extracted:
- Metal mining: minerals that are used as raw material for manufactured products (copper, silver, gold, lead, iron) are extracted.
- Non -metallic mining: minerals that are used as construction and ornamentation material (granite, marble, mica) or as raw material in the jewelry sector (quartz, sapphire, emerald) are extracted.
- Energy or combustible mineral mining: minerals are extracted mainly to generate energy (oil, natural gas and coal).
The exploitation process can be performed in the open or underground. This depends on certain factors such as the geology and geometry of the site and the characteristics of the mineral itself.
Artisanal mining
Most of the mining industry develops on a large scale, through the investment, control and monitoring of large companies that produce more than 5,000 tons of materials per day. However, there is another type of mining called artisanal or small -scale, which produces less than 350 tons per day and is located mainly in developing countries (Brazil, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbawe).
There is currently no accepted definition of artisanal mining, in fact, this concept may include very different activities, from the material extraction to the washing process. However, they are attributed A series of characteristicssuch as:
- Minimum use of machinery and technology. Workers use simple tools, equipment and techniques that require greater physical effort.
- Natural Resources Exploitation outside the regulatory and legal frameworkwithout having security and protection measures, or plans exploitation and restoration.
- Low productivity due to the use of inefficient techniques since it is usually carried out in small plots and in marginal surface land created by diversity of materials.
In many cases, this activity is a subsistence technique mainly used in rural areas that involves entire families, assuming the only opportunity to obtain income, get out of poverty and combat unemployment.
Environmental impact of mining
On the other hand, the Impact of artisanal mining on the environment It can be considerable, since it is not regulated or respect any type of environmental standard, causing important long -term consequences. Among the environmental problems causedwe can highlight:
- Erosion and deforestation: It is the result of the great earth movements that are made to explore the material, eliminating the vegetation and preventing it from regenerating.
- Mercury and cyanide pollution: These elements are used to separate and extract the gold from the rocks or stones in which it is located. Mercury adheres forming an amalgam that facilitates its separation from rock, sand or other material, while cyanide is combined with metals and allows its dissolution. The problem occurs when its use is abused indiscriminately, emitting amounts in liquid and soda in the environment.
- Air pollution: By emission of solid impurities, dust, toxic and inert fuels and even vapors or mercury, cyanide and sulfur dioxide contained in wastewater. In the following article we talk about what are the pollutants of the air.
- Water pollution and damage in alluvial areas: caused to pour in the rivers a large number of chemicals and particles that cloud water, reduce the amount of oxygen and have an impact on the development of flora and fauna. In other cases, the excessive accumulation of particles and materials can interfere in the course of the rivers transforming them into sludge.
- Landscape destruction: Extraction procedures are generally very aggressive and cause the alteration of the natural ecosystem and the loss of its characteristics, as well as the flora and fauna present in the territory, which, given the changes produced in their habitat, are forced to flee.
In summary, mining is an activity considered as a key process in economic development. However, there is the risk of being transformed into socio -economic enclaves and causes major problems in the environment. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to social and environmental aspects, valuing both the opportunity and the risk of measures to guarantee a responsible approach to the exploitation of mineral resources.
If you want to read more articles similar to Artisanal mining and its effects on the environmentwe recommend that you enter our category of other environment.
