Effects Of Mining On Human Health And Environment

When asked to think of coal mining, what comes to mind? A mountain with a hole cut into the side of it with a set of railroad tracks disappearing into it? Maybe an old mine car or two full of some rocks or coal, with a pickaxe and shovel leaning against it. A few guys with hard hats covered in a black powder coming walking out of the mine pushing a car or two full of coal. The technology has advanced but the process is basically still the same as well as the outcome. Coal is retrieved from underground and taken to factories to be burnt to create electricity or to fuel the steel mills.

Minerals can affect society in many ways for example; Surface mining destroys vegetation across large areas, increasing erosion. Open-pit mining uses huge quantities of water. Acid mine drainage is pollution caused when dissolved toxic materials wash from mines into nearby lakes and streams. Minerals is approximately 80 percent of mined ore consists of impurities that become wastes after processing. These wastes, called tailings, are usually left in giant piles on the ground or in ponds near the processing plants (Figure 12.9). The tailings contain toxic materials such as cyanide, mercury, and sulfuric acid. Left

The families that live near the mine also face being diagnosed with dangerous side effects. Since the ground becomes polluted with the chemicals, most homes in the surrounding area don’t have running water because the aquifers are polluted by said chemicals that originate from the mine. And the air becomes toxic also, toxic levels of arsenic, fluorine, mercury, and selenium is emitted by coal fires, entering the air and the food chain of those living nearby. These pollutants affect the water also, making it dangerous to any living life form. It causes deformities and creates birth defects if ingested into the body (Breitenender 2). And to an extent, causes death if the water is drunk regularly. It can go unnoticed also if people don’t check their water. And if a person is unfortunate enough to live near these areas, then he likely has no running water due to the pollution of his local aquifer. People are deprived of a vital source to live and they travel far to get water. And these areas are arid which means water is a necessary

Factory, mill, and mining work in Britain may be very hazardous to one’s health, especially with regards to the health of children, according to reports by workers and medical experts. Harsh working conditions results in the poor health of workers as well as injuries.

Things like mining too far into a wall that connects to an older mine, thus increasing the danger of a collapse, is common. Other practices include shoddy dams that contain the slurry, a mixture of water and fine particles of coal, which do not always meet structural regulations that can and have broken and flood nearby communities (Light and Light, 2006). There are other environmental issues that are associated with coal mining. Acid mine drainage is the result of sulfide minerals being exposed to oxygen. This produces sulfuric acid and can dissolve heavy metals from the waste rock, making it bioavailable. Without proper treatment, this will poison the water systems near that mine and will seep into the streams, creeks, and even ground and well water. The water turns orange and is impossible for anything to live off of the water or in it (Kirsch, 2014). Another issue of coal mining is airborne coal dust, which can result in Black Lung disease. This is caused by inhaling too much coal dust and is common in miners, but with surface mining becoming more prevalent, more coal dust is being released into the air and drifting down to the communities. More children and elderly people are having respiratory problems that many believe are because of

The Natural Step provides a framework for considering the effects of materials selection on human health. Robèrt suggested that many human health problems, particularly those of children, result from materials we use in our daily lives. The extraction of resources such as fossil fuels and metal ores from the planet’s crust produces carcinogens and results in heavy metals entering the earth’s surface biosphere

However, there if there is something good there has to be a bad part as well. Even though mining is helping the technologies to grow rapidly everyday, there are side affects caused to the people live near mining areas, especially indigenous people, given that a substantial number of mining operations are on or near Indigenous land, the increase in mining investment may have extremely affected Indigenous communities. There are concerns that, in remote mining areas, the increases in house costs generated by the mining boom mean that anyone who doesn’t work in the mining industry, especially those who are 100% relied on government benefits, will find it harder to afford housing. It will not affect the current generation; however, it will have a huge impact on the future generation. For example, parents wont be able to afford money for their children to go to school, which will result in, kids started working as child labours or slaves and people will find it hard to afford foods and

Jobs in Minnesota are crucial to our economy, and mining gives many people well paying jobs. But can mining affect other jobs and the quality of life of others.

The mining process involves many big vehicles and other technology that release huge amounts of pollution into the atmosphere speeding up global warming and causing climate change.

Another positive effect copper mining has on communities is the developing technology to mine copper. As copper mining occurs, the public begins to regard the states of the environment and health of the people. Through this, people can come up with innovative ideas to improve the state of the environment and prevent diseases caused by pollution.

Within todays society there are many things that are swept under the rug and are not acknowledged. The Canadian mining industries may not affect Canadian citizens, however, the affects that Canadian Mining causes is a major issue in many areas of the world. The effects of Canadian mining vary from direct effect on the work environment, serious environment harm as well as the effects on the people of the land. Lives are at risk and being taken daily by Canadian mining in south America, however the awareness that it should have has not been acknowledged.

Mining is one of Canada’s primary industries and involves the extraction, refining, and/or processing of economically valuable rocks and minerals. Mineral products – including gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel – are critical to modern industrial society. Although mining has been key to Canadian settlement and development, in recent decades the industry has also been criticized for its environmental and social impacts. Canada remains one of the world’s leading mining countries and has become a centre of global mining finance and expertise.

Introducing children under the age of thirteen to a harsh environment resulted in fifty-eight out of the three hundred forty nine deaths in one mine over duration of one year. Many people believe that child labour is no longer a big problem in the mining industry, but we still see an immense population of children mining. The most popular industries are gold and diamond mining because of their value worldwide. The reason these children are forced into the mining industry is because of the normality

In our days, mining for resources is inevitable. The resources we need are valuable in everyday life. Such resources mined up are coal, copper, gold, silver, and sand. However, mining poses environmental risks that can degrade the quality of soil and water, which can end up effecting us humans if not taken care of and many of the damages are irreversible once they have occurred.

The mining industry has seen an explosive growth from the past few decades. It has played an important role in economic growth, infrastructure development and a raise in the living standard of the whole world. According to the Australian National Accounting System, the mining sector has made contributions of 9.8% GDP growth to the Australian economy between 2008 to 2009 (Australia Bureau of Statistics, 2012). However, the mining industry has caused many environmental issues such as adverse effect to air, land and water quality and continues to affect global environment as a whole. According to the World Health Organization, it evaluated that 25% of worldwide death are directly associated with environmental pollution (Blacksmith Institute, n.d). This essay will outline the environmental issue raised by the mining industry with pinpoint focus on the effects to air, water and land. It will also provide strategies for mining companies to improve the environmental conditions.