Water pollution effects from mining require environmental characterization. - Anderson Engineering (2024)

FAQs

How does mining affect the water pollution? ›

Sedimentation and Erosion

When these mining sites experience heavy rain, the loosened topsoil is washed away, carrying sediments that may pollute the streams, lakes, and rivers. Excessive residue can harm aquatic organisms and watershed vegetation downstream.

Environmental impacts from mining

Destruction of natural habitat. Oil, fuel and chemicals spills contaminating surrounding soil, rivers and groundwater resources. Air pollution from mining processing operations. Drainage and runoff from mining sites, including acid mine drainage.

Water pollution is the release of substances into bodies of water that makes water unsafe for human use and disrupts aquatic ecosystems. Water pollution can be caused by a plethora of different contaminants, including toxic waste, petroleum, and disease-causing microorganisms.

The mining process may also release toxic compounds that naturally occur on the ocean floor. During the extraction of nodules, streams of water are discharged at the seabed which can increase surrounding seawater temperatures and reduce oxygen levels.

Mining is an inherently invasive process that can cause damage to a landscape in an area much larger than the mining site itself. The effects of this damage can continue years after a mine has shut down, including the addition to greenhouse gasses, death of flora and fauna, and erosion of land and habitat.

Water pollution

Mining can have harmful effects on surrounding surface and groundwater. If proper precautions are not taken, unnaturally high concentrations of chemicals, such as arsenic, sulphuric acid, and mercury can spread over a significant area of surface or subsurface water.

What are three harmful environmental effects of mining? ›

The major potential environmental impacts associated with mining and associated mineral processing operations are related to erosion-prone landscapes, soil and water quality, and air quality.

Many negative impacts can result from mining activities. Some examples include climate change, deforestation/habitat destruction, pollution, soil erosion, human-wildlife conflict, and the loss of biodiversity.

Examples of common methods include disinfection and coagulation, as well as different forms of filtration. Through these processes, the water is purified from contaminants such as bacteria, algae, minerals and suspended solids that could be harmful to the population.

Harm to any of these organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments. When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels in the water.

Mining operations can negatively impact water supplies, often with long-lasting effects. The fundamental issue involves contamination of nearby rivers, lakes, and aquifers by what comes out of a coal mine—usually highly acidic water containing heavy metals like arsenic, copper, and lead.

Every stage of the mining process, including the ore extraction, generation of solid waste, and ore refining and processing, creates air pollution that has environmental and public health impacts. Globally, metal mining is one of the biggest sources of air pollution.

Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for decades, or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Several waterborne pathogens proliferate in wastewater and produce toxins, affecting the earth's ecosystem and human health. The toxins in industrial wastewater cause acute poisoning, immune system suppression and reproductive failure. According to the WHO, around 80% of diseases are waterborne.