Environmental Impacts of Metal Ore Mining and Processing: A Review

Abstract

The impact of mining and smelting of metal ores on environmental quality is described. Mines produce large amounts of waste because the ore is only a small fraction of the total volume of the mined material. In the metal industry, production of Cu, Pb, and Zn causes the greatest degradation of the environment. Copper mining produces extensive mine wastes and tailings and Cu smelting emits approximately 0.11 Mg of S per Mg of Cu produced in the USA. Zinc and Pb smelters release large quantities of Cd and Pb into the environment. Metal smelting and refining produce gaseous (CO2, SO2, NOx, etc.) and particulate matter emissions, sewage waters, and solid wastes. Soil contamination with trace metals is considered a serious problem related to smelting; however, mining and smelting are not main sources of global metal input into soils. Other sources like discarded manufactured products, coal ash, agriculture, and transportation take a lead. Smelters are the main sources of atmospheric emissions of As, Cu, Cd, Sb, and Zn on a global scale and they contribute substantially to the overall emissions of Cr, Pb, Se, and Ni. A quantitative evaluation of the environmental health effects of mining and smelting is difficult because of the complexity of factors involved and lack of consistent methodology. Nevertheless, the case studies described indicate that negative health effects could arise from Pb mining and smelting. Risk assessment revealed that food chain contamination by Cd from soils contaminated by smelting is very unlikely under the western diet.

Geochemistry and environmental threats of soils surrounding an abandoned mercury mine

“…Emergence and growth of the three studied species was totally inhibited in soils A2, A4, A6 and A7, which was expected due to the absence of a plant cover in the sampling area. It is important to emphasize that toxic effects of soils contaminated by mining tailings should not be exclusively associated to the presence of metals, but also to the fact that these anthropogenic soils are the product of a relatively rapid accumulation of mine wastes and consequently have not been formed through the complex and long process of rock erosion and materials accumulation that supplies the parameters needed for the proper development of flora (Dudka and Adriano 1997). Only Lolium perenne was able to germinate and grew in sample A3 (average of 15 and 12% as percentage of the controls respectively)(data not shown).…”

“…One of the main deleterious effects of already closed mines is usually associated with the abandonment of large volumes of wastes (Dudka and Adriano 1997). Tailings formed during the processing of the mineral ore are frequently stored in steep stock piles where they are prone to erosion (Henriques and Fernandes 1991), thus becoming a potential source of pollution to the surrounding environment.…”

Geochemical background of potentially toxic trace elements in soils of the historic copper mining area: a case study from Miedzianka Mt., Holy Cross Mountains, south-central Poland

“…The present and historic metal ore mining is considered as one of the most important source of soil contamination with Pb (Dudka and Adriano 1997).…”

Spray Layer-by-Layer Assembled Clay Composite Thin Films as Selective Layers in Reverse Osmosis Membranes

“…Additionally, agriculture and poor irrigation practices [2][3] , mining operations [4][5][6] , industrial production [7][8] , and other human activity 9 can produce significant amounts of wastewater that must be treated before it can be reused or discharged to the environment without a significant ecological impact. Efficient water desalination is already is vital and will continue to be to sustain the quality of life for societies living without sufficient access to freshwater.…”