Environmental Studies
Module 2 Natural Resources
Topic
Mineral Resources
(Type, Use, Problem & Suggested Measures)
Prepared by
Dr. Kartikeya Shukla
Amity Institute of Environmental Sciences
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Mineral Resources
Any metal, non-metal, element and rock that can be extracted from the Earth’s
crust and is having a potential value.
"Minerals are naturally-occurring inorganic substances with a definite and
predictable chemical composition and physical properties."
(O'Donoghue, 1990)
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Advantages
Building Materials: sand, gravel, stone, cement, steel, asphalt.
Plumbing & wiring: iron, copper, brass, lead, cement, asbestos
Appliances: iron, copper, many rare metals
Defense equipment
Agricultural: fertilizers, machinery
Means of Transportation
Jewelry: gold, silver, platinum, diamond etc.
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Types of Mineral Resources
1) Non- metallic minerals: e.g. graphite, diamond, quartz, feldspar
2) Metallic minerals: bauxite, laterite, haematite etc.
3) Fossil fuels (also known as mineral fuels): the organic mineral
substances that can be utilized as fuels, such as coal, petroleum,
natural gas etc.
The minerals and their ores need to be extracted from the earth’s
interior and the process of mineral extraction is known as mining
process.
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The Stages in Process of Mining
1) Prospecting: This is done for the searching of minerals. The searching methods
includes direct analysis of minerals outcrops combined with the aerial
photography, geologic maps, and structural assessment of an area.
2) Exploration: Determines, as accurate as possible, the size and value of a mineral
deposit, utilizing techniques similar to but more refined than those used in
prospecting.
3) Development: It involves work of preparing access to the deposit so that the
minerals can be extracted. This process involves acquiring water and mineral
rights, buying surface lands, arranging for financing, and preparing permit
applications and an environmental impact statement (EIS).
4) Exploitation: It involves actual extraction of minerals from the mines.
5) Reclamation: Process of closing mines; re-contouring, re-vegetating, and restoring
the water and land values.
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Types of Mining
Depending upon the ways of exploitation mines are of two types –
Surface mining: Open pit or open cast mining is usually employed to exploit
a near-surface deposit ore. . It often necessitates a large capital investment
but generally results in high productivity, low operating cost, and good safety
conditions.
Sub-surface mining: mainly involves unsupported, supported, and caving
type of mine used for mining deep minerals deposits. It is most destructive,
dangerous, expensive including risks of occupational hazards and accidents.
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Processing of Minerals
This processing can be physical and physicochemical methods such as gravity
separation and flotation. It can be biological such as bioleaching or chemical
such as cyaniding( addition of sodium cyanide solution to extract gold from
ore) in gold ore processing.
Waste generated during processing are known as Tailings which may include:
1) Aqueous solutions from cyaniding.
2) Slurries of finely ground particles that have undergone one or more types of
physical or chemical treatment and have participated in the conversion
process. These tailings are normally dumped in a sort of lagoon or settling
basin.
3) Atmospheric releases from sulphide roasting including sulfur dioxide gas
which is an agent for acid rain.
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Mining Associated Environmental Problems
1) De-vegetation and defacing of landscape: Top soil along with vegetation
has to be removed for reaching to the mineral resource, this results into
removal of forest and vegetation of the area leading to loss of biodiversity.
2) Subsidence of Land: mainly related to the underground mining often
leading to destruction of property and displacement of local habitants.
3) Watershed Disturbance: Mining activity disturb the natural hydrological
process and pollute the ground water due to leaching of heavy metals and
acids.
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4) Acid-mine drainage: Acid mine drainage is most serious problem
associated with the mining sectors. This is normally associated with the
metal ore mines and coal mines having high concentration of sulphides in
ores which react with air and water to produce acidity.
5) Air Pollution: Mining activity is also a major source of SPM, some of the
coal mines release methane through cracks and opening. Mine fire also
results into formation of NOx and SOx and some secondary pollutant such
as ozone.
6) Noise pollution: Mining activity involves lot of heavy machinery related to
extraction and transportation of mineral ores resulting into increase noise
level in the mining zones.
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7) Displacement of tribal and local population: Mining activity in forested
and hilly region mostly resulted into the displacement of tribal and
marginalized population resulted into their rehabilitation issue.
8) Occupational hazards: Mining activity especially underground mining is
associated with greater risk for the worker due to occurring of mine
accidents involving collapse of mine wall, flooding of mines or mine blast
associated with methane. Beside accidents longs working in the mine
environment results into diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, black lung
disease etc.
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THANK YOU
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