ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF

MINING
Prepared by:
ABHISHEK MISHRA
B.Tech(Mining), IITBHU
Impact Of Mining On Land: Land Pollution

Mining and its subsequent activities have been found to degrade the
land to a significant extent. Mining operations regularly modify the
surrounding landscape by exposing previously undisturbed earthen
materials. Overburden removal from the mine area results in a very
significant loss of rain forest and the rich top soil. Overburden removal is
normally done by the process of blasting or using excavators, which
results in generation of large volume of waste (soil, debris and other
material). The bigger the scale of the mine, greater is the quantum of
waste generated. Opencast mines are therefore more pollution intensive
as they generate much higher quantities of waste compared to the
underground mines. Open-pit mines produce 8 to 10 times as much
waste as underground mines. Though most mining wastes, such as
overburden, are inert solid materials, the industry also generates waste
that is toxic in nature. Some of these toxic are inherently present in the
ore, for example, heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead, zinc,
cadmium, etc. These heavy metals leach out of the stored waste piles,
contaminating the local environment and the water ways and drainage
systems. As the operations of mining are carried on the soil becomes
more and more prone to erosion due to loss of green cover, the local
water bodies are affected and the cumulative effects of all these actions
push the land towards degradation. The magnitude and significance of
impact on environment due to mining varies from mineral to mineral and

also on the potential of the surrounding environment to absorb the

negative effects of mining, geographical disposition of mineral deposits
and size of mining operations. The total area of mining lease with active
mining operations is the minimum area which is being affected by waste
generation. However, the actual off-site area affected by pollution and
degradation by the accumulation of waste material will be far more than
the area of the lease in which the operations are in progress. It is also
possible that a number of mines may exist in a close cluster adding to
the adverse effects. Accumulation of tailings and red mud will add to the
seriousness of the environmental adverse effects.

Remedial Measures to prevent land degradation:

Rehabilitation: The land is returned to a form and productivity in

conformity with a prior land-use plan including a stable ecological state
that does not contribute substantially to environmental deterioration and
is consistent with surrounding aesthetic values.
Reclamation: The site is hospitable to organisms that were originally
present or others that approximate the original inhabitants.
Restoration: The condition of the site at the time of disturbance is
replicated after the action.
The key features of land reclamation are:
1. Mapping to delineate the area under direct or indirect
environmental degradation.
2. Geological and geotechnical investigation to know the soil
parameters that may affect the sustainable restoration of soil.
3. Meteorological and climatological investigation to know the rainfall,
wind and humidity pattern that may affect the plantation of trees
4. Study of hydrological conditions to know the quality , quantity,
storage and flow of water in the local ecosystem.
5. Topographic study to know the areal pattern of land so that we can
plan the reclamation in such a manner that the reclaimed land has
a perfect blend with the previously undisturbed land.

6. Soil condition to know the holding capacity of the soil and its
quality.
7. Vegetation study to know the fast growing plant varieties and plant
communities of the area.

Effect of mining on Water: Water Pollution

One of the most adverse impacts of mining is on water pollution
and water availability. The sources of water pollution in mines are:
1. Acid Mine Drainage: Water drained from mines have a high
concentration of sulphuric acid formed by the dissolution of
sulphide ore in mine runoff water. This acidic water further
dissolves toxic metals like arsenic, gold, barium etc. while
their flow through the channelized path. This discharge from
mining areas is what is referred to as acid mine drainage.
They are a potential threat to the aquatic life as well as the
people living in the villages around the mine sites. They
toxify the water bodies to pH levels as low as 3 and below
rendering water unfit for drinking, bathing or any other
purpose of this kind.
2. Soil erosion from dumps and heap leaching: The
overburden dumps are usually washed off during heavy
rainfall and storms from the mine sites and this becomes a
source of sedimentation in the nearby water bodies. Huge
amount of sediment load is added to the water sources
thereby blocking these potential channels and making them
toxic. The sediments leached out from these dumps have an
abundance of metallic content like lead and mercury and
copper which are detrimental to human as well as plant and
animal health. Lead and mercury are a major cause of low

intellectuality development of children while copper and other

base metals are responsible for several allergic
developments in local communities affected by it.
3. Tailing disposal from processing plants: Tailings disposed
from processing plants pose a threat to the water quality. The
reason being their improper handling and with carelessness.
Specific dedicated tailing disposal sites would reduce the
problem of them interacting with the water bodies of the
area. Tailing are quite rich in metal and so contaminate the
water bodies heavily. These metals then enter our food chain
and form part of our life cycle posing a threat to us.
4. Dewatering from mine and processing plant: Water from the
dewatering from mines and processing plants is also a
source of pollution of water bodies.

Remedial Measures To Control Water Pollution:

1. Acid mine drainage is almost inevitable in surface
as well as underground mines but to some extent
we can control it by proper treatment of the
discharge water. Proper neutralization of
discharge water can be ensured by adding
counteracting materials like limestone , siderite,
etc.
2. Proper drainage channel can prevent runoff over
undesirable mining locations.
3. Tailing discharge should be dumped in dedicated
dumping sites far from water bodies and local
settlements.

4. Evaporation chambers to evaporate highly

contaminated water streams and careful
discharge of solid residuals.

Class
Designated-Best-Use of
water

Criteria

Drinking
Water Source without
conventional
treatment but after
disinfection

Outdoor bathing
(Organised)

Drinking water
source after
conventional
treatment and
disinfection

Propagation of Wild
life and Fisheries

pH between 6.5 and 8.5

Dissolved Oxygen 6mg/l or

more

Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5

days 20C 2mg/l or less

Total Coliforms Organism

MPN/100ml shall be 500 or less pH
between 6.5 and 8.5 Dissolved
Oxygen 5mg/l or more

Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5

days 20C 3mg/l or less

Total Coliforms Organism

MPN/100ml shall be 5000 or less pH
between 6 to 9 Dissolved Oxygen
4mg/l or more

Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5

days 20C 3mg/l or less

Total Coliforms Organism

MPN/100ml shall be 50 or less

pH between 6.5 to 8.5 Dissolved

Oxygen 4mg/l or more

Free Ammonia (as N) 1.2 mg/l

or less

Irrigation, Industrial
Cooling, Controlled
Waste disposal

pH between 6.0 to 8.5

Electrical Conductivity at 25C

micro mhos/cm Max.2250

Sodium absorption Ratio Max.

26

Boron Max. 2mg/l

Below- Not Meeting A, B, C, D & E

E
Criteria
Table- Water Quality Criteria For Different Uses(As per CPCB)

Effect Of Mining On Air: Air Pollution

Airborne emissions occur during each stage of the mine cycle, but
especially during exploration, development, construction, and
operational activities. Mining operations mobilize large amounts of
material, and waste piles containing small size particles are easily
dispersed by the wind.
The largest sources of air pollution in mining
operations are:

Particulate matter transported by the wind as a result of

excavations, blasting, transportation of materials, wind erosion
(more frequent in open-pit mining), fugitive dust from tailings

facilities, stockpiles, waste dumps, and haul roads. Exhaust

emissions from mobile sources (cars, trucks, heavy
equipment)raise these particulate levels; and

Gas emissions from the combustion of fuels in stationary

and mobile sources, explosions, and mineral processing.

Once pollutants enter the atmosphere, they undergo physical and

chemical changes before reaching a receptor. These pollutants
can cause serious effects to peoples health and to the
environment. Large-scale mining has the potential to contribute
significantly to air pollution, especially in the operation phase. All
activities during ore extraction, processing, handling, and transport
depend on equipment, generators, processes, and materials that
generate hazardous air pollutants such as particulate matter,
heavy metals, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen
oxides.

Mobile sources:
Mobile sources of air pollutants include heavy vehicles used in
excavation operations, cars that transport personnel at the mining
site, and trucks that transport mining materials. The level of
polluting emissions from these sources depends on the fuel and
conditions of the equipment. Even though individual emissions can
be relatively small, collectively these emissions can be of real
concern. In addition, mobile sources are a major source of
particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic
compounds that contribute significantly to the formation of groundlevel ozone.
Stationary sources:
The main gaseous emissions are from combustion of fuels in
power generation installations, and drying, roasting, and smelting

operations. Many producers of precious metals smelt metal onsite, prior to shipping to off-site refineries. Typically, gold and silver
is produced in melting/fluxing furnaces that may produce elevated
levels of airborne mercury, arsenic, sulfur dioxide, and other
metals.

Control Of Air Pollution:

Air pollution control involves implementation of a series of
preventive and suppressive measures so that the level of
pollutions are maintained upto certain standards. Four strategies
can be adopted for air pollution control:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Air quality management

Emission standards
Economic approach
Cost benefit strategy

Air Quality Management:

It is the regulation of amount , location and time of pollutant
emissions to achieve some clearly defined set of ambient air
quality standards. It involves the control of pollutants emissions to
ensure that these levels do not exceed the acceptable limits.
Emission standards:
Emission standards are distinguished for large number of
pollutants and are applied to indivisual or specific group of
emitters. If emission standards are derived from consideration of
air quality standards then it forms an emission strategy( in fact
apart of air quality management system). It is the best available
and economically feasible technique.
Economic Approach:
Economic based approach to air pollution control would provide
financial incentives for emissions sources to pursue the most costeffective means for reducing pollution . The emission charges

strategy , based on requiring polluters to pay charges relating to

the amount of pollutants they emit is the most comman technique.
The purpose is to leave to the choice of polluters to decide on
whether they want to control the pollution or they want to pay
heavy amounts to the concerned authorities.
Cost Benefit Approach:
Cost benefit strategy first attempts to quantify all the costs of all
damages resulting from air pollution and then adopt pollution
controlling options which will minimise the scene of damage and
pollution control costs. If pollution control expenditure is not made ,
ambient air pollution concentration will be high and pollution
damage cost will also go up. As control expenditure increases ,
pollution concentration and associated damage cost will fall.

Pollutant

Primary/
Secondary

Averaging
Time
8-hour

Level

Form

9 ppm

Carbon
Monoxide

primary

Lead

primary
and
secondary

Rolling 3
month
average

0.15
g/m3

Not to be exceeded

primary

1-hour

100
ppb

98th percentile, averaged over

years

Nitrogen
Dioxide

Ozone

1-hour

Not to be exceeded more than

35 ppm once per year

primary and
Annual
secondary

53 ppb Annual Mean

primary
and
secondary

8-hour

0.075
ppm

Annual fourth-highest daily

maximum 8-hr concentration,
averaged over 3 years

Annual

12
g/m3

annual mean, averaged over 3

years

secondary

Annual

15
g/m3

annual mean, averaged over 3

years

primary
and
secondary

24-hour

35
g/m3

98th percentile, averaged over

years

Particle PM2.5
primary
Pollution

PM10

Sulphur Dioxide

Not to be exceeded more than

once per year on average ove
years

primary and
24-hour
secondary

150
g/m3

primary

1-hour

99th percentile of 1-hour daily

75 ppb maximum concentrations,
averaged over 3 years

secondary

3-hour

0.5
ppm

Not to be exceeded more than

once per year

Table- National Ambient Air Quality Standards