Lesson 23 Environmental Impacts on Mining and Mineral Use I

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School

Clemson University *

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112

Subject

Geology

Date

Oct 30, 2023

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docx

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Uploaded by DeaconFangKingfisher36

Environmental Impacts of Mining and Mineral Use I Learning Objectives By the end of this lesson, you will be able to… 1. Define the terms waste rock, acid mine drainage, beneficiation, leaching, flotation, and tailings. Waste rock : rock that has been broken up during mining but does not contain enough of the mineral resource to process the rock further Acid mine drainage : if waste rock (or walls of the mine itself) contains sulfide minerals, water reacts with sulfur-bearing minerals to create sulfuric acid Beneficiation : the process through which the desired minerals are concentrated, and unwanted minerals are removed Leaching : use of chemicals (e.g. sulfuric acid or sodium cyanide) to dissolve and transport metals to a collection area. Metals are then precipitated back out of solution. Floatation : further concentrates the ore mineral - Mix the slurry with a reagent and add bubbles\ - Due to the (specifically selected) chemistry, the desired minerals attach to the bubbles, and both will float to the top - Skim off the top Tailings : waste from the flotation process 2. Describe how waste rock is produced and how it could potentially cause acid mine drainage. - Breaking up the ground surface (via blasting, digging, ect.) breaks the rock into smaller pieces - More surfaces exposed to potential chemical reactions with air and water - Fine-grained waste rock can be mobilized when exposed to water, air, and other fluids - If waste rock contains sulfide minerals, water reacts with sulfur-bearing minerals to create sulfuric acid o Acid can further dissolve toxic heavy metals out of rock o Can lead to contaminated or highly acidic streams, groundwater, and/or soil 3. Summarize the different ways that ore undergoes beneficiation. - Crushing, milling, leaching, and floatation - The process depends on: o The mineral desired o What form it is in the rock o Composition of the host rock

4. Describe the environmental hazards associated with each stage of the mining process. - Acid Mine Drainage: Can lead to contaminated or highly acidic streams, groundwater, and/or soil - Mobilization of small particles by air - Creation of sulfuric acid - Leaching of heavy metals - Contamination of freshwater sources

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