Adverse Mining Effects on Environment

Mining is to dig out materials from the earth to send to different industries and it is very popular these days. There are varieties of good examples of these materials including iron ore, gold, diamond, stone, asbestos, lead, coal, rare earth and very many others.

Materials play vital roles in building economies and determine their lives. On the other side, very many problems emanate from this process of mining. There are so many adverse effects that the environment suffers due to mining and the following are a highlight of some. For this reason, the following is a look at the top effects of mining on the environment.

Treasures including wetlands and forests could be induced by mining years later. This is usually unavoidable when mining has to take place in such areas. Precious material to be mined usually takes priority and many forests across the globe have been cleared in a bid to extend mining programs. Global warming is an example of the adverse effects that come with destruction of wetlands and forests and this is evident in the world. The aftermath is nothing short of devastation and many can witness this no matter where they are in the world. However, some countries have taken to afforestation in a bid to restore sanity in this regard.

Mining in some ways will produce some bad things to the environment. Lead is a metal that will be very poisonous and it is a good example in this regard. Apart from causing children to retard, lead has been reported to cause all sorts of illnesses by people and in many places, exposure to the deadly metal is a health hazard for sure. Through use of safer mining methods as well as general stoppage of it, the problem can be solvable but this is difficult.

The environment and the people would be affected in rare earth mining processes as well. Toxic chemicals and radioactive thorium and uranium particle are released into the air, water and soil. People will inhale them and after several years, cancer might start to form and this is definitely a health risk. Birth defects are among the most concern where it would lead a great suffer to the residents and also play a part in destroying species of animals. Awareness to this danger is invaluable and will be necessary. So, people will get to know all their rights as they seek to protect themselves.