Unit 3
Resource Exploitation and the Environment

Overview

The extraction of mineral resources from the Earth often leaves indelible marks on the environment, ranging from the scarring of the landscape to the disruption of natural ecosystems to the production of hazardous pollutants. Pollution may also include some forms that are rather transient, such as noise and irritating dust, but even these contaminants depreciate property values.

Once extracted from the Earth, mineral resources usually go through a process of mineral recovery to acquire a targeted product, often a metal. At the recovery plants where the metals are refined, various physical and chemical separation techniques may be implemented. These processes may also affect the environment detrimentally.

In this unit, we will focus on a number of extraction techniques used in mining resources from the Earth and analyze their characteristic environmental effects. We will also look at the recovery techniques used in the processing of mineral resources, and identify their potential effects on the environment. Finally, we will look at influences of by-products of resource use on the environment, including unwanted emissions and waste.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you should be able to

  1. explain the links between the extraction and use of resources as well as the associated environmental effects.
  2. describe techniques used in underground mining, the associated disruptions on the environment, and the methods used to mitigate these effects.
  3. outline the methods used in surface mining, the associated impacts on the environment, and the measures taken to limit the negative effects.
  4. outline the environmental impact associated with processing metalliferous ores, including the generation of rock waste and pollutant emissions into the atmosphere.
  5. describe the polluting effects of fossil fuel combustion, including the release of gases (CO2, NOx, and SOx) into the atmosphere.
  6. explain the problems associated with disposing radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants.