Open-Pit Mining | Method, Environmental Impact & Examples | Study.com (2024)

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Open-Pit Mining | Method, Environmental Impact & Examples | Study.com? ›

Open-pit mining is one of the most destructive mining methods because it requires extensive vegetation, topsoil, and rock removal to extract the ore deposits. It also produces a large amount of waste and has by-products that can adversely affect air and water quality.

Open-pit mining operations release particulate matter and other pollutants into the air, contributing to air pollution that can affect respiratory health. The use of heavy machinery and blasting techniques generates significant noise pollution, disrupting the lives of nearby communities and wildlife.

Open-pit mining is commonly used to extract metallic ores like aluminum, bauxite, copper, gold, copper, and iron as well as non-metallic ores like coal, uranium, and phosphate. Open-pit mining is also known as open-cast mining, open-cut mining, and mega-mining.

Some examples of the negative environmental impacts of mining include climate change, deforestation/habitat destruction, pollution, soil erosion, human-wildlife conflict, and the loss of biodiversity.

Materials that are commonly extracted by the process of open cast mining are: Coal,Bitumen,Iron,diamonds, gold, granite ,copper etc. A haulage road is dug near the pit which acts as a ramp for the ore carrying trucks to carry materials to and from the mining sites.

The impacts of open-pit mining on human health include damage from tailings and excavation processes, as well as the use of chemicals. The impacts of open-pit mining on human health include damage from tailings and excavation processes, as well as human toxicity from manganese and barium.

Open-pit mining operations release dust and particulates, contributing to air pollution that affects respiratory health in humans and animals. Additionally, the machinery and blasting necessary for mining operations generate noise pollution, which impacts local communities and wildlife.

What is open-pit mining? Open-pit mining, also known as opencast mining, is a surface mining technique that extracts minerals from an open pit in the ground. Open-pit mining is the most common method used throughout the world for mineral mining and does not require extractive methods or tunnels.

Mine exploration, construction, operation, and maintenance may result in land-use change, and may have associated negative impacts on environments, including deforestation, erosion, contamination and alteration of soil profiles, contamination of local streams and wetlands, and an increase in noise level, dust and ...

Advantages of open-pit mining include:

Powerful trucks and shovels can be used to move large volumes of rock. Equipment not restricted by the size of the opening you are working in. Faster production. Lower cost to mine means lower grades of ore are economic to mine.

What are two examples of environmental impacts of mining? ›

Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere through carbon emissions which contributes to climate change.

Most modern mining techniques have high water demands for extraction, processing, and waste disposal. Wastewater from these processes can pollute water sources nearby and deplete freshwater supplies in the region surrounding the mine.

Often the most significant environmental impact from mining activities are discharges of metals and other elements to soil as well as surface and ground water. The impact of discharges differs from element to element.

It is influenced by size of the equipment, mining selectivity, government regulations and safety BENCH SLOPE or BANK ANGLE: Horizontal angle of the line connecting bench toe to the bench crest.

Typically the cost of an open pit mine is less than the underground mine. Sadly an open pit mine may cost a lot more money initially to develop than a underground mine. This is because typically the overburden must be removed substantially before the ore or material to be mined is obtained. This is not always so.

Expert-Verified Answer. The correct statement that best describes an environmental consequence of open-pit mining is that heavy metals are released into the surrounding soil, poisoning local vegetation.

Open pit Mon may result in raising dust concentration in atmosphere, raised noise level, land degradation, natural water course diversion, adverse effect on natural water resources etc. Thus proper environment control measures are essential even during open pit mining also.

The environmental implications of open-pit mining are numerous, but perhaps most evident is the obliteration of local ecosystems. The removal of overburden disrupts the original flora and fauna, often leading to habitat loss, reduced biodiversity, and sometimes, extinction of species.