MINERAL RESOURCES : USE AND

EXPLOITATION, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF

EXTRACTING AND USING MINERAL RESOURCES
MINERALS
Minerals are exhaustible, non renewable
resources found in the earth s crust.
Properties:
1. Naturally occurring
2. Inorganic
3. Crystalline solids
4. Definite chemical composition
5. Some Physical properties
TYPES OF MINERALS
Metallic Minerals: Bauxite, Haematite,
Copper Pyrites, Chromite etc
Non metallic Minerals: Limestone, Graphite,
Dimond quartz, (Sources of lime carbon and
sillicon)
MAJOR MINERALS IN INDIA
Mica Bihar state contributes to almost
half of India s Mica
Common Salt Gujrat Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and
Sambhar lake Rajasthan
Aluminium Jharkand , West Bengal,Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu
Iron Jharkhand Orissa , M.P., A.p, Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu, Maharshtra and Goa.
Copper (Copper pyrites) found in Rajasthan ,
Bihar, Jharkhand, Karnataka , M.P. West
Bengal , Andhra Pradesh, Uttranchal
Coal and Lignite West Bengal JharKhand,Orissa, MP, AP
Uranium Jharkhand , AP, Meghalaya,and
Rajasthan.
USES AND EXPLOITATION
Minerals are sources of extraction of metals, Non
metals, and salts.
They find use in agriculture , hospitals, defence
domestic goods
Minerals provide us metals such as iron , copper,
aluminum(used in construction of the industrial
plants, heavy machinery and alloys.
Mines supply us with gold, silver , diamond , common
salt , coal and petroleum for fuel, uranium for nuclear
energy, phosphates for fertilizers, stone and gravel
for construction of buildings
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF USING
MINERAL RESOURCES
Minerals are removed through a variety of
methods that vary widely in their costs, safety
factors, and levels of environmental harm.
A variety of methods are used based on
mineral depth.
Surface mining: shallow deposits are removed.
Subsurface mining: deep deposits are removed.
MINING
Mining is the process of taking out minerals
and substances from the earth.
These substances include non- minerals
such as coal , sand oil, natural gas
NONRENEWABLE MINERAL RESOURCES
Ores: is rock
containing enough
or one or more
metallic minerals to
be mined profitably.

We use more than
40 metals
extracted from ores
for everyday items.
Gold ore
TYPES OF MINING
OPEN-PIT MINING
Machines dig
holes and
remove ores,
sand, gravel,
and stone.
Toxic
groundwater can
accumulate at
the bottom.
AREA STRIP MINING
Earth movers
strips away
overburden, and
giant shovels
removes mineral
deposit.
Often leaves highly
erodible hills of
rubble called spoil
banks.
CONTOUR STRIP MINING
Used on hilly or
mountainous
terrain.
Unless the land is
restored, a wall of
dirt is left in front
of a highly
erodible bank
called a highwall.
MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL
Machinery
removes the tops
of mountains to
expose coal.
The resulting
waste rock and dirt
are dumped into
the streams and
valleys below.
IMPACTS OF MINING
IMPACTS OF MINING
Since natural replace of the minerals is very
slow process and it cannot match with the
fast process of mineral extraction . Mining
there fore has a detrimental effect on the
environment
1. Loss of vegetation and defacement of the
landscape because of the removal of the forest
and soil leading to floods, soil erosion. It also
gives ugly look to the landscape.
IMPACTS OF MINING
2. Land over the mines may subside and collapse
causing cracks and tilting of the houses, roads
, bending of the rail tracks , leaking of the gas
pipe leading to serious accidents.
3. Ground water pollution due to leaching of
heavy metals which leads to health
hazards.Sulphur present in water may get
converted to sulphuric acid making the water
acidic which is unfit for use
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MINING
MINERAL RESOURCES
Fig. 16-14 p. 344
Acid mine drainage.
IMPACTS OF MINING
4. Surface water pollution: The water becomes
acidic due to mine wastage drained into the
water bodies and lakes. The acidic water is
detrimental to aquatic life. Radioactive
substances leach into water and kill the aquatic
animals. Pollution from heavy metals can
cause health hazards
5. Processes like roasting and smelting release
enormous quantities of pollutants like soot,
arsenic , lead
IMPACTS OF MINING
6. Health hazards for the workers- The fine
dust coming out of mining causes variety of
respiratory illnesses like
asbestosis,silllicosis, black lung disease
7. Waste of Land: Mining causes permanent
damage to the landscape, also waste of the
agricultural land.
8. Negligence and neglect of the area occur
when the mines are abandoned
Extracting, processing and using mineral
resources has environmental impacts.
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Eco friendly mining technology should be
adopted.
Microbial leaching techniques should be
followed for the low grade ores
Plantation of the vegetation in mined areas
should be carried out
Measures for stabilization of the mined areas
should be adopted
Laws and legislation should enforce the mining
companies to plan for the reclamation of land
after it become abandoned by the company
REMEDIAL MEASURES
Measures to minimize the toxic drainage
discharge should be adopted