Mining Activities have caused soil erosion, formation of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, and contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals from mining processes. In some cases, additional forest logging is done in the vicinity of mines to increase the available room for the storage of the created debris and soil. Besides creating environmental damage, the contamination resulting from leakage of chemicals also affect the health of the local population.
Mining can have adverse effects on surrounding surface and ground water if protective measures are not taken. The can lead to be unnaturally high concentrations of some chemicals, such as arsenic, sulfuric acid, and mercury over a significant area of surface or subsurface.
Mining activities can cause soil erosion. If this continues to happen, then the soil will lose nutrients that plants need in order to grow. Once there are no nutrients in the soil, us and the animals won't have any food thus leading to an increase in death rate and decrease in population.
Sink holes destroy ecosystems and remove important resources not only to us but to other organisms. With these sinkholes, we will not be able to fulfill our needs. Since they destroy ecosystems, we will also decrease the biodiversity in an area thus making us and the animals lose food sources. Also this decreases the population of several organisms which can probably lead to the extinction of important organisms. Succession can solve this problem but it takes hundreds of years to complete. So, we have to find a quicker solution.
Biodiversity is lost thanks to mining. It destroys the homes and removes the resources and things needed by organisms to survive. Biodiversity gives us solutions to several problems. Without it, we have no food to eat, with no food, we might die and increase the death rate. Biodiversity needs to be maintained and so our lives, and the lives of other organisms, will be able to go on.
Nutrients will not only be lost, but the soil, ground water and surface water will also be contaminated. With this, biological magnification happens. In biological magnification, it starts with the soil. The soil, groundwater and surface water is contaminated with chemicals which will go into the plants. Once the plants are eaten by the primary consumers, they will also carry the chemicals with them. Then, after they are eaten, the chemicals will be transferred and transferred until the last consumer which is us. We will be the ones mostly affected by the chemicals because, essentially, we need big amounts of food since we feed on smaller organisms thus leading to a lot of chemicals entering our body. Thanks to this, we will be sick, we might get deformities.
and if this goes further, people will die.
Forrest logging is also done in order to make way for the mines. This causes loss of biodiversity and decrease in population of several organisms. Some organisms live in trees, others depends on trees as a source of food. If the trees get cut down, then the organisms that depend on the trees will decrease in population and since we depend on them as a food source, we will also be affected and probably decrease in population.
All these problems are affecting us and the environment now as we know it; but, it is still not too late for us to solve them.
The main solution to this to lessen mining activity in the area. All these problems are caused by mining activity alone, if the activity is lessened, then all these problems would probably be less problematic or better solved.
For soil erosion, forrest logging and biodiversity, we have to plant more trees and grass to keep the soil intact during harsh weather and to give homes and food sources to the organisms there which will increase biodiversity.
To solve the problem of sinkholes, we must have our waterways checked since sinkholes are caused by the rock absorbing too much water. We have to check if the waterways are directed towards the sewer lines or manholes so that the ground doesn't absorb too much water. Also we should not waste water so that the amount of water that goes into the sewers is less and will not leak into the soil.
To prevent the contamination of soil, groundwater and surface water, we must observe proper waste segregation. Miners especially have to observe proper waste segregation since they are dealing with minerals and chemicals with are toxic to many organisms. Diseases will be spread, children will become deformed and worse, we will probably die.
