Large scale mining vs.

small scale mining

Mining, simply stated, is the extraction or removal of minerals and metals from earth. Manganese, tantalum, copper, tin,
nickel, aluminum ore, iron ore, gold, silver, and diamonds are some of the items commonly mined. It is worth knowing that
mining is a money-spinning business where not only mining companies prosper but the government also collects huge
revenues.
It is common knowledge that minerals and metals are very valuable commodities and in great demand. It is to be noted that
manganese is a key component of low-cost stainless steel. It is also used to de-color glass by removing greenish hues.
Tantalum is used in cell phones, pagers, and lap-tops. Cooper and tin are used to make pipes, cookware, etc. Needless to say,
silver and diamonds are used to make jewelry.
Mining are generally of two categories Large Scale mining and Small Scale mining. Large scale mining is usually undertaken
by big companies using many employees and a huge labor force. The company mines at large sites and continues the
operations until the mineral or metal is completely excavated. One classic example of a large scale mine, that one readily
remembers, is the Serra Pelada mine in Brazil which yielded 29,000 tons of gold from 1980 to 1986 and employed 50,000
workers. Small scale mining is done by a relatively small group of wandering men. They travel together and identify sites they
think will yield gold or any other valuable metal or mineral. Small scale mining occurs in places such as Suriname, Guyana,
and Central Africa among other places. Some researchers believe that small scale mining is more harmful to the environment
and causes more social problems than large scale mining.
There is no denying that both large scale and small scale mining are generally very destructive to the environment as mining
is one of the chief causes of deforestation. Trees, plants and all vegetation are cleared and burned to make the ground
completely bare for mining operations. Large scale mining also involves using huge bulldozers and excavators to extract the
metals and minerals from the soil. Further, to amalgamate the extractions, they use chemicals such as cyanide, mercury, or
methyl-mercury. These poisonous chemicals are quite often discharged into rivers, streams, bays, and oceans. This
contaminates all living organisms within the water body and the people who depend on the fish and other sea creatures for
their main source of livelihood are badly affected.
Small scale mining is equally devastating to the environment. Groups of 5-6 men migrate from one mining site to another in
pursuit of precious metals, particularly gold. There are two types of small scale mining: land dredging and river dredging.
Mining affects the health of the people as they are exposed to the toxic waste from the tailings. They develop skin rashes,
headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, etc and the symptoms of mercury poisoning are very similar to the symptoms of
malaria. Most unfortunately, many people who can not afford to go to a doctor, or who live in a village where a doctor is not
available are often not treated for their illnesses. If the water is contaminated, the people can not use it for bathing, cooking,
or washing their clothes.


Small scale mining is equally devastating to the environment, if not more. Groups of 5-6 men migrate from one mining site to
another in search of precious metals, usually gold. There are two types of small scale mining: land dredging and river
dredging:
Land dredging involves miners using a generator to dig a large hole in the ground. They use a high pressure hose to expose
the gold-bearing layer of sand and clay. The gold bearing slurry is pumped into a sluice box, which collects gold particles,
while mine tailings flow into either an abandoned mining pit or adjacent forest. When the mining pits fill with water from the
tailings, they become stagnant water pools. These pools create a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other water-born
insects. Malaria and other water-born diseases increase significantly whenever open pools of water are nearby.
River dredging involves moving along a river on a platform or boat. The miners use a hydraulic suction hose and suction
the gravel and mud as they move along the river. The gravel, mud, and rocks go through the tailings (pipes) and any gold
fragments are collected on felt mats. The remaining gravel, mud, and rocks go back into the river, but in a different location
than where it was originally suctioned. This creates problems for the river. The displaced gravel and mud disrupt the natural
flow of the river. Fish and other living organisms often die and fishermen can no longer navigate in the obstructed rivers.