Industrial and mining pollution

and its effects

 Contents
Introduction
Industrial pollution
-Effects of industrial pollution on the environment
-Effects of industrial pollution on humans
Mining pollution
-Effects of mining pollution on the environment
-Effects of mining pollution on humans
Conclusion
References
 Introduction
Pollution is defined as an unfavourable alteration of
the environment caused by the contamination of air, water or
soil.
Industries and mining are necessary for nations to
have adequate and dependable supplies of minerals and
materials to meet their demands. Different countries in the
world are facing different types of industrial pollution
problems. The pollutants are mainly in gaseous, liquid and
solid forms that can cause serious damage to the bio-systems.
 Industrial pollution
This form of pollution accelerated rapidly during the 1800s with the
start of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution mechanized
means of production thereby generating a corresponding increase in
pollution. Industrial pollution contributes to the widest possible range
of pollution. Most of the pollution on the planet can be traced back to
industries of some kind.
Industries can be classified either as small scale or large scale
industries. These two types of industries particularly refer to the size and
in terms of number of employees and assets.

Effects on the environment

The waste discharged from industries containing toxic heavy metals along with
hazardous organic and inorganic effluents are either dumped into open oceans or
rivers or released into the ground. As a result, many of our water sources have trace
amounts of industrial waste in them. This water is used for irrigation purposes,
domestic use and sometimes recycled into drinking water.
 Gases such as carbon
monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur
dioxide, etc emitted out from
industries are major cause of air
pollution. Global warming and
climatic changes are the major
consequences of industrialization.
 Industries have adverse
affects on agricultural
land and crops also on
the aquatic living
organisms.
 The Bhopal Gas Tragedy
is one of the worst industrial
disasters which took place in
Bhopal, India, in 1984. In the
three days after the first
exposure to methyl
isocyanate (MIC) occurred,
around 8,000 people died.
Many thousands more still
feel the effects two decades
on.
Health effects of industrial pollution
Pollutants affect our health in several ways. Some of
them cause direct irritation while some take years to
develop.
The World Health Organisation estimates that
outdoor air pollution alone accounts for around 2% of
all heart and lung diseases, about 5% of all lung
cancers, and about 1% of all chest infections.
 Industrial air pollutants such as fumes, smoke and dust that are inhaled
have serious impacts oh human health affecting the lungs and the
respiratory system.
carbon monoxide combines with haemoglobin to lessen the amount of
oxygen that enters our blood through our lungs which causes changes in
the function of the affected organs.
A few industrial chemicals such as lead, arsenic, methyl mercury and
toulene are a few causes of neuro-developmental disorders. Exposure to
these chemicals during early foetal development can cause brain injury.
Long term health effects in children are results of mutagenic potential of
industrial pollution.
Mining pollution
Mining is the extraction of
minerals and metals from the earth.
Ores recovered by mining include
metals, coal, gemstones, etc. Mining
pollution occurs when mining
generates large amount of waste
discharges into the environment.
Mining of stone and metal has
been recorded since pre-historic
times.
Mining is of two types surface
mining and underground mining.
 Surface mining
Surface mining is done by removing surface vegetation and if
necessary, layers of bed rock. This includes open pit mining, strip
mining and mountain top removal
Mountain top removal Strip mining
 Underground mining-
Underground mining refers to various underground mining
techniques used to excavate minerals from underneath the surface.
Environmental effects of mining
Environmental issues can include
erosion, loss of biodiversity,
contamination of soil and water by
chemicals from mining processes.
Also ore mills generate large
amounts of waste, called tailings
which can be toxic. Tailings which
are usually produced as slurry are
commonly dumped into water
bodies thereby contaminating
them.
 Strip mining or surface mining can severely erode the soil or
reduce its fertility, pollute water or drain water reserves, alters
the landscape and destroy wildlife. It also degrades soil quality.
Mountain top removal
causes permanent damage
to the landscape and the
local ecosystem
.

Explosions from mining

releases carbon monoxide
and other gases which
cause air pollution
 Mining cause water pollution due to the action of acid mine
run off and tailings. Release of harmful trace element e.g., CO,
Pb, Cd etc. leads to the contamination of surface water.

Coal water pollution due to Workers drain polluted water

strip mining near the Zigin copper mine ,
China
 Effects of mining on humans

Besides creating environmental damage, the contamination

resulting from leakage of chemicals also affect the health of
the local population.
While mining, chronic exposure to coal dust can lead to black
lung disease.
Miners can also suffer other serious, long-term respiratory
ailments such as bronchitis.
Drinking water contaminated with hexavalent chromium
from coal may cause cancer.
 Conclusion
The nature of the growing industrial pollution is never limited to
industrial nations. Industrialisation contributes to a major part for the
economic development and prosperity of a country.
The emergence of great factories and increase in consumption
gave rise to unprecedented pollution and large volume of industrial
discharges adding to the growing load of untreated human waste hence,
there is a growing awareness of factory pollution all over the world.
These aspects also highlights a growing issue that is the desire of
developing nations to achieve first class world standards of living and
production.
 References
Dr Sinha S. , Dr Shukla M and Dr Shukla R,A textbook of Environmental
Studies, 2011, AITBS Publishers, India. Pp 155-187
Sachdeva M. V., Environmental chemistry and pollution, 2011. pp 7-16
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pollution
infochangeindia.org/agenda/industrial-pollution/the-health-effects-of-
industrial-pollution-a-primer.htm l
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mining
www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Health_effects_of_coal
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