Lead isotopes are the end products of each of the three series of naturally occurring radioactive elements.

Keep work areas clean. Do not use compressed air to remove lead dust.

A 2009 study published in PLOS One concluded that the global warming potential of mining and processing nickel was the eighth highest of 63 metals over the previous year.

The pond, owned by the Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Company, or Baotou Steel, lacks a proper lining and for the past 20 years its toxic contents have been seeping into groundwater, according to villagers and state media reports.

Damage to water sources that residents attribute to mining, as well as increased demand due to population migration to mining sites, reduces communities’ access to water for drinking, washing and cooking. Women, who are primarily responsible for fetching water, are forced to walk longer distances or wait for long periods to obtain water from alternative sources. The dust produced by bauxite mining and transport smothers fields and enters homes, leaving families and health workers worried that reduced air quality threatens their health and environment.

In 2002, Molycorp had a problem with its waste disposal at Mountain Pass, when a pipeline leading out to evaporation ponds in the desert burst, spilling radioactive and toxic waste onto the desert floor (Danelski, 2009). The resulting uncovering of past spills, coupled with economic factors, caused the shutdown of Mountain Pass and a complete reworking of their environmental practices. However, the damage was done and the area and surrounding water sources are affected, perhaps permanently.

Tin mining on and offshore off Bangka island has a devastating effect on its environment. 

Cities such as Lubumbashi and Likasi face serious air pollution because of the thousands of trucks that travel to and from the mines throughout the day. Chronic exposure to such dusts can lead to severe lung diseases. Water is unfit for human consumption and agriculture because soil and water in the immediate vicinity of the mines are polluted by discharges of wastewater.

Stannell says due to freezing, a leak occurred in the water pipeline that services the tailings facility, resulting in approximately 850 cubic meters of process water spewing from the pipeline

An investigation continues into what led to a large volume of contaminated water being leaked from the Highland Valley Copper Mine near Logan Lake.

“It’s very difficult to open a mine in a particular place without destroying the landscapes and livelihoods that were previously there.”

Codelco is a state-owned Chilean mining company and the world’s largest copper producer. Based on their annual report and USGS statistics, they produced ~10% of the world’s copper in 2015 and own 8% of global reserves. They are also a large producer of greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, Codelco produced 3,2 t CO2e/millions tmf from both indirect and direct effects, and in 2011 it consumed 12% of the total national electricity supply.

copper mining significantly contributes to climate change.

Although few in number, the multinational mining companies that are earning billion-dollar profits in Zambia have had a massive impact on its environment and people.