What are the consequences to people of lakes and rivers that have high selenium levels?
Prolonged exposure to selenium in humans can cause selenosis, a condition linked to hair loss, skin lesions, neurological disorders, and intestinal problems. A few miles north of the Montana border, water from the Elk River spills into Lake Koocanusa and drifts across the U.S. border to Libby Dam.
What health problems are caused by coal mining?
Exposure to coal mine dust causes various pulmonary diseases, including coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 2. Coal miners are also exposed to crystalline silica dust, which causes silicosis, COPD, and other diseases.
What are 3 negative effects of coal mining?
The clearing of trees, plants, and topsoil from mining areas destroys forests and natural wildlife habitats. It also promotes soil erosion and flooding, and stirs up dust pollution that can lead to respiratory problems in nearby communities.
Are coal tailings toxic?
Coal mining is an activity with a high potential for environmental pollution. Many elements present in coal byproducts as well as coal tailings are rich in potentially toxic and genotoxic metals, which ultimately lead to profound changes in cells, tissues, populations, and ecosystems.
Does coal release selenium?
Selenium is a chemical element that is found in coal in small amounts. The potential for environmental problems begins when coal-bearing strata are exposed to air and water during the mining process, and when coal is washed prior to transport and distribution.
What is selenium used for in coal mining?
Open-pit and surface mining of coal produces large amounts of waste rock—also known as overburden. Runoff from this waste rock can release large amounts of selenium that eventually reaches rivers and lakes. Selenium tends to concentrate with the sulfur-containing minerals.
What are the diseases and risks faced by the miners?
Health problems of gold miners who worked underground include decreased life expectancy; increased frequency of cancer of the trachea, bronchus, lung, stomach, and liver; increased frequency of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), silicosis, and pleural diseases; increased frequency of insect-borne diseases, such as malaria …
How does coal mining impact environment and human health?
Several principal emissions result from coal combustion: Sulfur dioxide (SO2), which contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses. Nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses. Particulates, which contribute to smog, haze, and respiratory illnesses and lung disease.
What are the negative effects of coal mining and usage on the miners the local people and the environment?
These impacts can be largely associated with water quality, physical and chemical land degradation, and air pollution through dust fall-out and emissions of particulate matter (PM) and toxic gases. In particular, AMD from coal mining results in significant pollution of land and water resources.
What is the impact of coal mining in South Africa?
The primary impacts arise from mining, particularly underground mining, largely because South African coal mines are relatively shallow. Coal washing gives rises to large waste dumps, which may ignite spontaneously and cause air pollution. Water pollution arises from some abandoned mines and waste dumps.
How do mine tailings negatively impact the environment?
Mine tailings are the materials left over after the process of separating the desired product from an ore. They often consist of fine particles suspended in water, which have the potential to damage the environment by releasing toxic metals, causing erosion and sinkholes, and contaminating soil and water supplies.
What are the environmental problems with tailings from mines?
Tailings have great potential to damage the environment by releasing toxic metals by acid mine drainage or by damaging aquatic wildlife; these both require constant monitoring and treatment of water passing through the dam. However, the greatest danger of tailings ponds is dam failure.
How does selenium mining affect the environment?
Thus, mining of coal seams and their associated waste rock are primary geologic selenium sources that have the potential to affect aquatic ecosystems. Selenium release to the environment during coal burning for power generation can be direct during combustion or indirect from disposal of solid combustion waste (i.e., fly ash).
Can we stop the tide of selenium leaching from coal mines?
Now no one knows how to stop it. There are no viable solutions to stop the tide of selenium leaching into Canadian and U.S. water from a 100-kilometre stretch of coal mines owned and operated by mining giant Teck Resources. Deformed fish, a potential fish population collapse and contaminated drinking water signal more trouble to come
Is selenium poisoning a conundrum for the power industry?
Little did anyone realize at the time that over the next 30 years the problem of selenium poisoning would slowly, gradually grow into a conundrum for not just the power generation industry, but also for agriculture and mining.
What is selenium and why is it bad for Montana?
In other animals, the high levels of the element have been shown to cause liver damage, paralysis, and even death. Selenium from coal mines along the Elk River and its tributaries travels more than 100 miles to Lake Koocanusa and into Montana. Erin Sexton / University of Montana