Mining Industry Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

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- Geography, Indigenous Studies, Social Identity, Environmental Sustainability

Copper mine tailings are discharged to the anoxic zone of the Black Sea at 350 m depth, and there is currently consideration of reducing this discharge depth. Oceanographic sampling has provided data allowing calculating whether dilute buoyant plumes will separate from the tailings density current as predicted. Calculations for various discharge rates and slurry dilutions indicate that such plumes will rise 89mabovethedischargedepth,hencewillremaininthedeepanoxiczonebelowthepermanentpycnoclineat89 m above the discharge depth, hence will remain in the deep anoxic zone below the permanent pycnocline at 89mabovethedischargedepth,hencewillremaininthedeepanoxiczonebelowthepermanentpycnoclineat150 m depth at both the present and currently proposed sites. There is some indication from relative seawater density measures that these plumes will drift rather than spreading diffusely. Plume separation from controlled discharges of the tailings slurry was confirmed by visual observations in an experimental tank. The oceanographic sampling also showed that trace element levels in the seawater by the discharge point remained below Turkish marine receiving water quality criteria.

- by mehmet berkun
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- Water, Turkey, Environmental Monitoring, Mining
- by Luiz Augusto G. Franzese
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- Transportation, Coal Mining, Mining Industry, Iron

Using a comprehensive panel data set of China's state-owned enterprises, we investigate the impacts of privatization, of different time sequences and extent of non-state ownership, on social welfare and firm performance. Attention has been focused on the sources of gain in the firm performance and the long-run impacts of privatization. It is found that privatization of China's state-owned enterprises was achieved with limited compromise on the social welfare responsibilities, and much gain in firm performance was obtained by motivating the management and reducing the agency cost at the management level. 3 enterprise themselves or delegate the management to professionals. Any agency cost arising from the separation of ownership and management as in the case of publicly held firms could be dealt with through monitoring by the board members, proxy fights by the shareholders, or corporate takeovers in the capital market. State-owned enterprises in China are very much like the publicly held firms of the developed economies in the sense that their ownership is widely held by all people in the society, but the de facto control of the state-owned enterprises is held by the State Assets Agency -the equivalent of the board of the directors. What is different in China is that the owners (all people in the society) do not have the direct authority in choosing the members of the State Assets Agency and appointing the management of the state-owned enterprises. The State Assets

- by Zhigang Tao
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- Health Care, Economic Development, China, Comparative Economics

This paper reviews socioeconomic and political impacts of the extractive industry based on a global literature review. It reveals 27 different impacts (23 socio-economics and 4 political) associated with the industry. The socioeconomic impacts found in literature are: income, employment, livelihood, poverty, exports, training and skills development, community development, service access, land and assets impacts, health, security, gender, safety and accidents, education and literacy, culture, child labor, impacts on tribal people and agriculture. The 4 political impacts are children rights, corruption, human rights and human trafficking. The lack of documented impact data for several operational mines is a crucial issue highlighted in the review. Though it is a requirement for all mining companies to report data, the review reveals that this requirement is hardly adhered to. Inadequate mining monitoring is to be blamed for lack of data and documentation. The paper concludes with the need for more research to evaluate net returns to mining which should be used to determine the level of investment that should go back to the community. The need for comprehensive monitoring and results documentation is also recognised.

- by [JIFM] Journal of Insurance and Financial Management and +1
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- Mining Industry

The distribution, sources and fate of mercury (Hg) in the water column of the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea), affected by the Hg polluted river SocayIsonzo for centuries draining the cinnabar-rich deposits of the Idrija mining district (NW Slovenia), were studied in terms of total and dissolved Hg, reactive Hg, total and dissolved methylmercury (MeHg), mesozooplankton Hg and MeHg, and sedimentation rates of particulate Hg. Higher total Hg concentrations in the surface layer were restricted to the area of the Gulf in front of the river plume expanding in a westerly direction. Higher concentrations in bottom water layers were the consequence of sediment resuspension. Dissolved Hg exhibited higher concentrations in the surface layer in the area in front of the river plume. Higher bottom concentrations of dissolved Hg observed at some stations were probably due to remobilization from sediments, including resuspension and benthic recycling. The relationship between dissolved Hg in the surface layer and salinity showed nonconservative mixing in June 1995 during higher riverine inflow and nearly conservative mixing in September 1995 during lower riverine inflow. Both mixing curves confirm the river SocayIsonzo to be the most important source of total and dissolved Hg, which are significantly correlated, in the Gulf. Reactive Hg is significantly correlated with dissolved Hg, indicating that the majority of dissolved Hg is reactive and potentially involved in biogeochemical transformations. The higher total MeHg in the bottom layer is the result of remobilization of MeHg from sediments including benthic fluxes. Strong seasonal variation of sedimentation rates of particulate Hg was found during a 2-year study in the central part of the Gulf. These variations followed those of total sedimented matter, indicating that sedimented Hg is mostly associated with inorganic matter. About a 2.5-fold higher fluxes of particulate Hg were observed at the depth of 20 m relative to 10 m which is attributed to bottom sediment resuspension. Temporal variability of mesozooplankton Hg and MeHg is the consequence of biomass and species variations, and grazing behaviour. From the preliminary Hg mass balance it appears that the Gulf is an efficient trap for total Hg and a net source of MeHg.

- by Stefano Covelli
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- Biogeochemistry, Biomass, Environmental Monitoring, Multidisciplinary

The soils of three fumaroles and one mining site, all with high metal content, were surveyed for the presence of metal-resistant sulfate-reducing bacteria and their potential application in the bioremediation of acid mine drainages. By means of selective soil enrichments a bacterial consortium was isolated from an Icelandic fumarole that displayed very high sulfate reduction in the presence of a mixture of 0.75 g/L of Fe, 0.20 g/L of Zn and 0.080 g/L of Cu. Under these conditions the bacterial consortium reduced 91% of the added 3.9 g/L of sulfate after 28 days, precipitating 100% of the Fe, 96% of the Zn and 97% of the Cu during the same time. Both total bacterial numbers and numbers of culturable sulfate-reducing bacteria remained unchanged when grown in media containing metals, suggesting low or absent inhibitory effects of the metals on the bacterial consortium. PCR-DGGE profiles of the sulfate reducing bacterial communities obtained from the Icelandic fumarole sample showed tha...

- by Francisco Macías
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- Engineering, Bioremediation, Acid Mine Drainage, Mining

Australia is a land of salt lakes and despite low human population density, many lakes are adversely impacted by a range of factors. Secondary salinisation is the most pernicious force degrading lakes, especially in south-west Western Australia where up to 30% of the landscape is predicted to be affected. Mining also impinges on many salt lakes in this state, mainly through the dewatering of saline groundwater. Exploitation of groundwater for irrigation caused some lakes in Victoria, Australia, to dry, especially the significant Red Rock Complex. Global climate change will result in new water balances in endorheic lakes, with most having less water, particularly the seasonal lakes of southern Australia. This has already happened in Lake Corangamite, Victoria, but the prime reason is diversion of inflowing floodwater. Consequently, the lake has retreated and become salinised compromising its status as a Ramsar site. Various other lakes suffer from enhanced sedimentation, have introduced biota or their catchments are being disturbed to their detriment. Enlightened management should be able to maintain some important lakes in an acceptable condition, but, for most others, the future is bleak. Hydrobiologia (2005) 552:1-15

- by Brian V Timms
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- Management, Earth Sciences, Hydrobiology, Climate

This paper will briefly go through the Acts that regulate mining activities in PNG especially Mining Act, Mineral Resource Development Company Pty Limited (Privatisation) Act 1996 and Mineral Resource Authority Act 2005. It will briefly outline the licencing procedure and the Ministers responsibility in granting licence in Mineral and Mining sector.

- by vihe narah
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- Mining Industry, Mining Law

This paper discusses a joint industry and UK Health and Safety Executive research project on the assessment of safety culture in oshore environments. It particularly describes the development of a safety culture assessment methodology which is based on a systems approach to organisational culture. This approach combines a number of assessment methods, such as: questionnaires, focus groups, behavioural observations and situational audits, to describe and explore the ecacy of health and safety management systems. The evidence produced by these methods are complementary rather than alternatives and provide dierent views of organisational health and safety culture by tapping many aspects of the organisation's structure, function and behaviour. The assessment techniques have been piloted within collaborating organisations, both within the UK and the Gulf of Mexico. The culmination of the work is the``Safety Climate Assessment Toolkit'' which is now published and available for use by managers and safety professionals within the oshore oil extraction industry. # Safety Science 34 www.elsevier.com/locate/ssci 0925-7535/00/$ -see front matter # 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. P I I : S 0 9 2 5 -7 5 3 5 ( 0 0 ) 0 0 0 0 9 -6

- by Alistair Cheyne
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- Engineering, Technology, Methodology, Culture

IoT has been recently expanded across the different application which brought a huge attention to its construction. In the mining field, where a noisy industrial environment can take place in. The main objective of this research is to design and develop a smart helmet system for mining industry application. Where the provided system will keep on monitoring the hazardous events such as temperature, humidity, gas, removal helmet of the miner and obstacle damage to the helmet. The finalized design was built and enhanced with real environmental testing took place in GuaTempurung cave located at Gopeng, Malaysia. The power of the designed helmet system circuit was evaluated with respect to a previous work. The programming and troubleshooting were conducted on mainly two sections, helmet section and control room section. Based on the on the preliminary calculation the outcome results were obtained.

- by Raed Abdulla
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- Mining Industry, Internet of Things (IoT)

Like other areas of occupational health and safety (OHS) ergonomics is evolving and becoming more integrated into overall work management systems. As we learn more about the complex interaction between psychosocial and physical factors in the aetiology of work-related illness and injury the more we rely on managers to 'get it right' if we are to prevent these conditions. Risks to health and safety in the mining industry posed by longer shift lengths, higher work loads, less task variation and decision latitude have not really been well researched. Heavy physical workloads and stresses are still areas of concern, but are likely to be intermittent rather than constant. Recent research confirms current thinking rather than shedding new light on the subject. The contribution of slips, trips and falls and increasing age of miners to manual handling injuries is still not clear. In some cases sedentary work and the operation of machinery has completely replaced heavy physical work. The issues of machinery design for operations and maintenance and whole-body vibration exposures when operating machines and vehicles are becoming more critical. The link between prolonged sitting, poor cab design and vibration with back and neck pain is being recognized but has yet to be addressed in any systematic way by the mining industry. On the plus side some mining companies have well-developed participative approaches to problem solving and these need to be extended to areas such as ergonomics.

- by Bruce McPhee
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- Ergonomics, Stress, Risk Management, Mining

Water is a major source for survival on this planet. Its conservation is therefore a priority. With the increase in demand, the supply needs to meet specific standards. Several purification techniques have been adopted to meet the standards. Magnetic separation is one purification technique that has been adapted from ore mining industries to anti-scale treatment of pipe lines to seeding magnetic flocculent. No reviews have come up in recent years on the water purification technique using magnetic assistance. The present article brings out a series of information on this water purification technique and explains different aspects of magnetism and magnetic materials for water purification.

- by Mika Sillanpää
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- Engineering, Water Purification, Magnetic Materials, Nanomaterials

Studio storico e archeologico dell'industria estrattiva sulla dorsale tra Agno-Leogra con particolare interesse per il caolino. Caso studio del progetto Agno-Leogra: villaggio minerario in località Rivabella, documentazione storica,... more

- by Anna Ferrarese
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- Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Archaeology of Mining, Mining Industry

The maintenance of information systems is one of the greatest problems in the software life cycle. It is the most conflictive, costly, less planificable; and the process requiring the most resources. In spite of this reality, most organizations do not possess methodologies for software maintenance. These facts, key to the imperative need of controlling the maintenance process, have carried us to propose a maintenance methodology. In this paper an adjustment of the ISO/IEC 12207 standard for the processes of life cycle maintenance is presented. This methodology is being used by Atos ODS, one of the most important European consultants on software outsourcing and maintenance

- by Coral CALERO
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- Information Systems, Software Maintenance, Environmental Management, Outsourcing

Las compañías Chocó Pacífico y Tropical Oil a comienzos del siglo xx. Retratos en blanco y negro © Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Comisión para la Celebración del Bicentenario de la Independencia © Ángela Milena Castillo Ardila y Daniel Varela Corredor, editores ISBN e-book: 978-958-761-362-9 ISBN impresión bajo demanda: 978-958-761-360-5 ISBN impresión en papel: 978-958-761-361-2 Comité editorial

- by Ángela Castillo Ardila
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- Economic History, Colombia, Oil Industry, Mining Industry
- by Rahma Kasna
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- Mining, Mining Industry

The mining industry has played a significant role in the development of South Africa by being a top employer and foreign exchange earner. With the large workforce, labour unions have also emerged as an important factor that moderates how people, companies, and the government interact. In recent years, union-led mass actions have been on the limelight due to their violent nature that endangers human life, the reputation of the stakeholders, and compromises the economic contributions of the mining sector. The intent of this research was to investigate the impact of the labour unions on the mining industry in South Africa. The research was accomplished through a qualitative research approach, which involved a critical review of the literature and thematic analysis. By drawing from secondary sources, the research is able to avoid the tedious, time consuming, and expensive process of gathering primary data. The objectives of this research are reflected in the findings made. The research established that labour unions have an imperative role in dealing with issues concerning employee welfare. This involves identifying the challenges, communicating, and bargaining for better solutions to be implemented. The structure of the unions facilitates the interaction of the government, companies, workers, and the union in addressing the inherent matters that affect performance in the mining industry. Collective bargaining is the primary mode of negotiation employed, but in some cases, violation of agreement leads to industrial actions such as strikes, which are detrimental to all parties. To improve the role of labour unions in the mining sector, there is a need to address the conflicts of interest among the different parties to ensure that there is a consensus in how collective bargaining is achieved.

- by Alberto Pascofont and +3
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- Globalization, International Trade, Social Capital, Case Studies

In recent years, there have been significant changes in the field of employee benefits. This is mostly as a result of technological, political and economic changes. There has also been a shift in society where the demands of individuals... more

- by Zinat Ismail
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- Mining Industry, Employee Benefits

Under the apartheid regime, South African business was marked by a high degree of concentration, both in terms of ownership and activities; indeed, it could be argued that this concentration was both created by and reinforced the exclusions linked to apartheid. In this paper, we identify the main changes that have characterized South Africa's big business since democracy in 1994-unbundling of traditional conglomerates, transfer of primary listing to overseas stock exchanges, and slow emergence of black-owned economic groups. These changes are related to key policy actions taken by government, including liberalization, black economic empowerment (BEE) policies, and competition policies.

- by Andrea Goldstein
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- Competition Policy, Applied Economics, Corporate Strategy, South Africa

Coal fly ashes (CFA) are generated in large amounts worldwide. Current combustion technologies allow the burning of fuels with high sulfur content such as petroleum coke, generating non-CFA, such as petroleum coke fly ash (PCFA), mainly from fluidized bed combustion processes. The disposal of CFA and PCFA fly ashes can have severe impacts in the environment such as a potential groundwater contamination by the leaching of heavy metals and/or particulate matter emissions; making it necessary to treat or reuse them. At present CFA are utilized in several applications fields such as cement and concrete production, agriculture and soil stabilization. However, their reuse is restricted by the quality parameters of the end-product or requirements defined by the production process. Therefore, secondary material markets can use a limited amount of CFA, which implies the necessity of new markets for the unused CFA. Some potential future utilization options reviewed herein are zeolite synthesi...

- by aixa gonzalez
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- Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Production, Carbon
- by Atul Singh
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- Mining Industry

As a result of Structural Adjustment Programme from the 1980s, many developing countries have experienced an increase in resource extraction activities by international and transnational corporations. The work reported here examines the perceived impacts of gold mining at the community level in the Wassa West District of Ghana, Africa and discusses those perceived impacts in the context of globalization processes and growing multinational corporate interest in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Interview data compared community members' perceptions with those of company representatives in three communities. The results indicate that communities held companies responsible for a series of economic, social, and environmental changes. While recognizing some of the benefits brought by the mines, communities felt that the companies did not live up to their responsibility to support local development. Companies responded by denying, dismissing concerns, or shifting blame. Findings from this work show that lack of engagement and action by government agencies at all levels resulted in companies acting in a surrogate governmental capacity. In such situations, managing expectations is key to communityecompany relations.

- by Tara McGee
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- Geography, Globalization, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Development

The aim of this research is to analyze the strategies that have taken Grupo Mexico to be Mexico's largest mining company, the largest copper producer in the country and fourth worldwide. From its founding in 1964, Grupo Mexico has grown at a rapid rate; it is now one of the leading companies in the construction industry, transport and mining. In this paper some theories of industrial organization and microeconomic analysis is used.

- by José G. Vargas-Hernández
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- Mexico, Mining Industry

The Oil, Gas, and Mining Unit series publishes reviews and analyses of sector experience from around the world as well as new findings from analytical work. It places particular emphasis on how the experience and knowledge gained relates to developing country policy makers, communities affected by extractive industries, extractive industry enterprises, and civil society organizations. We hope to see this series inform a wide range of interested parties on the opportunities as well as the risks presented by the sector.

- by Javier Aguilar
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- Public Finance, Political Economy, Tax Law, Natural Resources

- by Theresa Garvin
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- Geography, Globalization, Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Development

A Foresight Game based on Analysis of Indigenous Economic Development in Canada

- by Salman Abedin and +1
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- Strategic Foresight, Indigenous Peoples, First Nations of Canada, Mining Industry

Despite the poor working conditions, between 2003 and 2007 Chilean miners organised the longest and largest strikes in the country since the 1980s, obtaining one of the most important recent victories of the Latin American labour movement. This article uses this experience to illustrate the importance of the links between precarious workers and political activists. Drawing on 18 months of extensive fieldwork conducted at several mining sites in Chile, the article contends that the analysis of precarious workers' organisations needs to consider workers' access to different organisational resources, and the role that political parties' militants play in such access, particularly in the Global South.

- by Omar Manky
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- Sociology, Social Movements, Sociology of Work, Chile

The Takab area, located in north-west Iran, is an important gold mineralized region with a long history of gold mining. The gold is associated with toxic metals/metalloids. In this study, Advanced Space Borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer data are evaluated for mapping gold and base-metal mineralization through alteration mapping. Two different methods are used for argillic and silicic alteration mapping: selective principal-component analysis and matched filter processing (MF). Running a selective principal-component analysis using the main spectral characteristics of key alteration minerals enhanced the altered areas in PC2. MF using spectral library and laboratory spectra of the study area samples gave similar results. However, MF, using the image reference spectra from principal component (PC) images, produced the best results and indicated the advantage of using image spectra rather than library spectra in spectral mapping techniques. It seems that argillic alteration is more effective than silicic alteration for exploration purposes. It is suggested that alteration mapping can also be used to delineate areas contaminated by potentially toxic metals.

- by soroush modabberi
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- Cartography, Image Processing, Remote Sensing, Methodology

Ecofeminism and the women in mining movement share common interests in gender and the environment. Ecofeminists have, however, ignored the experiences of women who work in mining. Equally, the women in mining movement has failed to draw... more

- by Dean Laplonge
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- Gender Studies, Ecofeminism, Mining Industry

The mining industry uses large amounts of explosives and a part of them remains undetonated. Since most commercial blasting agents contain ammonium nitrate, there is a direct relationship between explosives use and the ammonium and nitrate levels in mine effluents. Water contamination with nitrogenous compounds can promote corrosion and eutrophication in receiving water bodies and be detrimental to fish.

- by Riitta Keiski and +1
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- Engineering, Mine Water, Filtration, Water Pollution

Comparative study of the mining policies in the eleven western, or public land, states. Qualitative factors are evaluated using cluster analysis, and clusters are analyzed for similarities and differences. Results are compared to the Fraser Institute Survey of Mining Companies. It was found that the variation in mining policy in the west can provide evidence for regulatory capture of state governments by the mining industry.

Neste texto apresentamos os conflitos pela água decorrentes da atividade mineral deflagrados pelo avanço dos agentes do neoextrativismo brasileiro na última década. A partir da análise dos dados do CEDOC-CPT, entre 2011 e 2020, identificamos o incremento em mais de sete vezes dos conflitos relacionados à água no campo brasileiro. As violações de diferentes formas de apropriações e negações do acesso aos bens hídricos recaíram sobre as populações tradicionais, em especial pescadores e ribeirinhos. Nessa década, as mineradoras assumiram o protagonismo nos conflitos pela água, com destaque para os grandes desastres sociotécnicos de barragens de mineração: as bacias do rio Doce e do rio Paraopeba e em Barcarena. Soma-se a esses o derramamento de petróleo no litoral brasileiro. Todos esses eventos vêm produzindo efeitos de grande amplitude espacial e duradouros no tempo, que não se limitam ao ano da ocorrência.

- by Luiz Jardim Wanderley and +1
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- Human Geography, Political Ecology, Water resources, Rural Development

This paper presents the modeling of different topologies of electric drive systems when the cable that connects the converter to the motor has a significant length. The long feeder together with converter harmonics decrease the performance of the motor. To correctly assess the voltage and the current throughout the drive system, frequency-dependent models for the cable and the motor should be used. A frequency-dependent cable model is necessary for an accurate voltage evaluation while a frequency-dependent motor model responds for accuracy in the current. The models were validated through experimental results carried out on an actual oil platform and from a prototype system. The latter system was used to test the system's performance when very long motor leads (longer than 5 km) are involved.

- by Antonio Carlos Siqueira de Lima and +1
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- Engineering, Mining Industry, ADJUSTABLE SPEED DRIVE, Prototypes

operation, yet plant design optimisation decisions are based on past experience and intuition rather than on scientific analysis. Genetic algorithms as a tool for circuit analysis in plant design and optimisation was considered. The multi-objective evolutionary algorithm initialises the plant design and optimisation based on experimental results, which are used to formulate and determine the objective function values. A simulation was conducted to assess the performance of candidate solutions. The two optima are then traded-off using cost objective, which is sought to be minimized. Once an optimum was selected, the circuit mass balance and equipment design was performed, bringing the theory of network design and genetic algorithms into unison. Results of the study provide financial benefits, optimal parameter settings for the comminution equipment and ultimately better plant performance.

- by Jabulani Ndlovu
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- Genetic Algorithms, Productivity, Genetic Algorithm, Mining Industry

The environmental impact of arsenic and heavy metals on a 105 km 2 area of the historical and recent mining site of Villa de la Paz-Matehuala, San Luis Potosí (Mexico) was evaluated. Results of soil samples reported concentrations between 19-17 384 mg kg −1 As, 15-7200 mg kg −1 Cu, 31-3450 mg kg −1 Pb and 26-6270 mg kg −1 Zn, meanwhile, the concentrations in dry stream sediment samples were found to vary between 29-28 600 mg kg −1 As, 50-2160 mg kg −1 Pb, 71-2190 mg kg −1 Cu, and 98-5940 mg kg −1 Zn. The maximum arsenic concentration in pluvial water storage ponds (265 µg L −1 ), near the main potential sources of pollution, exceed by 5 times the Mexican drinking water quality guideline (50 µg L −1 ). The arsenic concentrations in water storage ponds and stream sediments decrease as distance from the potential sources increase. A special case is the 'Cerrito Blanco' area located 5 km east of Matehuala, where the highest arsenic concentration in water was found (>5900 µg L −1 ), exceeding by 100 times the established guideline, thus representing a severe health risk. The results suggest that arsenic and heavy metal dispersion from their pollution sources (historical and active tailings impoundments, waste rock dumps and historical slag piles), is mainly associated in this site with: (1) fluvial transportation of mine waste through streams that cross the area in W-E direction; and (2) aeolian transportation of mineral particles in SW-NE direction. Finally, control measures for pollution routes and remediation measures of the site are proposed.

- by Marcos Monroy
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- Arsenic, Mining, Water Pollution, Multidisciplinary

Fault detection and diagnosis in mechanical systems during their time-varying nonstationary operation is one of the most challenging issues. In the last two decades or so researches have noticed that machines work in nonstationary load/speed conditions during their normal operation. Diagnostic features for gearboxes were found to be load dependent. This was experimentally confirmed by a smearing effect in the spectrum.

- by Walter Bartelmus and +1
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- Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Signal Processing, Modeling

The Anthropocene has arrived riding a wave of pollution. From "forever chemicals" to oceanic garbage patches, human-made chemical compounds are seemingly everywhere. Concerned about how these compounds disrupt multiple lives and ecologies, environmental scholars, activists, and affected communities have sought to curb the causes of pollution, focusing especially on the extractive industries. In Worlds of Gray and Green, authors Sebastián Ureta and Patricio Flores challenge us to rethink extraction as ecological practice. Adopting an environmental humanities analytic lens, Ureta and Flores offer a rich ethnographic exploration of the waste produced by Chile's El Teniente, the world's largest underground mine. Deposited in a massive dam, the waste—known as tailings—engages with human and non-human entities in multiple ways through a process the authors call geosymbiosis. Some of these geosymbioses result in toxicity and damage, while others become the basis of lively novel ecologies. A particular kind of power emerges in the process, one that is radically indifferent to human beings but that affects them in many ways. Learning to live with geosymbioses offers a tentative path forward amid ongoing environmental devastation.

- by Sebastián Ureta and +1
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- Environmental Humanities, Mining Industry, Extractive industries, Mine Tailings

Informal mining activities provide livelihoods for millions of poor in mineral-rich developing countries. Yet, they continue to remain one of the least understood areas in mineral resource management. While its poverty reduction potential is acknowledged, the heterogeneous forms of mining that come under its purview are not well discussed. This article aims to draw attention to the politics of definition by briefly introducing the reader to the nomenclature currently used to describe such mining activities. Then the article examines the nature of informality that justifies the name, and then illustrates the claim by documenting a range of informal mining practices in India with cited examples from other Asian countries. It illustrates the variations in social-economic, technical and legal characteristics, by putting such mining in a community and participatory framework. Finally, the article discusses ways to move towards sustainable development with community participation in mineral-rich areas of developing countries.

- by Gerardo Damonte
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- Globalization, International Trade, Social Capital, Case Studies
- by Gavin Hayman
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- Natural Resources, Risk assessment, Mining Industry, Risk Assessment
- by Sirpa Peräniemi and +1
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- Acid Mine Drainage, Tibet, Environmental Monitoring, China
- by Ricardo Fort
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- Globalization, International Trade, Social Capital, Case Studies

The industrial and small-scale mining industries have provoke serious environmental degradation in the form of deforestation, soil erosion and soil and water contamination by Hg and other heavy metals. Remote sensing and GIS technologies were used to investigate the temporal and spatial extent of environmental degradation from 1986 to 2000 in the Tarkwa mining area. While most of the study area was a healthy ecosystem in 1986, by 2001, over 60% of the land was degraded to the point where it could not be used for any commercial activity. An additional 35,000 ha of land has been polluted and remediation would be very expensive. This state of environmental degradation through mining activities was further aggravated by extreme human population encroachment of the region. This study puts into perspective the need for the government to institute strict environmental regulations to protect mining areas.

- by Prof. Yaw A . Twumasi
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- Remote Sensing, Water, Regulation, Desertification

Phyllite powders of the fraction 63-200 µm, predominantly composed of quartz, chlorite, muscovite, and albite, were measured with transmission mössbauer spectroscopy (TMS) before and after conducting batch sorption experiments. The TMS spectra revealed that the amount of ferric iron increased in the course of the batch experiments by approximately 3 %. This increase in ferric iron, together with a concomitant color change from grayish green to grayish-reddish brown, was related to structural oxidation of ferrous iron within and at the surface of chlorite, one of the mineralogical constituents of phyllite, leading eventually to the formation of the iron oxyhydroxide mineral ferrihydrite.

- by Gert Bernhard
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- Materials Engineering, Condensed Matter Physics, Laser Spectroscopy, Water

The environmental impact of arsenic and heavy metals on a 105 km2 area of the historical and recent mining site of Villa de la Paz-Matehuala, San Luis Potosí (Mexico) was evaluated. Results of soil samples reported concentrations between 19–17 384 mg kg-1 As, 15–7200 mg kg-1 Cu, 31–3450 mg kg-1 Pb and 26–6270 mg kg-1 Zn, meanwhile, the concentrations in dry stream sediment samples were found to vary between 29–28 600 mg kg-1 As, 50–2160 mg kg-1 Pb, 71–2190 mg kg-1 Cu, and 98–5940 mg kg-1 Zn. The maximum arsenic concentration in pluvial water storage ponds (265 μg L-1), near the main potential sources of pollution, exceed by 5 times the Mexican drinking water quality guideline (50 μg L-1). The arsenic concentrations in water storage ponds and stream sediments decrease as distance from the potential sources increase. A special case is the `Cerrito Blanco' area located 5 km east of Matehuala, where the highest arsenic concentration in water was found (>5900 μg L-1), exceeding by 100 times the established guideline, thus representing a severe health risk. The results suggest that arsenic and heavy metal dispersion from their pollution sources (historical and active tailings impoundments, waste rock dumps and historical slag piles), is mainly associated in this site with: (1) fluvial transportation of mine waste through streams that cross the area in W–E direction; and (2) aeolian transportation of mineral particles in SW–NE direction. Finally, control measures for pollution routes and remediation measures of the site are proposed.

- by Javier Castro
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- Arsenic, Mining, Water Pollution, Multidisciplinary