2nd Edition of Mining and Environmental Health: Challenges and Opportunities

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a 2nd edition on Mining and the Environment, in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/mining_environment

Thousands of Mt of nonfuel mineral commodities are removed from the Earth’s crust each year, and tens of thousands of Mt of wastes are being produced annually around the world. The exploitation of mineral resources results in the generation of large volumes of wastes, which are usually disposed of in spoil heaps and tailings ponds on the mining site. Most of the environmental impacts of mining are linked to the release of harmful elements from those wastes. However, properly managed and with adequate controls, mine wastes can be used for backfilling mine workings or for the reclamation of mined areas.

Factors such as the local geology, hydrogeology, climate, type of resource, and mine characteristics determine the potentially negative effects of the exploitation. Open pit and underground mining works commonly extend below the water table and require pumping. Currently, mine water is collected and treated, whereas at historic mine sites, the uncontrolled discharge of water from audits and wastes leachates may reach receiving water bodies. Anthropogenic inputs of metals and metalloids into local ecosystems as a result of mining have been estimated at several million kilograms per year, posing a potential risk to the health of human receptors and ecosystems. In recent decades, as a response to mounting public pressure and stricter environmental regulations, the mining industry has taken strong actions to minimize its impact on the environment and has invested heavily in newly developed systems to recover resources from wastes and energy from mine water.

This Special Issue welcomes high-quality papers that examine the lights and shadows of the relationship of mining and the environment. We seek contributions from all around the world on the evaluation of the effects of mining on local populations and ecosystems, associated risks, and remediation options, as well as on the use of mining wastes and water as resources.

Dr. Almudena Ordoñez
Dr. Rodrigo Álvarez
Dr. Eduardo De Miguel
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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