Harms of Gold Mining
Name Surname: Murat Şenzeybek
Instructor’s Name: Nilgün Eker
ING 102 CRN: 20122
March 22, 2012
HARMS OF GOLD MINING
History of gold is as old as history of humanity. Gold has always been valuable and popular. Since it hardly loses its glitter and it never gets oxidized. However, obtaining gold is not an easy process. People have to use cyanide or some other harmful chemicals to acquire gold. Also after this process very harmful toxic wastes are occurred. Thus gold mining has drastic effects on water, earth and air.
Firstly, gold mining can has devastating effect on water because of leaked chemicals. Cyanide and some heavy metals are used in process of gold mining. If gold mine leaks cyanide or other heavy metals, these chemicals can react with water and produce acidic water. Fishes and water plants are can get damaged owing to this acidic water. Nicholas asserted in Dirty Gold ‘The toxic bullet had been a cyanide spill from a gold mine in Baia Mare, northern Romania. It has left a legacy of dead rivers and polluted lands as a cruel’ (n.d.). Therefore leak risk of a gold mine must be at least level for the continuation of the life circle around mine.
Secondly, earth life is affected seriously from gold mining. Gold mining’s first effect on earth is deforestation. Some forests which exist on valuable area in terms of gold are destructed to construct gold mine. World Rainforests Movement Report emphasized that for biodiversity and big area of comparatively untroubled forests, mining is a main menace (n.d.). Moreover most of gold mines dump its wastes to soil. After plants take mercury and other heavy metals from these wastes, these heavy metals damage all of food chain. According to No Dirty Gold people and animals get sick for generations due to byproduct as mercury and heavy metals coming from mine wastes (n.d.).
Finally, gold mining pollutes air owing to dust and vaporized chemicals. Actually dust is a significant problem for all kind of subsoil mining.
Instructor’s Name: Nilgün Eker
ING 102 CRN: 20122
March 22, 2012
HARMS OF GOLD MINING
History of gold is as old as history of humanity. Gold has always been valuable and popular. Since it hardly loses its glitter and it never gets oxidized. However, obtaining gold is not an easy process. People have to use cyanide or some other harmful chemicals to acquire gold. Also after this process very harmful toxic wastes are occurred. Thus gold mining has drastic effects on water, earth and air.
Firstly, gold mining can has devastating effect on water because of leaked chemicals. Cyanide and some heavy metals are used in process of gold mining. If gold mine leaks cyanide or other heavy metals, these chemicals can react with water and produce acidic water. Fishes and water plants are can get damaged owing to this acidic water. Nicholas asserted in Dirty Gold ‘The toxic bullet had been a cyanide spill from a gold mine in Baia Mare, northern Romania. It has left a legacy of dead rivers and polluted lands as a cruel’ (n.d.). Therefore leak risk of a gold mine must be at least level for the continuation of the life circle around mine.
Secondly, earth life is affected seriously from gold mining. Gold mining’s first effect on earth is deforestation. Some forests which exist on valuable area in terms of gold are destructed to construct gold mine. World Rainforests Movement Report emphasized that for biodiversity and big area of comparatively untroubled forests, mining is a main menace (n.d.). Moreover most of gold mines dump its wastes to soil. After plants take mercury and other heavy metals from these wastes, these heavy metals damage all of food chain. According to No Dirty Gold people and animals get sick for generations due to byproduct as mercury and heavy metals coming from mine wastes (n.d.).
Finally, gold mining pollutes air owing to dust and vaporized chemicals. Actually dust is a significant problem for all kind of subsoil mining.