Aluminum Production and Environmental Impacts of Mining

Mineral Exploitation and Economic Interest

The mineral exploitation of an economic interest depends on its mineral reserves that can change over time as demand grows for a metal that increased exploitation of the mineral that contains it. Today, there is widespread use of different types of plastic: PVC pipes and drains, PE and PET for the manufacture of bottle and jar packaging, and PS for white shell.

Aluminum: Properties and Extraction Process

Aluminum is a very abundant metal in the Earth's crust, forming especially bauxite. This could not be removed until 1825 because there was no technology to do this. Being malleable, lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and easily recycled as raw material, it is used for the manufacture of various products.

The Aluminum Production Stages

Aluminum is obtained in the following form:

1. Bauxite is reduced to obtain caustic aluminate oxides consisting of a high pH.
2. Calcined aluminate with aluminum hydroxide can obtain aluminum oxide or alumina.
3. Alumina undergoes an electrolysis process using a continuous flow.

Environmental Impact of Aluminum Production

• Deforestation and biodiversity loss: Caused by the destruction of natural habitats in the countries where bauxite mining occurs.
• Increasing social gap: The North-South divide grows as metal processing is usually carried out in rich countries.
• Energy consumption: The obtaining of aluminum by electrolysis is the technological process that consumes more energy in the world.

Consequences of Open-Pit Mining

Open-pit mining causes serious impacts on the environment. Huge volumes of land are removed, and the land is abandoned, remaining in a state of total degradation.

Specific Impacts of Mining Activities

• Impact on the atmosphere: Contamination by solid particles, dust, and gases.
• Impact on water: Contamination of surface water runoff and entrainment by solid particles.
• Impact on the ground: Irreversible change of use in the occupied land dedicated to it.
• Impact on flora and fauna: Direct effect of soil removal.
• Impact on morphology and landscape: Morphological alteration and disturbance of the global character of the landscape.
• Impact on the sociocultural environment: Changes in areas of natural interest and increasing traffic density.