4. Mineral Resources.,........,.....pptx

.

1. Lecture number : 4 Topic of Delivery: Mineral Resources Course Code: BP 206 T Course name: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Name of Faculty: Dr. Maninder Kaur

2. Contents 1. Mineral resources Uses Minerals in India Exploitation of resources Environmental effects of extracting and using mineral resources Management of resources

3. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance of definite chemical composition and identifiable physical properties. Minerals are formed over a period of millions of years in the earth’s crust. Mineral resources are finite and non-renewable and source of progress of a nation Therefore they need to be managed in accordance with the strategy of future's needs and nation’s development. Mineral resources can be broadly divided into three categories fuels like coal, natural gas and oil, they constitute nearly 87% of the total mineral production Metallic and (c) Non-metallic minerals that make up about 6-7% of total minerals

4. USES OF MINERALS 1. Development of industrial plants and machinery. - Fe, Al & Cu 2. Construction work – Fe, Al &Ni 3. Generation of energy - coal, lignite, uranium 4. Designing defense equipment like weapons 5. Agricultural purposes – fertilizers and fungicides – Zn & Mn 6. Jewellery –Au, Ag & Pt 7. Making alloys for various purposes 8. Communication purposes – telephone, wires, cables and electronic devices 9. Medicinal purposes, particularly in ayurvedic system

5. MINERAL RESOURCES IN INDIA In India, about 88 minerals are produced, out of which 26 are metallic and non-metallic minerals combined, 55 are minor minerals, 4 are fuel minerals and 3 are atomic minerals Metallic Mineral Resources : Metallic mineral resources are extracted from the earth in raw state and in this state they are called mineral ores. Usually metals exist as compounds in chemical combination with other minerals. Only few of these minerals occur in a pure state. The metallic minerals found in India are  iron ore, copper, manganese ore, lead, zinc, tin, bauxite, chromite, silver and gold. Non-Metallic Mineral Resources : Non-metallic mineral resources are used for the extraction of non-metals like sulphur , phosphorous, carbonate, etc.  Limestone , antimony, mica and  gypsum  salts are some of the significant non metallic mi nerals that are found in abundance in India.

6. Minor Minerals Resources : Minor minerals resources are building stones, gravel, ordinary clay and ordinary sand, other than sand used for given purposes in India. Fuel Minerals Resources : Fuel minerals resources are hydrocarbon-containing natural resources that are not derived completely from biological sources. Fuel minerals Resources produced in India are coal, lignite, natural gas and petroleum. Atomic Minerals Resources : Atomic minerals resources are the minerals with radio-elements like uranium and thorium and those minerals in which the radio-elements are in minor to trace amounts. The radio- elements display the typical attribute of radioactivity and so the atomic minerals are also known as Radioactive Minerals.

7. EXPLOITATION OF MINERAL RESOURCES Minerals are formed by inorganic processes of long duration. Minerals are exhaustible and non-renewable resources. Extraction of minerals has increased at large scale to meeting the ever increasing population of country. Due to improper and excessive use, minerals in certain regions are on the verge of extinction. Human population growth and increased modern industry are depleting our available resources at increasing rates. The consumption of natural resources proceeded at a phe­nomenal rate during the past hundred years and population and production increases cannot continue without increasing pollution and depletion of min­eral resources.

8. ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES CAUSED BY MINING ACTIVITIES 1. Devegetation : Topsoil and vegetation get removed Deforestation leads to several ecological losses Land scape gets badly affected 2. Ground water contamination: Mining pollutes ground water; sulphur is converted into sulphuric acid which enters into the soil. 3. Surface water pollution: Radioactive wastes and other acidic impurities affect the surface water, which kills many aquatic animals. 4. Air pollution: Smelting and roasting are done to purify the metal which emits air pollutants and damage the nearby vegetation. It causes many health problems. 5. Subsidence of land: Mainly underground mining results in cracks in houses, tilting of buildings and bending of rail tracks.

9. MANAGEMENT OF MINERAL RESOURCES 1. The efficient use and protection of mineral resources. 2. Modernization of mining industries 3. Search for new deposit 4. Reuse and recycling of the metals. 5. Environmental impacts can be minimized by adopting eco friendly mining technology. CASE STUDIES-MINING AND QUARRYING IN UDAIPUR 200 open cast mining and quarrying in Udaipur. But 100 mines are illegal. 150 tons of explosives are used per month. It pollutes air, soil and water. It affects irrigation and wild life.