12 Environmental Effects of Coal Mining
Coal mining also has a number of adverse effects on the environment: the release of methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas estimated to account for 18% of the overall …

Coal mining also has a number of adverse effects on the environment: the release of methane (CH 4 ), a potent greenhouse gas estimated to account for 18% of the overall …
Innovation plays a critical role in the mining industry as a tool to improve the efficiency of its processes, to reduce costs, but also to meet the increasing social and environmental concerns among communities and authorities. Technological progress has also been crucial to allow the exploitation of new deposits in more complex scenarios: …
China is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the world. The extraction of coal is increasing intensively to meet the needs of the ever-increasing population and industries. However, coal mining has resulted in environmental changes, including deforestation, air, water, soil, and landform deterioration. This study …
By working with communities in mining areas, Odell and Fernández are gaining a sense of the burden that mining minerals needed for the clean energy …
The study investigates the coal's chemical composition, mineralogy, and physical characteristics to assess its potential for utilization in various industries and its impact on the environment. The findings provide valuable insights into the coal's quality, calorific value, and ash content, which are crucial for optimizing its industrial ...
Although it takes a while for the effects of coal mining to have an impact on the environment, burning coals and starting fires that can last for decades can produce flying ash and raise greenhouse gas levels. Specifically strip mining, which has the potential to harm nearby forests, landscapes, and wildlife habitats.
The removal and processing of coal at the mining site and its transportation to a power station distresses the environment. 2 Various methods have been used to assess the impacts of coal on human health and the environment during its complete life cycle. 3 The external costs of coal mining and transportation have also been attempted in a number ...
The green energy revolution is heavily reliant on raw materials, such as cobalt and lithium, which are currently mainly sourced by mining. We must carefully evaluate acceptable supplies for these ...
Coal mining increases the risk of loosening top soils into streams and waterways and the sediments pollute our water and can smother plant life downstream and even kill fish. …
Particular focus is placed on coal mining in the Mpumalanga Province, which accounts for over 84% of South Africa's coal production. This was done with a view to developing a better understanding of the interrelationships between the coal mining industry and the local environment and society in which it operates.
Impacts of Coal Mining 3. Water Pollution . Water pollution from coal includes the negative health and environmental effects of the mining, processing, burning, and waste storage of coal. In the process of mining coal, coal sludge is given off. Coal sludge, also known as slurry, is the liquid coal waste generated by washing coal.
CO 2 is also the main byproduct of coal combustion: nearly 4 grams of CO2 are produced for every gram of carbon burnt (depending on its type, coal can contain as much as 60 to 80 percent carbon). Methane (CH4) often occurs in the same areas that coal is formed, and is released during mining activities.
Economically, surface mining is a cheaper option for extracting coal than underground mining. About two and a half times as much coal can be extracted per worker, per hour, than is possible with underground mining. The environmental impacts of surface mining are dramatic. The landscape is literally torn apart, destroying habitats …
1 International Energy Agency: "The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions."Executive summary. Accessed May 8, 2023. 2 International Energy Agency: "Minerals used in electric cars compared to conventional cars."Updated October 26, 2022. 3 International Energy Agency: "Minerals used in clean energy technologies compared to …
Open cast mining has a huge environmental effect, but it is constantly unseen by everyone due to the immense requirment of coal in India. This paper mainly focuses on the current and future methods of coal production, so that there is a sustainable planning which will make coal production in India more reliable.
Coal mining is one of the core industries that contribute to the economic development of a country but deteriorate theenvironment. Being the primary source of energy coal has becomeessential to meet the energy demand of a country. It isexcavated by both opencast and underground mining methods andaffects the environment, especially water …
Planning for alternative regional economic futures to substitute for coal requires a clearer understanding of the upstream and downstream links of coal mining …
2. The many ways mining activities impact biodiversity. Mining affects biodiversity at multiple spatial scales (site, landscape, regional and global) through direct (i.e. mineral extraction) and indirect processes (via industries supporting mining operations, and external stakeholders who gain access to biodiversity-rich areas as the result of …
The effects of mining coal on the environment. There are 2 ways to mine coal – Strip Mining and Underground Mining – both ways have their own impact to the environment and health. We know it but coal is such a cheap energy source that we don't want to let go of it. The negative effects of coal mining cannot be disputed:
Note other mining areas included coal mines, ... Parish, E. et al. Comparing scales of environmental effects from gasoline and ethanol production. Environ. Manag. 51, 307–338 (2012).
'Clean coal' is a myth. Everything to do with coal - from mining to combustion to waste disposal, and all the intervening processes, adversely affect public health and the environment. An increased reliance on coal will invariably result in the increased release of toxic chemicals into the environment.xxviii
Copper mining can serve as a case study to analyse the measurable pathways by which mining contributes to climate change through direct and indirect …
Coal mining and usage significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, leading to global climate change and adverse health effects on both …
Mining, whether for fossil fuels or metals used in clean energy technologies, has serious environmental impacts, and it's hard to make apples-to-apples …
Surface mines (sometimes called strip mines) were the source of about 63% of the coal mined in the United States in 2022. These mining operations remove the soil and rock above coal deposits, or seams. The largest surface mines in the United States are in Wyoming's Powder River Basin, …
Coal is defined as having more than 50 percent by weight (or 70 percent by volume) carbonaceous matter produced by the compaction and hardening of altered plant remains—namely, peat deposits. …
Coal impacts: water pollution. When you burn charcoal in your grill at home, ash is leftover. The same is true for coal-fired power plants, which produce more than 100 million tons of coal ash every …
The environmental impacts associated with conventional methods of coal mining and consumption can affect all components of the environment, and these impacts may be beneficial or harmful ...
Coal mining can significantly impact vegetation evolution, yet the limited information on its patterns and driving factors hampers efforts to mitigate these effects and reclaim abandoned mines. This study aimed to 1) examine vegetation evolution in a semiarid steppe watershed in northeast China; and 2) characterize the driving factors …
The continuous growth in coal mining worldwide, driven by its economic significance, implies that the negative impact of coal-related pollutants on public health and the environment will persist [21]. The development of coal dust control measures is thus an essential initiative.