Name:

Environmental impact of mining

1. What are some of the environmental impacts of mining?

2. Which chemicals can become unnaturally concentrated in water as a result of mine pollution?

3. Give an example of a heavy metal that can contaminate mine water.

a. Hydrogen

b. Oxygen

c. Cadmium

d. Carbon

4. Which of the following is the main component of biodiversity loss due to mining?

a. Direct poisoning caused by mine-extracted material

b. Indirect poisoning through food and water

c. Habitat modification such as pH and temperature modification

d. Destruction of the habitat

5. Bioaccumulation plays an important role in polluted habitats. Because of this phenomenon, mining impacts are greater on what part of the food chain?

a. The bottom of the food chain

b. The middle of the food chain

c. The top of the food chain

i. Mine drainage modifying water pH

ii. Mining causing high concentrations of suspended sediment

iii. Mining causing metal oxide deposition

6. Which of the above are physical effects, not chemical?

a. i. and ii.

b. i. and iii.

c. ii. And iii.

d. i. , ii. and iii.

7. True or False. Mine drainage stress increases the primary production of algae communities.

8. True or False. There is sometimes no effect of stream contamination on abundance or biomass of macroinvertebrates.

9. True or False. Established plants can move away from perturbations if their habitat is contaminated by heavy metals.

10. True or False. Contaminated soil can cause trees to be uprooted by the wind.

11. True or False. Habitat destruction is one of the main issue of mining activity. Huge areas of natural habitat are destroyed during mine construction and exploitation, forcing animals to leave the site.

12. True or False. Some fungi possess contaminant accumulation capacity, soil cleaning capacity, and can protect plants from damages caused by chemicals.

13. True or False. There are very few occupational health hazards for miners. Only rarely do miners suffer from respiratory and skin diseases.