ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF COPPER ORE PROCESSING

6th International Scientific Conference - SGEM2006, www.sgem.org, SGEM2006 Conference Proceedings/ ISBN: 954-918181-2, June 12-16, 2006, Vol. 2, 23-34 pp

ABSTRACT

Ore dressing leads to producing of great quantities of waste which are stored in special waste depositories (tailing ponds). They occupy large areas and their exploitation provokes air, water and soil contamination of the surrounding territories.
Reclamation is one of the most radical methods for recovery of the environmental components, creation of conditions for grass and forest growth and formation of appropriate landscape.
The current study aims to determine the anthropogenic impacts on the soils in the region of the ore-dressing complex “Elatsite-Med”.
It is found that building of waste repository destroys partly and fully soil and plant cover on its territory. Additional unfavorable impact on the soils is caused by dust contamination due to wind erosion and by aerosol air contamination with products of copper-producing. It is observed intensification of the erosion processes as a result of deforestation and lack of erosion prevention measures.
The study shows increasing of copper and zinc contents and lowering of pH values in agricultural lands due to longterm copper-producing.
Measures for reclamation of landscape and of destroyed and contaminated terrain are proposed.

Keywords: reclamation, tailing ponds, anthropogenic impacts, destroyed and contaminated terrain and landscape