First, aluminum ore is mined. There is aluminum in most rock in the world, but the amount is small in most places. So the best aluminum ore is bauxite, which contains a larger percentage of aluminum and a smaller percentage of silicon and iron. The mining process gathers large amounts of rock containing this ore, crushes it, and uses a flotation process to separate the bauxite from the other rock. The remaining rock is called the mine tailings, and includes any other kind of material which was mixed with the bauxite in the rock removed from the mine. Traditionally mine tailings have been scattered on the ground around the mine.
1. If 50% of the material is removed as the aluminum ore and 50% is the tailings, what has happened to the concentration of any toxic material or radioactive material in the tailings ?
2. Since the tailings are crushed and have larger surface area, what can happen much more easily to toxic or radioactive material in the tailings as rain falls on the tailings ?
3. If the tailings, which include dust-size particles, included volcanic beryllium-containing rock, what will happen to the toxic beryllium if there is wind ?
4. If the mine processes ten million tons of rock per year, producing five million tons of bauxite ore to be transported away, how much mass of the tailings will be piled up each year ? What will happen when the pile gets big enough ?
First, aluminum ore is mined. There is aluminum in most rock in the world, but the amount is small in most places. So the best aluminum ore is bauxite, which contains a larger percentage of aluminum and a smaller percentage of silicon and iron. The mining process gathers large amounts of rock containing this ore, crushes it, and uses a flotation process to separate the bauxite from the other rock. The remaining rock is called the mine tailings, and includes any other kind of material which was mixed with the bauxite in the rock removed from the mine. Traditionally mine tailings have been scattered on the ground around the mine.
1. If 50% of the material is removed as the aluminum ore and 50% is the tailings, what has happened to the concentration of any toxic material or radioactive material in the tailings ?
2. Since the tailings are crushed and have larger surface area, what can happen much more easily to toxic or radioactive material in the tailings as rain falls on the tailings ?
3. If the tailings, which include dust-size particles, included volcanic beryllium-containing rock, what will happen to the toxic beryllium if there is wind ?
4. If the mine processes ten million tons of rock per year, producing five million tons of bauxite ore to be transported away, how much mass of the tailings will be piled up each year ? What will happen when the pile gets big enough ?
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