Nicodemus Wilderness Project -- Global Registry of Apprentice Ecologists

RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT OF MINING/QUARRYING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
A research conducted in 2008 was to study the effect of mining on the environment in Ishiagu, Ebonyi state southern Nigeria.
The study comprised of soil and plant responses to quarrying. On soil, tailings which are tiny particulates are released into the atmosphere and settles on soil. They are carried by water runoff from rains into nearby water bodies while some are leached into the soil. Reports show that these particles constitute pollutants in water bodies thereby affecting aquatic lives.
Quarrying leads to excavation of top soils necessary for agricultural activities causing a depletion of macronutrients basically (NPK) and increasing the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Mn e.t.c). This was noticed within 0-500m of the site. This constitutes the major consequences on the environment.
Plants are affected when these tailings settle on leave surface; it impedes respiration (gaseous exchange) and photosynthesis as well. After a careful analysis it was observed that various plants located around the site suffered this symptom. Other consequences can be its effect on animals when they consume plants with high concentration of heavy metals in their tissues likely to cause bio-magnification effect. It was also discovered that in response to the atmospheric pollution caused by quarrying, plants develop hairs on their leaf surfacesâ€™ to reduce likely effect as an adaptive/defensive mechanism.
Workers on site hardly adopted safety principles as most were observed without personal protective equipment. There is the likelihood for deposition of tailings on skin surface or inhaled. This could lead to skin or lung infections.
After careful observation, I recommended the following:
â€¢ That vegetation must be maintained and improved upon for continuous atmospheric filtration
â€¢ That animal grazing must be prevented from gaining access into quarrying zone
â€¢ Pay compensation to farmers whose land has been depleted due to mining and relocated accordingly.
I find the relevance of my project interesting because the project host community has come to realize the importance of vegetation and plan to sustain them for atmospheric purification.