Two wrongs can make a right
Waste products from two different industries could cancel each other out
WHEN it comes to despoiling the planet and polluting the environment, the mining industry is a world beater. Besides the unsightly effects that many mines have on the landscape, they usually churn out vast quantities of toxic waste in the form of acidic drainage-water and tailings—the fine particles of rock produced when ore is ground down to release the minerals it contains. These tailings are not just a harmless inconvenience; they often contain poisonous heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium and lead. And tailings are produced in large quantities: on average, 991 tonnes-worth for every 1,000 tonnes of ore that is mined.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Two wrongs can make a right”
From the July 14th 2001 edition
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