Environmental Impact

📚 Key Concepts

🔹 Real-Life Example

Mining for smartphones creates environmental challenges – from copper mines in Chile to lithium extraction affecting water supplies. But recycling metals from old electronics can recover 95% of materials with much less environmental impact. Understanding this helps us make better choices about consumption and recycling.

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🧪 Environmental Concerns

🔸 Mining Impact

  • Habitat destruction: Open pit mines
  • Water pollution: Toxic chemicals leaching
  • Air pollution: Dust, toxic gases
  • Soil degradation: Heavy metal contamination

🔸 Processing Impact

  • Energy consumption: Aluminum extraction uses lots of electricity
  • Greenhouse gases: CO₂ from steel production
  • Toxic byproducts: Smelting produces harmful gases

🔍 Solutions

🔸 Recycling

  • Aluminum: 95% energy savings vs primary production
  • Steel: Magnetic separation makes recycling easy
  • Copper: Nearly 100% recyclable without property loss

🔸 Sustainable Practices

  • Green mining: Minimizing environmental impact
  • Alternative materials: Bio-based alternatives
  • Circular economy: Design for recycling
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