Mining for silver is common and the metal is used to make coins, medicine, medals or jewellery. It can be mined from an open-cut mine or an underground mine. Mining silver can harm the environment in many ways. IT can create air pollution by dust from open-cut mines. The land is obviously affected because of the removal of the soil and plants. Dirt washes into rivers or streams located near the mining site. A dangerous gas can escape into the air when the crushed rock is roasted. This gas is called sulphur dioxide and is what causes acid rain. Mining can also spread disease by putting chemicals or gasses into rivers, fish live and breed in the polluted water and then we eat the fish.
