By Lauren Cloughesy, Norbu Globus, Keldy Mason, Jade Murphy
Overview
Nickel is silvery-white, hard and ductile metal. It is a transition metal and it is a fairly good conductor of heat and electricity. Nickel is the fifth most common element found on Earth, most of it though is found in the earth’s inner and outer cores. Only iron, oxygen, silicon and magnesium are more abundant. Nickel resists corrosion and is used to plate other metals to protect them. It is, however, mainly used in making alloys such as stainless steel.
Nickel often occurs combined with sulphur in millerite, with arsenic in the mineral niccolite, and with arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. Most ores from which nickel is extracted are iron-nickel sulphides, such as pentlandite. The metal is mined in Russia, Australia, New Caledonia, Cuba, Canada and South Africa.
Nickel is rarely used in its pure form. Instead, it is combined with other metals, especially iron, chromium and copper, to produce alloys that are superior to the individual metals. Nickel is used as an alloying element in cast irons, steels (such as austenitic stainless steels) and non-ferrous alloys. It is also used in nickel-based alloys, which are applied to more challenging applications. Some every day objects that contain nickel are bathroom taps, shower heads, batteries, coins, cars and mobile phones.
Some of the potential environmental impacts of nickel is that in sandy soils, it is detrimental to plant growth and high nickel concentrations in water will reduce algae growth. If too much nickel is ingested, it can cause cancer in animals and humans. Luckily, nickel does not bio-magnify as far we know of.
Niquelandia, Brazil
Niquelandia is translated from Portugese as “Nickelland,” and boasts having one of the largest reserves of nickel. It is a small city with a modest population of around 45,000 people. 100% of their houses run on electricity and they all have running water. It is not a very developed place socially and economically, i.e. there does not seem to be a very high level of technology present, as they depend on the mining of nickel and agriculture and livestock to survive. Niquelandia is separated into 34 neighborhoods, 80% of which their roads are paved with asphalt. They depend on tourism in and around Lake Serra da Mesa, and also host Carnival and Historic Tourism. Key factor about Niquelandia is that they are a municipality city, meaning that they have state powers given to them by the government. They have the ability to control and enforce taxes on individuals and corporations. They also receive funding from the government.
In terms of nature, Niquelandia was blessed with 10,000 square kilometers of mineable nickel along with around 120 other lesser ores, it is known as having one of the largest nickel reserves in the world. The city of Niquelandia also hosts a lot of tourism through their artificial lake that is Lake Serra da Mesa, created by the Serra da Mesa dam. The dam is a place where people go to fish and it also doubles as a hydroelectric plant. In terms of social relations, Niquelandia relies a moderate amount on nickel mining, as it is run by two companies, Votorantim and Anglo-American, who employ people living in Niquelandia. Votorantim produces 25 ktpa (kilo-tonnes per year) of nickel in their mines, while Anglo-American produces 36 mtpa (metric tonnes per year) of nickel. They also boast of having a ‘diversified economy’ in which they grow and harvest rice, beans, wheat, maize, soybeans, and sorghum. They also have a lot of cattle-raising in Niquelandia.
The meaning of the nickel reserves is a way for people living in Niquelandia to have a source of income, but as of recently, Votorantim has had to fire around 800 employees in their mining sector because of the sharp decrease in the price of nickel on the market. This is not beneficial for the Niquelandia residents because they rely on the economy and money that nickel mining provides for them, and will have to resort to an increased dependence on agriculture and cattle-raising.
Ravensthorpe, Australia
Ravensthorpe Shire is a small town south-east of Perth on the Fitzgerald Coast of Western Australia’s Outback. It has 200 kilometres of coastline and bushland covering two thirds of the region. Ravensthorpe has a temperate Mediterranean climate with beautiful sunny winter days and cool summer nights. Ancient mountain ranges, rocky hills, rugged river valleys, vast sand plains, estuaries and large inlets provide the area with a wealth of natural beauty to explore. It is also home to the annual short film festival Flickerfest which is the country’s largest Australian & International short film competition. Ravensthorpe currently has a population of less than 2,500. Mining in Ravensthorpe can be seen to go back as far as 1898 where gold findings have been recorded. Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine is a nickel mine and a hydrometallurgical processing plant. It is one of the highest nickel producing mines in the world. Ravensthorpe Nickel Project officially opened in 2008. In January 2009, BHP Billiton announced that it was suspending production at Ravensthorpe Nickel Operations indefinitely, due to the reduction in world nickel prices caused by the global economic crisis. 1,800 jobs were cut and there was major negative impact on the local economy. The closure had a devastating effect on the local communities of Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun and this led to BHP Billiton being greatly condemned for how it handled the closure. The mine was sold to First Quantum Minerals which obtained commercial production in December of 2011 and is now 100% owned by First Quantum. Ravensthorpe is home to the Fitzgerald River National Park and the Frank Hann National Park. In 2014 the nickel operation was temporarily shut down after the rupture of a leach tank and chemical spill. Sulfuric acid spills can sometimes have effects on groundwater resources, but there was no damage observed after the spill at Ravensthorpe.
New Caledonia, Melanesia
New Caledonia is a French Colony located in Melanesia, an archipelago off the eastern coast of Australia. However, 40% of the population identifies as part of a Kanak tribe. When New Caledonia was colonized, these people were forced to condense their living space and were employed to extract nickel starting in the 1870s. Grande Terre, where the majority of the nickel mined in New Caledonia is located is also the location of ¼ of the world’s known nickel reserve. The world’s largest nickel mining company, Toronto-based International Nickel Company has developed an open pit mine as well as a hydrometallurgical processes of extracting nickel. This development caused widespread protest amongst environmental and indigenous activists. Specifically, after a chemical spill due to nickel mining, New Caledonia’s government halted the production and mining of nickel due to protests that led to riots and would not lift the suspension until it was deemed safe.
New Caledonia’s economy thrives on the production of nickel products as around 75% of their yearly exported goods and services involve nickel ore. New Caledonia has no dry season, and its high biodiversity leads to an abundance of plants and animals. Additionally, Grande Terre has immense amount of minerals such as chrome, nickel, and platinum ore. Because of a desire to protect this wildlife that may be disrupted by the mining and production of nickel, the environmental activists in New Caledonia have made attempts at putting restrictions on mining. An example of this is when INCO had its mining license taken away due to abuses.
Although nickel mining provides many benefits to New Caledonia’s economy, there are many negative environmental impacts. Because of nickel mining, many of the wetlands, and all of their biodiversity, has spoiled. This is an issue because every species in an ecosystem is vital and can provide resources to the ecosystem and to humans. Hillsides were stripped for mine space, and the gases emitted from the factories had record levels of toxins such as arsenic, lead, and of course nickel. However, because nickel is the primary economic factor in New Caledonia, the desires of environmental activists are silenced by the needs of the miners, factory owners and distributors of nickel.
Sudbury, Canada
The greater Sudbury area, which is home to the Sudbury Basin, is the largest city by population of Ontario, Canada. Greater Sudbury has a population of 161,000 and a bustling economy rooted in old nickel mining. This bustling city is situated in a major geological site, which is the second largest impact crater on the Earth. This quaint area experienced a large boom from the discovery of nickel in 1883 by a blacksmith named Tom Flanagan, while nearing the completion of a transcontinental railroad. The discovery of nickel brought many European settlers to the area and can trace family histories back to mining of nickel. The history of nickel is ever present throughout the area, especially the hills of rock blackened by smelting. Modern Sudbury Basin is mainly mined by a company called Vale Canada Limited which is owned by Brazilian company Vale. Vale Canada Limited employs over 4,000 people in the greater Sudbury Area alone and still ranks as a number one employer of Sudbury citizens.
The nature of the greater Sudbury area has been greatly impacted by the nickel production of the past, but works towards rehabilitating. During the mid 20th century open cupola beds were used to smelt for nickel, but left the area polluted with a dense blanket of ash that has dyed the pink granite rocks into black outcroppings. To fuel this smelting endeavour, the entire area was logged and faced a large loss of native flora. Later on the Inco (Vale) Superstack was built for the purpose of copper and nickel smelting. This large chimney was constructed in 1972 and produced a large quantity of sulphurous fumes and other gases. Due to the height of the chimney, smoke was carried by the wind and created a 150 mile radius around the plant. This smoke reacts in the atmosphere to created acid rain which can degrade buildings, soil quality, and water sources. However, in more recent years the environment has been replenished by replanting approximately 9.2 million trees by the year 2010. Most of these restoration projects are led by nickel companies such as Vale Canada Limited, but as the local government of the Greater Sudbury area. In 1992 Sudbury was awarded by the United Nations for their environmental reclamation tactics and regreening programs. While nickel production is very important to the area the past impact is just now being reverted and the government of Sudbury realizes the need for change.
In today’s terms, nickel production is decreased but still remains a part of the identity to the area and people. Nickel means more than simply a mineral to the culture of Sudbury. Nickel has provided economic growth, population growth, and provided the majority of nickel for the allied forces during World War two. Now that the economy has diversified the area has become much more sustainable. Without this mineral, Sudbury would not have developed into the city that it is today and many people can attribute some aspect of their life to the mining of nickel in the Sudbury Basin.
Conclusion
After understanding where nickel comes from, we are more aware of the vast amount of products that use nickel and additionally the effects of production on the environmental, on the social welfare of citizens and on the economy. Each individual, after educating themselves, had to decide for themselves whether the negative environmental effects of the mining and production of nickel is worth the product they receive at the end of production.
As consumers, we need to be more aware and appreciative of the origins of the materials we use. Many people and communities put their own health at risk in order to produce items of economic benefit. Nickel has many uses in modern alloys, but consumers need to realize the extensive damage that the production of nickel does on the environment. Consumers should also note the prosperity that nickel has brought to these areas.
In order to responsibly consume nickel in our electronics and stainless steel, we must first identify the places which this mineral is mined and produced. By doing this, we educate ourselves and are thus able to make these decisions while taking into account the culture, economy, and environmental aspects of the place of manufacturing.
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