3. Environment, health risks and handling hazards

3.1 Environmental protection

In the platinum industry, environmental protection is an integral part of both mining and extractive metallurgy.

In terms of mining, the aim is to control the spreading of waste rock, surface disturbances and the reconstitution of disturbed ground. The coarse fractions of mill tailings are used to backfill mine workings. Water polluted by the use of ammonium nitrate as an explosive in the mine is treated at mine drainage.

Example

In Stillwater, bacterial denitrification has been implemented using sewage sludge. This process eliminates 80% of nitrates [44] .

In pyrometallurgy,...

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