Name one major environmental concern associated with mining activities.

Water pollution from runoff is a significant environmental concern associated with mining activities because mining processes often disturb the land and lead to the exposure of minerals and chemicals that can be harmful to the surrounding ecosystem. When rainwater falls on a mining site, it can wash away contaminants and create runoff that pools into nearby rivers, lakes, and groundwater. This runoff may contain heavy metals, acids, and other hazardous substances that can degrade water quality, harm aquatic life, and affect the health of communities that rely on these water sources for drinking and agriculture.

Mining operations can also lead to sedimentation, which can smother aquatic habitats and disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems. This environmental impact is critical to understand, as water pollution from mining activities has long-term implications for biodiversity, human health, and the sustainability of local communities. Other options, while also relevant to environmental issues associated with mining, do not encompass the direct and often severe consequences that water pollution from runoff presents to the environment.