Effects of kaolin mining on soil and vegetation

Kaolin is a clay raw material and mineral which is widely used for a wide range of industrial applications, such as the production of paper, ceramics, plastics, paints, etc. In kaolin mining, wide and deep pits are created to enable kaolinised granites to be extracted. The kaolinised granite is extracted from the pits by shovel and truck and is transported to a primary screening process. The excavated kaolinized granite deposits and other heavy compounds are however transported to various parts of the locality by water run-offs leaving particles and traces of the minerals on the soil surfaces. This book discusses on how these deposits affects the soil and vegetation around the vicinity of the mining site.