Effects of the Leachates of Essential and Non - Essential Inorganic Materials From Mined Clay Deposits and Landfills On the Environment: A Review

Abstract

This study is designed to review studies on the effects of leaching from mined clay deposits and landfills 
on the environment. Thus, literature report showed that inorganic minerals such as goethite (FeO.OH), 
hematite (Fe2O3), kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4, Montmorillonite (Si12O30Mg8(OH)4(H2O4×8H2O), the heavy 
metals, including arsenic, cadmium, lead and their complexes are regarded as indicators; which makes it 
possible to identify the routes of various minerals and contaminants in the environments. This is because 
they can be distributed over far distances and get settled far away from their original source of deposits 
through diverse means, including leaching by rain and streams. However, from reviewed articles, it was 
observed that leaching of toxic substances such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, mercury, industrial dyes, 
agrochemicals etc into the ecosystem enhances environmental problems; because they will percolate into 
the ground and cause severe pollution of the environment; since clay soil is susceptible to alterations in 
physical and chemical properties when contaminated with leachates, hence, preventing the biochemical 
processes of lives in that environment when get absorbed.