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Why is there a concern about copper smelting plants?

1. They may release lethal quantities of carbon monoxide into environment. 

2. The copper slag can cause the leaching of some heavy metals into the environment.

3. They may release sulphur dioxide as a pollutant.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.


1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 olnly
4. 1, 2 and 3

1 Answer

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Best answer
Correct Answer - Option 2 : 2 and 3 only

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

  • Smelting is the process of applying heat to ore in order to extract a base metal.
  • Copper smelting plants separate elemental copper from copper concentrates through multiple sulphide oxidizing stages.
  • Most copper ores are sulphur-based and smelting releases sulphur dioxide, an air pollutant known to have many harmful effects. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
  • The considered smelting process includes a continuously functioning flash smelting furnace (FSF) and several Pierce-Smith converters operated in batches. Automating scheduling provides advisory information to operators.
  • Smelting has serious environmental impacts due to the release of toxic metals into the atmosphere and the production of excess waste material such as wastewater and slag, during the smelting process.
  • The reducing agent is commonly a source of carbon, such as coke or, in earlier times, charcoal.
  • The carbon (or carbon monoxide derived from it) removes oxygen from the ore, leaving the elemental metal.
  • The carbon thus oxidizes in two stages, producing first carbon monoxide and then carbon dioxide. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
  • As most ores are impure, it is often necessary to use flux, such as limestone, to remove the accompanying rock gangue as slag.
  • This slag may leach heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead or mercury depending on the composition of the ore) into groundwater reservoirs. Water which has a high heavy metal content is very toxic to humans. Hence statement 2 is correct.

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