THE WOMEN UNIVERSITY MULTAN

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Subject:

Environmental chemistry

Assignment Topic:

Soil and Mineral Resources

Submitted by:

Gul-e-Zainab 07
Noor Fatima 45
Zahra Fatima 51
Afifa Nasir 63
Saba Iqbal 75
Submitted to:
Dr. Ruqiya Sehrish

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Soil and Mineral Resources

Soil: “Soil is a thin layer of loose material covering the earth’s surface.”
 It is composed of both organic and inorganic materials.

Soil Composition: Soil is essential a mix of various particles and substances like;
 Minerals
 Humus
 Living Organisms
 Water & air.

Minerals in Soil
“A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal
structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form and physical properties.

 Mineral is very important substance found in soil.

 They are largest component in soil, making up to 40% to 45% of total components.

Mineral soil means a soil consisting predominantly of, and having its properties determined
predominantly by, mineral matter.

 A mineral soil usually contains less than;

 20% organic matter
 An organic surface layer up to 12 inches thick

Formation: Minerals are basically formed by breakdown of large rocks.

Weathering of Soil Minerals: Weathering is the principal process that acts upon the earth’s
primary minerals to form smaller and finer particles that we call soil.

Soil Mineral Particle Size: Particle size is an important property that allows us to make
distinction among different soil minerals. Soil contain particles that range from very large
boulders to minute particles which are invisible to the naked eye.

Primary
Types of Minerals
Minerals Secondary
Minerals
 Primary Minerals Secondary Minerals

"A mineral which is formed under conditions
different from those at the surface of the earth,
often by solidification(crystallization) of molten
magma."
Properties:
They have not been chemically altered since
decompostion,
They are similar to their present material.
They are bigger in size and irregular in shape.
Location: These primary minerals are usually found
in sand and silt.
Examples: Potasium, feldspar, micas, silicate, silica
minerals.
"When rock minerals undergo a transformation
process due to the chaange of temperature and
pressure(metamorphosis and weathering),the newly
created minerals are called secondary minerals."
Properties:
They are formed as a result of weathering of
primary minerals.
Their siz is much smaller.
These have large surface area that helps them to
retain moisture.
Location: Secondary minerals are mainly found in
fine silt or clay.
Examples: Kaolinite(chemical weathering of
feldspar), chlorite(weathering of biotite, pyroxene
and amphibole), sericite(weathering of feldspar) and
serpentine(hydrothermal modification of olivine).

Properties of Minerals:

1. Luster: Luster refers to how light is reflected from surface of minerals.

 Metallic Luster: Minerals exhibiting metallic luster look like metals such as silvery
appearance like steel.
 Non-metallic Luster: They may be waxy, earthy, vitreous(glassy), pearly, silky and dull
luster.
2. Hardness: It refers to the mineral resistance of being scratched. The harder ones are
difficult to scratch. Diamond is the hardest mineral.
3. Color: Color refers to the color of powdered mineral. Color of minerals differ from actual
color of mineral. This property can be useful for mineral identification.
4. Cleavage: Cleavage is the tendency of minerals to break along planes of weak bonding.
5. Fracture: Fracture and cleavage both describe how mineral breaks. Fracture refers to rough
and irregular surfaces along which mineral breaks randomly. Minerals that do not exhibit
cleavage are said to fracture when broken.
6. Specific Gravity: It describes the heaviness of mineral.
7. Crystal Habit: A single crystal’s habit is a description of its general shape and its crystalline
form plus how well developed each form is.

Chemical Properties: Minerals differ from each other in chemical composition and
architecture. These factors produce distinctive physical properties that enable minerals to be
identified.

1. Taste test: NaCl has salty taste.

2. Fizz Test: such as carbonate minerals effervescence in HCl giving bubbles of CO2 gas.

Classification of Mineral Resources:

1. Metallic minerals: Ferrous e.g. iron, Ni, Co. Non-ferrous e.g. copper, lead, tin, Precious e.g.
gold, silver, platinum.
 2. Non-metallic mineral resources: Mica, salt, potash, sulphur, granite, limestone, marble,
sandstone.
3. Energy minerals: coal, petroleum, natural gas.

Extraction of mineral resources:

1. Mining: Taking out minerals from rocks buried under the earth surface.
2. Drilling: petroleum and natural gas are far below from earth surface and wells are created
to take them out.
e.g. iron, zinc ores.
3. Open cast mining: It is taking out of minerals from the surface layer.
e.g. coal, iron, gold, copper.
4. Quarrying: Minerals that lie near the surface of the earth are simply dug out.
e.g. gypsum, salt
5. Shaft Mining: Done in great depth underground mining.
e.g. Bauxite, Manganese.
Functions of minerals in soil:
1. They provide life to plant.
2. Plants absorb minerals from soil through roots. Plants need minerals for growth and
development.
3. Nitrate is source of amino acid which is required by plant for protein synthesis.
4. Magnesium involves in photosynthesis because it is the source of chlorophyll production.
5. Potassium play vital role in stomatal movement because it acts as a co-factor for enzymes
and also maintain turgor pressure of cell.
6. Iron is constituent of cytochrome so involve in nitrogen fixation and respiration.

Resources in Pakistan:
Pakistan is endowed with extensive geological potential and possesses extensive reserves of
mineral deposits like coal, limestone, natural oil etc. Pakistan is producing so many minerals, of
these about 40% are being exploited in Baluchistan.

 Baluchistan is the richest province because about 80% to 85% minerals present here.
 Rest of 10-15% are present in KPK, Sindh, Punjab.
Mineral Resources in Provinces:
 Baluchistan: Copper, coal, natural gas.
 Sindh: Coal, China clay, natural oil.
 KPK: Gypsum, chromite, limestone.
 Punjab: Iron ore, coal, natural oil.

References
Bhatti, H. N. (2022). Principles of Environmental Chemistry. (D. S. Noreen, Ed.) Lahore: The Caravan
Press.

(magnet brains, n.d.)https://www.magnetbrains.com

(evidyarthi, n.d.)https://www,evidyarthi.in/cbde/class

(nature, n.d.)https://www.nature.com

(sciencedirect, n.d.)https://www.sciencedirect.com