Bushveld Igneous Complex

It comprises the Rustenburg Layered suite, the Lebowa Granites and the Rooiberg Felsics, that are overlain by the Karoo sediments.

[5] The site was first publicised around 1897 by Gustaaf Molengraaff who found the native South African tribes residing in and around the area.

These are typically greenish in colour and composed of clinopyroxene, altered to hornblende and plagioclase, and are regarded as the earliest phase of the Complex.

The complex has its geographic centre located north of Pretoria in South Africa at about 25° S and 29° E. It covers over 66,000 km2 (25,000 sq mi), an area the size of Ireland.

There has been a proposal of the origins of at least three different processes used to model the PGE mineralization in the area: The Bushveld Igneous Complex is a layered mafic intrusion (LMI) with well-defined ore bodies of stratiform chromitite layers concentrated with the so-called Critical Zone; these are referred to as reefs.

[25] Economic controls include, mineral deposits, they help to guide mining and exploration and with resource and reserve estimation and extraction.

The eastern lobe is further subdivided by the presence of the Stofpoort and Wonderkop Faults, which serve to differentiate the northeast from the central zone.

[27] The boundary between the northern and southern lobes is defined by the Melinda Fault, which dips to the west and is situated within the Pietersburg terrane.

[28] In general, the TML is a large EW trending shear zone that forms a boundary between the Bushveld Complex and the Limpopo Belt and is 20 and 30 km wide.

[29] The BIC's layered sequence is commonly divided into five different zones: The area has many different ore deposits, but mostly with a focus on PGEs (primarily platinum and palladium), vanadium, iron (generally from magnetite), chromium, uranium, tin, ...[7] There are multiple major mining companies that are heavily involved within this area, particularly AngloAmerican, African Rainbow Minerals, Impala Platinum, Northam Platinum Ltd., Lonmin plc, and more recently Bushveld Minerals.

It has been reported that more than 20 billion metric tons of PGE ore rock has been indicated in South Africa by the different exploration and mining companies of which contains about 38.1 kilotons of platinum metal in mineral reserves and resources in the Bushveld.

[35] Mining feasibility studies have identified impacts on surface water, groundwater, wetlands, flora, fauna and related social issues.

Additionally, these impacts include increased drainage of salts, sediments thought channels and streams near the mine sites.

Moreover, construction activity impacts such as removal of natural land and noise from machinery and vehicles may disrupt the surrounding ecosystems.

[34] Depending on the beneficiation and concentration methods, there are different impacts plausible such acid runoff from leaching and metal slimes.

[29] A study has shown that up to 5% of the world total production of PGEs is lost and emitted as dust entering the global biogeochemical cycle.

Since some of the food production activities are located near these areas, the primary concern is that the local population (several towns and cities, including Rustenburg with more than 500,000 inhabitants[37]) will ultimately be exposed to the contaminants either by skin contact, dietary intake or inhalation.

[38] PGEs such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium have been shown to bioaccumulate under the form of PGE-Chloride in the liver, kidneys, bones and lungs.

[39] A study from January 2013, has shown an increasing trend of the development of silicosis caused by silica dust and asbestos fibers related to workers mining in the Bushveld igneous complex.

[40] Similarly, another study has found high concentrations of microscopic (<63 μm) PGE airborne dust particles near the mining areas.

[8] A study from Maboeta et al. in 2006, has revealed through chemical analysis that the soil from a tailings disposal facility had higher levels of C, N, NH4 and K in comparison to the other general sampling sites.

[41] Mining operations in general consume much energy and water, producing much waste rock, trailings and greenhouse gases.

[42] South Africa's economy is heavily tied to its mining industry and has been greatly affected by low metal prices.

Miners are quite often on strike asking to get the minimum salary, and mines continue to fail safety standards and face labour unrest.

[citation needed] A research study in 2016 by eunomix showed that Rustenburg, one of the fastest-growing cities in South Africa, has an "abnormally high concentration of young men who are separated from their families due to the migrant labour system".

This area is very strategic as it is easy and cheap for mining; this is because their continuity in thick seams over scores of miles of strike and their persistence in depth, which has all been proved via deep drilling.

[61] Although other major platinum deposits have been found in places like the Sudbury Basin or Norilsk (Russia), the Bushveld Complex still remains as one of the prime sources of PGE ore.

There have been many strikes for unfair pay and working conditions, illegal miners (so-called "zama-zamas"), gun-fire conflicts, political swindles and legal fights.

Jewellery was barely ahead of autocatalysts prior to 2002 with brute gross demand values being somewhat similar or higher.

Furthermore, platinum is geographically restricted to the three by far the most significant resources, namely the BIC, the great dyke (Zimbabwe) and Noril'sk-Talnakh in Russia.