Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.

The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is silica(silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz. Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beachesand inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to make concrete. As communities grow, construction requires less wood and more concrete, leading to a demand for low-cost sand. Sand is also used to replace eroded coastline. Society's need for sand Sand has become a very important mineral for the expansion of society. Not only is it used for glass but more so for making concrete, filling roads, reclamations, building sites, and for renourishing beaches. Each has its own requirements in respect of the quality of the sand. Although the main constituent of sand, quartz, is found in every soil and locality, it occurs mostly as loam, a mix of sand + silt + clay. Clean sand is indeed a rare commodity on land, but common in sand dunes and beaches. On average, people 'use' over 200kg of sand per person per year. This sand is taken from what are essentially non-renewable resources. Another reason for sand mining is for the extraction of minerals such as rutile, ilmenite and zircon, which contain the industrially useful elements titanium andzirconium. These minerals typically occur combined with ordinary sand, which is dug up, the valuable minerals being separated in water by virtue of their different densities, and the remaining ordinary sand re-deposited.

Sand has become an indispensable resource for society's functioning. o Sand for glass: o Sand for concrete o Sand for fill o Sand for beach renourishment

Places where sand could be mined Sand is not deposited equitably along dune-backed beaches. There are places where it is deposited to excess: in tall rear dunes, near headlands and in sand banks in sea. Such excess can be harmful to the beach/dune system, and can in fact even be desirable for extraction. But essentially all the sand to a depth of around 30 metres belongs to the beach/dune system.

Excessive amounts of sand are often experienced as a nuisance to society, such as encroaching rear dunes, sand in navigation channels and boat harbours, sand passing entrances to ports and so on. Such places are mined for economical reasons, producing sand while solving problems at the same time.
Environmental Impacts of Sand Mining

Sand mining is a direct and obvious cause of erosion, and also impacts the local wildlife.

For example, sea turtles depend on sandy beaches for their nesting, and sand mining has led to the near extinction of ghariyals (a species of crocodiles) in India. Disturbance of underwater and coastal sand causes turbidity in the water, which is harmful for such organisms as corals that need sunlight. It also destroys fisheries, causing problems for people who rely on fishing for their livelihoods.

Removal of physical coastal barriers such as dunes leads to flooding of beachside communities, and the destruction of picturesque beaches causes tourism to dissipate. Sand mining is regulated by law in many places, but is still often done illegally. Water Pollution

As the sand is suctioned, a plume of silt will develop, both over the bottom and near the surface. It will pollute the sea water for some time. Poisons such as heavy metals and hydrogen sulphide, locked up over time within the sea soil, are released again. Whereas river plumes happen only after large rains, this plume will be there most of the year, although changing location frequently.In late summer, when a thermocline has developed in mid water, effectively preventing the bottom-released nutrients from reaching the surface, the surface plume will exercise its fertilising effect most. However, its size is very small compared to that of rivers and it moves around constantly. Large storms also stir the bottom, releasing mud and nutrients, while mixing the water column.

Reasonable and effective restrictions

How other countries protect their beaches Country France United Kingdom Japan Malaysia Regulation Source Dredging must take place beyond 3 nm (5.5 km) offshore of beaches and in Cressard & depths greater than 20m Augris, 1982 Dredging prohibited landward of the 19-22m isobath and within 600m of the Brampton, coast. 1987 Dredging prohibited within 1 km of the coast. All operations to occur in water depths greater than 20m. Tsurusaki and others, 1988

Coastal Engineering Technical Centre criteria that mining be permitted Zamali and seaward of the 10m isobath, or 2 km offshore for the east coast of Peninsula Lee, 1991 Malaysia. Van Alphen et al, 1990 Squires, 1988

Netherlan Mining permitted seaward of the 20m isobath. ds USA, New Mining area seaward of the 18m isobath. York