The study warns of significant risks to marine ecosystems and coastal communities, which rely on these waters for food and livelihoods. Toxic mining waste, including heavy metals and harmful chemicals, can contaminate land and water, potentially entering the food chain and contributing to ocean acidification. Rising sea levels and changing weather patterns may further exacerbate these risks, with increased erosion, flooding, and sediment disturbance. Vulnerable regions, including North America, South America, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, East Asia, and Australia, face heightened threats. The long-term release of pollution from inactive mines is identified as a larger global challenge than catastrophic tailings dam failures, posing financial and political hurdles for remediation efforts.