A new hazard assessment workflow to assess soil contamination from large and artisanal scale gold mining.

Autor: Thiombane M; Haemers Technologies Group, Chaussée de Vilvorde, 104, 1120, Brussels, Belgium., De Vivo B; Pegaso University, Piazza Trieste E Trento 48, 80132, Naples, Italy.; Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA., Niane B; Départment Génie Géologique, Mines Et Eau, U.F.R. Sciences de L'Ingénieur, Université IBA DER THIAM de Thiès, BP 967, Thiès, Senegal., Watts MJ; Inorganic Geochemistry, Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, NG12 5GG, UK., Marriott AL; Inorganic Geochemistry, Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, NG12 5GG, UK., Di Bonito M; School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, NG25 0QF, UK. marcello.dibonito@ntu.ac.uk.; Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, AlmaMater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Via Fanin, 40, 40127, Bologna, Italy. marcello.dibonito@ntu.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental geochemistry and health [Environ Geochem Health] 2023 Jul; Vol. 45 (7), pp. 5067-5091. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Apr 18.
DOI: 10.1007/s10653-023-01552-5
Abstrakt: Gold mining activities are undertaken both at large and artisanal scale, often resulting in serious 'collateral' environmental issues, including environmental pollution and hazard to human and ecosystem health. Furthermore, some of these activities are poorly regulated, which can produce long-lasting damage to the environment and local livelihoods. The aim of this study was to identify a new workflow model to discriminate anthropogenic versus geogenic enrichment in soils of gold mining regions. The Kedougou region (Senegal, West Africa) was used as a case study. Ninety-four soil samples (76 topsoils and 18 bottom soils) were collected over an area of 6,742 km 2 and analysed for 53 chemical elements. Robust spatial mapping, compositional and geostatistical models were employed to evaluate sources and elemental footprint associated with geology and mining activities. Multivariate approaches highlighted anomalies in arsenic (As) and mercury (Hg) distribution in several areas. However, further interpretation with enrichment factor (EFs) and index of geoaccumulation (IGeo) emphasised high contamination levels in areas approximately coinciding with the ones where artisanal and small scale mining (ASGM) activities occur, and robust compositional contamination index (RCCI) isolated potentially harmful elements (PHE) contamination levels in very specific areas of the Kedougou mining region. The study underlined the importance of complementary approaches to identify anomalies and, more significantly, contamination by hazardous material. In particular, the analyses helped to identify discrete areas that would require to be surveyed in more detail to allow a comprehensive and thorough risk assessment, to investigate potential impacts to both human and ecosystem health.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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