Water is a valued resource, which is increasingly being threatened by mining activity. Monitoring of surface water and groundwater quality around gold mine is essential in terms of heavy metals and toxic substances. The northern zone of Côte d'Ivoire where located Tongon is a highly mineralised zone, with extensive mining of gold. The quality of water resources in this region may be affected by the activity of the Tongon mine, which is the main gold mine in the region. The objectives of this study were to determine the concentration of heavy metals and the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) in surface water and groundwater around Tongon mine. The concentrations of As, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Mn have been evaluated at 21 surface water and 16 groundwater sampling stations. The concentration of these metals were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for heavy metal pollution indexing. The concentrations of As, Pb, Cr, Cu and Mn in surface water were found to be above the highest desirable limit of WHO drinking water standard with mean concentrations of 5.761, 0.016, 0.178, 2.939, and 0.684 mg/L, respectively. Excepted As (2.95 mg/L) and Mn (0.67 mg/L), the metal concentrations in groundwater were well below the permissible limits of WHO drinking water standard. The Heavy Metal Pollution Index was used to evaluate surface water and groundwater quality. The results showed that, in the groundwater samples, HPI values (48.56-72.49) were less than 100, indicating a low-level heavy metal. Concerning surface water, HPI values of Poungbe River are well below the index limit of 100, which suggest that it is generally no contaminated with respect to these metals. The mining activity of Tongon is carried out while protecting water quality against heavy metals. The quality of water resources in the area must be regularly monitored to avoid any dramatic situation.
The Tongon mine, the largest gold mine in Côte d'Ivoire, has been in operation since April 2010. However, to our knowledge to date, no study has been conducted on metallic contamination in suspended particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) where there is a lack of information on the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to human health associated with the exposure of populations in the Tongon area to these pollutants. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of PM 10 ; PM 2.5 by heavy metals and their impact on the health of populations exposed to these pollutants in the Tongon gold mine area. The sampling and measurement of suspended particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) were done using a MiniVol TAS passive air sampler. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Nex ION 2000 ICP-MS, USA). The results indicate that the average concentrations of suspended particles (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) obtained are all above the recommended exposure limits. In addition, among the heavy metals contained in the suspended particles, the concentrations of arsenic and nickel are high and all above the standard limit values. The assessment of the health risks related to the inhalation of PM 10 particles reveals that their inhalation over a long period could cause a carcinogenic risk.
The Tongon mine generates millions of tons of waste rock and tailings, which are stored in landfills in the vicinity of the mine. These tailings contain arsenic. The risk of soil contamination in this area is evident. This study assesses the arsenic contamination of soils around the mine and the health risks to the local population. Soil samples were taken from plastic bags and other materials used as working tools. Arsenic concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy, after the soil samples had been concentrated and digested. Metal contamination indices were used to assess the degree of soil contamination. The results obtained indicate that soils in the industrial zone of the Tongon gold mine have very high average concentrations, well above the world average for uncontaminated soils of 6 mg/kg arsenic. Geoaccumulation index values range from 1.28 to 3.40. These values highlight severe arsenic soil contamination. The human health risk assessment revealed that exposure risks are well above the critical limit of 1 and are, in descending order, children > adult women > adult men. These results indicate an ecological risk, requiring environmental monitoring, underpinned by the development of an effective remediation strategy to reduce local pollution and contamination.
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