Effects of small-scale gold mining on heavy metal levels in groundwater in the Lower Pra Basin of Ghana

Abstract

The effects of small-scale gold mining activities on heavy metal levels in groundwater were determined for the Lower Pra Basin of Ghana. Sixty five boreholes in 45 communities were analysed between January 2012 and April 2012 for the dry season and June and October 2012 for the wet season. The test for significance and the use of cluster analysis, a multivariate approach, clearly delineate Cu, Zn, Cd and Hg as possible anthropogenic contributors, whilst As, Se and Pb could be both anthropogenic and natural geochemical process contributors of metal level concentrations in the groundwater. The analysis shows generally low pH values in the basin with more than 95% of dry season and almost all wet season values being acidic or slightly acidic. Approximately 35% of boreholes in the wet season recorded values for cadmium above WHO guideline value of 3.0 µg/l with almost all dry season values falling below 3.0 µg/l except for two boreholes. Generally, high values were recorded for iron, manganese, lead, Al and Hg. In general, lead, copper, cadmium and manganese showed higher wet season values than dry season suggesting anthropogenic influence.

Contamination Level, Source Identification And Health Risk Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements In Drinking Water Sources of Mining And Non-Mining Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

“…According to (WHO), children are more prone to health hazards because of high drinking water consumption, ingest more calories and breathe more air in comparison with adults. The results of present study were found consistent with related previous studies of drinking water sources, conducted in mining areas (Ewusi et al 2017;Dorleku et al 2018;Bhattacharya et al 2012).…”

Modelling the Transference of Trace Elements between Environmental Compartments in Abandoned Mining Areas

“…Therefore, areas that have supported mining activities in the past are potential sources of severe contamination nowadays, and they may pose an unacceptable health risk to neighboring populations [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. The layout of the mining material on the site and the climatic, geomorphological, and hydrogeological characteristics of the area determine the mobility of trace elements, both in solution and in particulate form [ 1 , 13 , 14 ], and, consequently, their potential effects on receiving soils, sediments, groundwater, and surface water [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Soils that have supported historical mining activities are often less developed and enriched with heavy metals, and there is a relationship between the distance to the waste piles and the evolution of the soils [ 1 ].…”

Physicochemical Characterization of Mining Waste from the Betare-Oya Gold Area (East Cameroon) and an Adsorption Test by Sabga Smectite (North-West Cameroon)

“…Worldwide, several studies have been conducted on the impacts of industrial, artisanal, and semimechanized mining on water resources and their contamination by heavy metals [ 5 – 9 ]. These works support the fact that the release of heavy metals in surface water is mainly due to the alteration of tailings and waste rock.…”