Environmental geochemistry and ecological risk assessment of potentially harmful elements in tropical semi-arid soils around the Bagassi South artisanal gold mining site, Burkina Faso

Sako, Aboubakar; Nimi, Mamadou

doi:10.1080/23311843.2018.1543565

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Given that most SA river basins hold vast mineral deposits, the mining waste generated by artisanal and mechanised mining industries has significantly affected the health of its aquatic ecosystems [4][5][6][7][8]. Nevertheless, progress has been made in assessing the ecological risks of mining and mineral processing to characterise and manage geogenic and anthropic aquatic pollution in SA [9][10][11][12]. Ecological risk assessment (ERA) principally employs biological organisms to detect, evaluate, and predict ecological impacts of physical, chemical, and biological environmental changes in ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic Ecological Risk of Heavy-Metal Pollution Associated with Degraded Mining Landscapes of the Southern Africa River Basins: A Review

2022

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Africa accounts for nearly 30% of the discovered world’s mineral reserves, with half of the world’s platinum group metals deposits, 36% of gold, and 20% of cobalt being in Southern Africa (SA). The intensification of heavy-metal production in the SA region has exacerbated negative human and environmental health impacts. In recent years, mining waste generated from industrial and artisanal mining has significantly affected the ecological integrity of SA aquatic ecosystems due to the accelerated introduction and deposition of heavy metals. However, the extent to which heavy-metal pollution associated with mining has impacted the aquatic ecosystems has not been adequately documented, particularly during bioassessments. This review explores the current aquatic ecological impacts on the heavily mined river basins of SA. It also discusses the approaches to assessing the ecological risks, inherent challenges, and potential for developing an integrated ecological risk assessment protocol for aquatic systems in the region. Progress has been made in developing rapid bioassessment schemes (RBS) for SA aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, method integration, which also involves heavy-metal pollution monitoring and molecular technology, is necessary to overcome the current challenges of the standardisation of RBS protocols. Citizenry science will also encourage community and stakeholder involvement in sustainable environmental management in SA.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aquatic Ecological Risk of Heavy-Metal Pollution Associated with Degraded Mining Landscapes of the Southern Africa River Basins: A Review

2022

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“…The absence of positive effect from CT may be attributed to poor transport of the microorganisms present in the CT through the soil. Ultisol like many tropical soils has a high clay content (Chagas-Spinelli et al, 2012) which may restrict access to oxygen (because of the dense pore structure of clay) and decrease bioavailability of the pollutant (Ferguson et al, 2003;Sako & Nimi, 2018) and thus obstruct the degradation. It may also hamper the vertical migrations of the organisms present in the ACT.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Appropriate technology for soil remediation in tropical low-income countries - a pilot scale test of three different amendments for accelerated biodegradation of diesel fuel in Ultisol

Haller

Jönsson

Ljunggren

et al. 2020

Cogent Environmental Science

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“…Frequently, valuable Au ores occur in rocks containing concentrations of sulphides of various elements (e.g., As, lead-Pb, copper-Cu, and Hg), whose exploitation results in the generation of oxidizing conditions and hence environmental risk, due to sulphuric acid release. Washing these toxic by-products away results in semi-solid slurry called "tailings", which contaminate the soil and other environmental matrices (Appleton et al, 2001;Kaninga et al, 2019;Naicker et al, 2003;Ogola et al, 2002;Rivera-Parra et al, 2021;Sako & Nimi, 2018). Furthermore, even at relatively low concentrations, the presence of such trace elements in food can have significant harmful effects on human health, amplified by the potential for bioaccumulation in the food chain (Derakhshan et al, 2018;Duruibe et al, 2007;Marriott et al, 2019;Sadeghi et al, 2022;Shams et al, 2022;Watts et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Thiombane¹,

Vivo

Niane

et al. 2023

Environ Geochem Health

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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 km2 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.

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Environmental geochemistry and ecological risk assessment of potentially harmful elements in tropical semi-arid soils around the Bagassi South artisanal gold mining site, Burkina Faso

Cited by 11 publications

References 60 publications

Aquatic Ecological Risk of Heavy-Metal Pollution Associated with Degraded Mining Landscapes of the Southern Africa River Basins: A Review

Aquatic Ecological Risk of Heavy-Metal Pollution Associated with Degraded Mining Landscapes of the Southern Africa River Basins: A Review

Appropriate technology for soil remediation in tropical low-income countries - a pilot scale test of three different amendments for accelerated biodegradation of diesel fuel in Ultisol

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

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