Environmental Impact of Lefa Gold Mining on Its Local Population, Republic of Guinea

Kolie, Benjamin; Yao, Jun; Sunahara, Geoffrey I.; Duonamou, Lucie

doi:10.4236/nr.2019.108020

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

(20 reference statements)

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“…2a) over the watershed, yet infrequent, heavy flash floods have been reported. For example, flash floods were reported on October 1991, November (Mason et al 2019); Egypt (this study); Ethiopia (Meaza et al 2017); Ghana (Armah 2013;Basu et al 2015;Donkor et al 2006;Hilson 2002;Rajaee et al 2015); Guinea (Kolie et al 2019); Kenya (Machácek 2019;Odumo et al 2014); Madagascar (Cabeza et al 2019); Mali (Armah 2013;MMSD 2001;SAICM 2010;Seccatore et al 2014); Namibia (Podolský et al 2015); Mozambique (Hilson et al 2018 Tanzania (Nyanza et al 2014); Uganda (Omara et al 2019;Wanyana et al 2020); Zambia (Kambani 2003;Podolský et al 2015;Seccatore et al 2014;Steckling et al 2017); Zimbabwe (Mujere and Isidro 2015;Steckling et al 2014;Veiga and Baker 2004) 1994, October 1997, and January 2010 (Ibrahim et al 2011;Saber et al 2020). Two main aquifers were reported from the study area: (1) a shallow unconfined to semi-confined aquifer, the Alluvial Aquifer (thickness: 20-300 m; lithology: alluvial deposits, gravel, sand, and silt); and (2) a deep aquifer, the Nubian Sandstone (NSS) Aquifer (lithology: sandstone of the Taref Formation, Fig.…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Inset is a compilation of Hgcontaminated sites (red stars) in Africa related to ASGM. Sources include: Benin (Armah 2013; Grätz 2009); Burkina Faso (Armah 2013; Jaques et al 2008; Ouédraogo and Amyot 2013; Porgo and Gokyay 2016); Burundi (IPIS 2015; Machácek 2019); Cameron (Ralph et al 2018); Central African Republic (IPIS 2019); Congo (Nkuba et al 2019), Cote d'Ivoire(Mason et al 2019); Egypt (this study); Ethiopia(Meaza et al 2017); Ghana(Armah 2013;Basu et al 2015;Donkor et al 2006;Hilson 2002;Rajaee et al 2015); Guinea(Kolie et al 2019); Kenya(Machácek 2019;…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emerging mercury and methylmercury contamination from new artisanal and small-scale gold mining along the Nile Valley, Egypt

Abdelaal

Sultan

Abotalib

et al. 2023

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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The past decade witnessed the initiation and boom of the Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities in the hyper-arid southern Egypt. The ores are mined in the Eastern Desert and then transported to the densely populated farming communities in the Nile Valley, where the river provides the water resources needed for ore processing. In search for economic benefits, the poorly educated farmers with limited technical resources transformed their cultivated lands into ASGM operations, exposing themselves, their families, the residents, and the Nile ecosystems to several environmental and occupational health problems. Using integrated remote sensing, field, geochemical, and isotopic analyses, we report the first inventory of ASGM-related total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) levels in tailings, amalgamation-tailing ponds, and surface and groundwater with emphasis on the Edfu city and its surroundings. The field and remote sensing-based mapping of ASGM activities reveals clustering around the Nile waterways and suggests interaction of Hg contamination sources with their surrounding receptors. Common ASGM practices include release of contaminated water from unlined amalgamation-tailing ponds into irrigation and drainage canals, and spreading of tailings over cultivated soils. In a short period (10 years), the released Hg contaminated multiple media, including the surface water, the shallow and deep aquifers, and possibly the soil, crops, and livestock. THg levels in amalgamation-tailing ponds (1200–8470 ng/L) are fourfold higher than US EPA and eightfold the WHO thresholds. The contaminated waters released from amalgamation-tailing ponds raised THg levels in surface water (irrigation canals: 50–100 ng/L; drainage canals: THg: > 200 ng/L) and groundwater (shallow and deep aquifers: 80–500 ng/L). Our findings highlight the need to extend the adopted approach to cover the entire length of the Nile River and its valley and the importance of conducting awareness campaigns to educate residents and health care providers about potential ASGM-related environmental and health hazards. Graphical Abstract

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Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 68%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging mercury and methylmercury contamination from new artisanal and small-scale gold mining along the Nile Valley, Egypt

Abdelaal

Sultan

Abotalib

et al. 2023

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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“…For instance, the outbreaks of lead poisoning from the mine in the 2010 tragedy in northwestern Zamfara State, Nigeria, killed about 400 children and affected thousands [11]. Mining centres serve as breeding grounds for the spread of diseases such as malaria, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), typhoid fever, skin disorders, and asthma [1,12,13]. In Burkina Faso, research proved that using mercury and cyanide as chemicals in artisanal and industrial gold mining directly affects the health of the population, livestock, and the ecosystem in the area [14].…”

Section: Impacts Of Mining On Human Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Lefa Gold Mine in Guinea has endangered and extinct mammals, including two species of the Suidae family, two in the Felidae family, and three in the Bovidae [13]. Heavy mining reduced the forest area in the Bukuru mining district in Nigeria from 420.52 km² in 1975 to 399.56 km² by 1986 [18], with a further reduction of 156.63 km² as green cover in 2005 after nearly 20 years.…”

Section: Key Impacts Of Animal Biodiversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Mining on the Environment in West African Sahel: A Review

Tambol,

Vodounou,

Moussa

2023

Environmental Protection Research

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Mining activities have led to the depletion of over 577.15 km² of forest area in the West African Sahel zone. These have destroyed the habitats of mammals, including elephants and giraffes, as well as economic trees and grass species, and polluted ground and surface water. In addition, mining activities are responsible for degrading more than 1,000 acres of farmland. Even though mining is destroying the environment, it has accounted for exports of €211,468,13, €247,034,485 and €275,720,817 in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, respectively, between 2014 and 2015. It is also a lever of sustainable environmental management, as in Senegal, by providing mining social funds for mining communities and employing over 450,000 people in Niger. Furthermore, mining companies promote land restoration activities in the West African Sahel, such as China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) promoting tree plantations in Niger. Nevertheless, the mining in the region will continue to serve as the breeding ground for criminal gangs and terrorist groups unless a radical approach stabilises the insecurity. The degradation of farmlands and forest reserves or protected areas requires re-evaluation and full enforcement of the existing laws and regulations to achieve sustainable mining for the needed development in the West African Sahel region.

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“…The Republic of Guinea has emerged as a prominent player in the global mining industry [30][31][32]. Notably, approximately 90% of mining operations in the Republic of Guinea employ open-pit techniques for ore extraction, a practice known to inflict significant ecological damage [33].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fatala River Basin (Republic of Guinea, Africa): Analysis of Current State, Air Pollution, and Anthropogenic Impact Using Geoinformatics Methods and Remote Sensing Data

Tabunschik,

Gorbunov,

Bratanov

et al. 2023

Sustainability

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This study conducts an in-depth analysis of anthropogenic transformation and air pollution within the confines of the Fatala River Basin situated in the Republic of Guinea, Africa. The foundation of this investigation relies upon interdisciplinary geoinformatics methodologies and data acquired through remote sensing, specifically drawing from Sentinel-5P and Sentinel-2 satellite datasets. The primary objectives encompass scrutinizing the extant ecological conditions characterizing the Fatala River Basin and assessing the anthropogenic influences within its geographic expanse. The utilization of remote sensing data, as facilitated by the Sentinel-5P satellite, emerges as a potent instrument for meticulously monitoring environmental transformations. A comprehensive analysis of the designated area, conducted through remote sensing methodologies, is employed to ascertain the concentrations of various atmospheric constituents, including nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, formaldehyde, methane, ozone, and carbon monoxide. The findings gleaned from this inquiry reveal that, notwithstanding the dynamic growth of the extractive industry centered around the world’s preeminent bauxite province, the Fouta Djallon–Mandingo, the anthropogenic transformation of the Fatala River Basin exerts a comparatively minor influence on air quality. Statistical assessments, including correlation analysis, conducted between computed parameters delineating anthropogenic alterations within the Fatala River Basin, and a comprehensive atmospheric pollution index elucidate a lack of a significant nexus. It has been determined that air pollution within the Fatala River Basin is notably influenced by topographical features and the transport of contaminants from adjacent river basins. Consequently, this article makes a substantial contribution to our comprehension of the contemporary ecological state of the Fatala River Basin in the Republic of Guinea. It also holds significant importance in elucidating the ecological challenges specific to the researched region.

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Environmental Impact of Lefa Gold Mining on Its Local Population, Republic of Guinea

Cited by 6 publications

References 21 publications

Emerging mercury and methylmercury contamination from new artisanal and small-scale gold mining along the Nile Valley, Egypt

Emerging mercury and methylmercury contamination from new artisanal and small-scale gold mining along the Nile Valley, Egypt

Impacts of Mining on the Environment in West African Sahel: A Review

Fatala River Basin (Republic of Guinea, Africa): Analysis of Current State, Air Pollution, and Anthropogenic Impact Using Geoinformatics Methods and Remote Sensing Data

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