Land-Use After Mine Closure — Risk Assessment of Gold and Uranium Mine Residue Deposits on the Eastern Witwatersrand, South Africa

Sutton, Malcolm; Weiersbye, Isabel

doi:10.36487/acg_repo/852_33

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…This land is potentially contaminated and a risk assessment should be done before allocating the land to various uses, especially human habitation. 92 For this purpose there is need in South Africa to develop locally applicable environmental standards and guidelines for safe use of contaminated land after mine closure. These guidelines should be prepared after a thorough risk assessment performed on mineral samples from mine dumps that are typically encountered in areas around decommissioned mines.…”

Section: Lack Of Health Risk Assessment and The Associated Critical Issues Concerning Setting Exposure Limits In The South African Miningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment in the South African mining industry

et al. 2015

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Although mining plays a prominent role in the economy of South Africa, it is associated with many chemical hazards. Exposure to dust from mining can lead to many pathological effects depending on mineralogical composition, size, shape and levels and duration of exposure. Mining and processing of minerals also result in occupational exposure to toxic substances such as platinum, chromium, vanadium, manganese, mercury, cyanide and diesel particulate. South Africa has set occupational exposure limits (OELs) for some hazards, but mine workers are still at a risk. Since the hazard posed by a mineral depends on its physiochemical properties, it is recommended that South Africa should not simply adopt OELs from other countries but rather set her own standards based on local toxicity studies. The limits should take into account the issue of mixtures to which workers could be exposed as well as the health status of the workers. The mining industry is also a source of contamination of the environment, due inter alia to the large areas of tailings dams and dumps left behind. Therefore, there is need to develop guidelines for safe land-uses of contaminated lands after mine closure.

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Section: Lack Of Health Risk Assessment and The Associated Critical Issues Concerning Setting Exposure Limits In The South African Miningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment in the South African mining industry

et al. 2015

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“…Pollution related to Witwatersrand mines poses several hazards to surrounding communities. Sutton & Weiersbye (2008) state that the major primary pathways by which contamination can enter the environment from a mine site are:…”

Section: What Can the Legacy Of Witwatersrand Gold Fields Teach Us?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Residential townships, edible crop production and livestock grazing are high risk land-uses for TSF footprints and areas within the aqueous or aerial zone of influence of TSF footprints and TSFs. Failure by the industry and regulators to agree on suitable soft end land-uses and buffer zones could exacerbate liabilities for the mine by resulting in subsequent land uses that are sub-economic or risky (Sutton & Weiersbye 2008).…”

Section: What Can the Legacy Of Witwatersrand Gold Fields Teach Us?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Avoiding built developments altogether and vegetating MRDs and footprints with unsuitable plants species, such as those for pastures and playing fields, can also increase risk through the creation of attractive nuisances. These encourage use by potentially vulnerable receptors such as grazing livestock and children (Sutton & Weiersbye 2008).…”

Section: What Can the Legacy Of Witwatersrand Gold Fields Teach Us?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Selected extracts from South Africa’s environmental legislation: challenges with the management of gold tailings within the Witwatersrand gold fields and case studies

Liefferink¹

2019

Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Paste, Thickened and Filtered Tailings

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For most of its history, the mining industry in South Africa has not been subjected to comprehensive environmental regulation. In recent years, however, this has changed significantly, and the industry is now required to comply with a complex web of mining and environmental policy and legislation. Despite these regulatory advances, we still grapple with legacy issues, namely how to manage decades of environmental degradation, mining waste and long-term residual and latent impacts and how to equitably and fairly apportion duties, responsibilities and liabilities for the remediation of mining waste. An analysis of the Witwatersrand gold fields and the management of its uraniferous waste provides an excellent example of the complexity of these issues and lessons learnt.

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“…Airborne radiometric mapping surveys over mining areas (e.g. Coetzee 1995, Sutton and Weiersbye 2008, Tutu et al 2003 have revealed that high gamma activities from immobile daughters of the Uranium decay series such as 226 Ra in tailings dams can pose serious threat to the environment due to dust dispersion. There is need to monitor and quantify anthropogenic pollution resulting from dust fallout.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of heavy metals and radionuclides in dust fallout in the West Rand mining area of South Africa

2018

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Windblown dust can contain radioactive materials from mining. These radionuclides when inhaled in dust produce ionizing radiation which damages the cells and tissues in the body. The aim of this study was to assess dust fallout radionuclides in the West Rand mining area of South Africa. Dust fallout monitoring was done using the method (ASTM) D-1739 of 1998 employing multi-directional buckets. Results show that all 9 locations investigated in the different seasons recorded dust fallout rates within stipulated residential limit according to the National Dust Control Regulations (NDCR) (Government Gazette 36974, 1 Nov 2013). Locations 3 in spring (301.93 mg/ m 2 /day) and 6 in winter (589.8 mg/m 2 /day) recorded dust fallout rates with values above the target value of 300 mg/m 2 /day according to guidelines by South African Standards (SANS 1929:2011). The ANOVA tests (p-value < 0.05) indicate that the mean dust fallout rate is significantly different across the seasons, mean dust fallout rate in summer is significantly (p-value < 0.05) more than the autumn by 103.15 mg/m 2 /day. Moderate, positive correlations (0.4 ≤ r < 0.7) exist between average dust fallout rate and wind speed. A weak, negative correlation exist between average dust fallout rate and rainfall with a value of-0.393. All the investigated elements had Enrichment Factor (EF) greater than 1. Cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were extremely enriched (68.36 and 43.48, respectively), whereas Thorium (Th) (7.26) and Chromium (Cr) (9.79) had significant enrichment. Activity concentrations obtained for 226

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Land-Use After Mine Closure — Risk Assessment of Gold and Uranium Mine Residue Deposits on the Eastern Witwatersrand, South Africa

Cited by 7 publications

References 13 publications

Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment in the South African mining industry

Hazards identified and the need for health risk assessment in the South African mining industry

Selected extracts from South Africa’s environmental legislation: challenges with the management of gold tailings within the Witwatersrand gold fields and case studies

Assessment of heavy metals and radionuclides in dust fallout in the West Rand mining area of South Africa

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