Surface Water Contamination by Mining Wastes: Case of the Sidi Kambar Region (Skikda North-East Algeria)

Abstract

The objective of this work is to assess the contamination of the Essouk stream, under acid drainage from the Sidi Kambar mine (southwest of Skikda, Algeria), which has been widely exploited during the previous decades. The methodology was conducted to control the current state of water chemistry, its evolution in space and time according to the variation of water physicochemical parameters and the content of trace metals (Pb, Fe, and Zn). In general, Essouk stream are highly sulphated (reached 598.56 mg/L) and have an elevated salinity, resulting in a high conductivity (1925 µS/cm) and presented a low pH (3.01). In addition, Fe, Pb and Zn contents reached 5.17 mg/L, 2.05 mg/L and 4.05 mg/L, respectively. Such results were linked to the bedrock of Sidi Kambar that is composed of galena, pyrite and sphalerite.

Hydrochemical and Ecotoxicological Characterisation of Water Samples from Moldova Noua Area, Romania

“…This is due to the abandonment of the tailings pond, which dried up over time, allowing the resulting dust to be transported over long distances by wind. The mining pollutants contaminated dust has the potential to affect both the environment and the health of people living in the affected areas [1][2][3][4].…”