The environmental impact of gold mines: pollution by heavy metals

Abstract

Abstract:The gold mining plant of Oman was studied to assess the contribution of gold mining on the degree of heavy metals into different environmental media. Samples were collected from the gold mining plant area in tailings, stream waters, soils and crop plants. The collected samples were analyzed for 13 heavy metals including vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), aluminium (Al), strontium (Sr), iron (Fe) and barium (Ba). The water in the acid evaporation pond showed a high concentration of Fe as well as residual quantities of Zn, V, and Al, whereas water from the citizens well showed concentrations of Al above those of Omani and WHO standards. The desert plant species growing closed to the gold pit indicated high concentrations of heavy metals (Mn, Al, Ni, Fe, Cr, and V), while the similar plant species used as a control indicated lesser concentrations of all heavy metals. The surface water (blue) indicated very high concentrations of copper and significant concentrations of Mn, Ni, Al, Fe, Zn, lead, Co and Cd. The results revealed that some of the toxic metals absorbed by plants indicated significant metal immobilization.

Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental Effects and Bacterial Strategies for Resistance

“…Standard mean concentration for Pb in surface soils worldwide averages 32 mg/kg with a range of 10–67 mg/kg [66] but concentration ranging between 80 mg/kg [67] and 510 mg/kg [68] have been reported in gold mine tailings. It occurs in the form of galena (PbS) in gold ore and this form is found when sulphide concentration of the ore is high [69].…”

“…Chromium concentration ranges between 2 and 60 mg/kg in unpolluted soil [70] but a higher concentration of 486 mg/kg was reported in gold mine tailings in Oman [67]. Chromium is mainly found in chromate FeCr 2 O 4 having 70% of pure Cr 2 O 3 .…”

The Dynamic of some Biochemical Indicators at Species of Medicinal Plants from Areas of Suceava County, Romania, Emerged under the Mining Pollution Influence

“…The mining impact varies from the physical destruction of the habitat, accompanied by the biodiversity resources reduction, up to the pollutants accumulation in different areals of the environment 40 . It is known that the environment pollution exerts a permanent stress on the vegetable tissues, to counteract the harmful action of the stressor factors, the plants being under the necessity of developing firm protection systems, enzymatic and nonenzymatic.…”

Metal adsorption by agricultural biosorbents: Adsorption isotherm, kinetic and biosorbents chemical structures

“…Industrial processes including: mining [1], electroplating [2], and battery manufacturing [3], release several heavy metals in the ecosystems. Heavy metals are considered as toxic pollutants, due to their accumulation in animals, fished and plants.…”