Influence of the artisanal gold mining on soil contamination with heavy metals: A case study from Dar-Mali locality, North of Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan

Authors : Mushtaha ALİ, Abdalla ELHAGWA, Jamal ELFAKİ, Magboul SULİEMAN

Pages : 28-36

Doi:10.18393/ejss.284261

View : 17 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 2017-01-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Twenty soil samples were collected from North of Atbara insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Dar-Mali locality);,River Nile State, Sudan insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(17.82289 to 17.82389N and 33.99974 to 34.02127E); inside and outside gold mining area in order to assess the influence of the gold mining on the concentrations of selected heavy metals insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg); in study area. The soil contamination by heavy metals of study area was studied using two parameters; insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(i); Comparison of the heavy metals concentrations with mean concentrations in most world soils, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(ii); Enrichment Factor insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(EF);. Results revealed that the concentrations of heavy metals were varying in the study area, the highest concentrations were obtained at the center of mining area particularly inside the mining basins of gold extraction. The concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Ni, and Pb were ranged from insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(4.85 to 34.65 mg kg-1 soil);, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(6,355 to 14,635 mg kg-1 soil);, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(37.35 to 655 mg kg-1 soil);, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(11.85 to 42.7 mg kg-1 soil);, insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(0 to 16.5 mg kg-1 soil,); insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2.5 to 47.3 mg kg-1 soil); and insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(2.65 to 823.5 mg kg-1 soil);, respectively. The results also indicated that the soil samples which collected from inside mining basins have a highest EF for most heavy metals particularly Pb, which showed EF value of insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(676.3);, suggesting that the Pb may be derived from anthropogenic source. This study recommends regular monitoring of heavy metals in the soils around the Artisanal gold Mining for conservation and protection from pollution. 
Keywords : Sudan, River Nile State, gold mining, enrichment factor, mining basins