Assessing phytoremediation potentials of selected plant species in restoration of environments contaminated by heavy metals in gold mining areas of Tanzania

Introduction: Unsustainable natural resources utilization is on the increase in the developing countries thus the ability of many local communities to meet their basic needs including food, water and shelter is jeopardized. Uncontrolled gold-mining in Sikasso region is one such an anthropogenic activity that is of great environmental concern to the local and national governments of Mali owing to its potential impacts on water quality, human health and environment. This study was conceived to assess the impacts of artisanal gold mining on water quality in Tangandougou in Sikasso region of Mali.Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, water samples were collected, processed and analyzed for heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium and Arsenic) according to APHA protocols. Measurements of physical parameters of water quality were done according to APHA protocols. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: There were no significant spatial differences in physical and chemical parameters (pH, Temperature, Conductivity, total dissolved solids and Salinity) of water quality amongst the sampling sites. However, the heavy metals concentrations in the sampled water exceeded WHO drinking water quality guidelines.Conclusion: It was concluded that the water of Sankarani River and its tributaries is contaminated and may cause adverse effects on human health due to biomagnification and the bioaccumulative nature of heavy metals. Therefore, the study recommends continuous monitoring of the water quality in all water sources adjacent to gold-mining areas to protect human and environmental health.

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Effect of Manganese on Growth and Nodulation of Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Benth.)

Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.5539/jas.v11n2p339 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 339 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Marcos G. P. de Abreu ◽

Paulo F. Mendes Filho ◽

Kaio G. V. Garcia ◽

José M. T. da Silva Junior ◽

Gustavo H. da S. Albuquerque ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Soil Pollution ◽

Plant Species ◽

Mining Area ◽

Soil Environment ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Rhizobium Strains ◽

Native Strains ◽

Poor Management

Soil pollution by heavy metals is mainly caused by poor management of tailings generated by mining during exploration and processing of metals. Given the concern about the soil environment, this study aimed to evaluate the tolerance and effectiveness of isolates of rhizobium strains native to soils of Mn2+-mining areas in association with Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Benth.) cultivated under increasing concentrations of Mn2+. Isolates of rhizobium strains, obtained from Mn-mining area, were authenticated and morphologically characterized. Effect of Mn2+ on the growth and nodulation of M. caesalpiniaefolia was subsequently evaluated. We obtained 14 isolates which were similar, differing only in the form of colonies. Mn2+ did not inhibit the symbiotic process between isolates and plant species. The isolates from mining area showed higher efficiency than native strains. All isolates are Mn2+-tolerant, and those from mining area can increase the tolerance of M. caesalpiniaefolia to excess Mn2+ in the soil.

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The environmental impact of gold mines: pollution by heavy metals

Open Engineering ◽

10.2478/s13531-011-0052-3 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Sabah Abdul-Wahab ◽

Fouzul Marikar

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Plant Species ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Desert Plant ◽

High Concentration ◽

Gold Mines ◽

Environmental Media ◽

Plant Area ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Mining Plant

AbstractThe 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.

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Assessment of Heavy Metals in Mining Tailing Around Boroo and Zuunkharaa Gold Mining Areas of Mongolia

Journal of Environmental Science and Technology ◽

10.3923/jest.2016.379.389 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 379-389 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Solongo Enkhzaya ◽

Kaoru Ohe ◽

Koichiro Shiomori ◽

Bolormaa Oyuntsetse ◽

Ochirkhuyag Bayanjarga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Mining Areas

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Heavy Metals Concentration in Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Grown around Some Gold Mining Areas of Zamfara State, Nigeria

Journal of Applied Life Sciences International ◽

10.9734/jalsi/2020/v23i530163 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 29-35

Author(s):

N. O. Sam- Uket ◽

G. B. Bate

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Study Design ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Mangifera Indica ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Mean Values ◽

Mining Areas ◽

Plant Parts ◽

Permissible Limits ◽

The Mean

Aims: This study was aimed at determining the concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Fe and Au) in mango plant parts (roots, stem barks, leaves and fruits) from two gold mining areas (Maraba and Duke) and the control (Kadauri) in Zamfara State, Nigeria for establishment of a baseline data for these metals and determining the suitability of the mango fruit for consumption. Study Design: Analytical study design was applied in a stratified manner for the research. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the environmental technology laboratory, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, Nigeria between March and August 2019. Methodology: A cumulative total of 96 samples of plant parts (roots, stem barks, leaves and fruits) were collected and analysed for Lead, Cadmium, Iron and Gold using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) after digestion with a mixture of 20 ml HNO3 and 8 ml HClO4. Results: The results obtained for the mean metal concentrations were; most abundant, Pb (62.07 ± 54.09 mg/kg) in mango roots from Duke and the least abundant, Cd (0.52 ± 0.44 mg/kg) in fruits from Kadauri. All the metals had very high (> 0.5) translocation factors indicating fast movement from the roots to the shoots while the mean values of these metals in the fruits were found to be above the WHO and FAO maximum permissible limits which shows high level of contamination as a result of gold mining activities. Metals generally occurred in the order: Pb>Fe> Au > Cd and they differed across sampling stations with the mining areas having significantly (P<0.05) higher values than the control. Conclusion: Heavy metals concentration in mango plant was found to be generally higher than the permissible limits hence the fruits are considered unsuitable for human consumption.

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Heavy metals in stream sediments from copper and gold mining areas in southern Brazil

Journal of Geochemical Exploration ◽

10.1016/s0375-6742(96)00074-x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 58 (2-3) ◽

pp. 133-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Maria Heloisa D. Pestana ◽

Milton L.L. Formoso ◽

Elba C. Teixeir

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Gold Mining ◽

Stream Sediments ◽

Southern Brazil ◽

Mining Areas

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Invisible contaminants and food security in former coal mining areas of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

10.21203/rs.3.rs-24678/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Graziela Dias Blanco ◽

Rafael Barbizan Sühs ◽

Escarlet Brizola ◽

Patrícia Figueiredo Corrêa ◽

Mari Lucia Campos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Food Security ◽

Coal Mining ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Plant Species ◽

Linear Models ◽

Local Communities ◽

Mining Activities ◽

Santa Catarina ◽

Mining Areas

Abstract Background: Mining activities have environmental impacts due to sediment movement and contamination of areas, and may also pose risks to people's food security. In Brazil, the majority of coal mining activities are in the south, in the Santa Catarina Carboniferous region. In this region, previously mined areas contaminated with heavy metals, frequently occur nearby inhabited zones. Mining is part of the daily life of local communities and its environmental impacts are visible in the landscape; however, plants with medicinal and food use from these areas can be still consumed. Heavy metals are contaminants that do not have odor, color, or taste, and are therefore difficult to detect. We aimed to verify whether people use plants from contaminated mine areas, and understand which factors can influence the use of these resources, even from areas visibly impacted. Methods: We conducted 195 semi-structured interviews with residents from 14 areas nearby abandoned mines in the main municipalities of the Santa Catarina Carboniferous region. We asked each interviewee about the length of time they lived in the region, their perception of the quality of the environment, and what plant species were used and for what purpose. We constructed generalized multivariate linear models to verify which variables can affect the group of species mentioned and generalized linear models to verify which variables can affect the total number of citations. We estimated the frequency of citing species collected using the Smith index.Results: From all interviewees, 127 (65%) reported collecting plants for medicinal and food use, directly from contaminated mine areas. Long-term residents, as well as those who noticed more environmental changes (positive and negative), cited more plants used and had more detailed knowledge of plant use in their communities. When asked if they were aware of the possible contamination of mined areas, 85% said they knew about it. However, only 10% associated negative health effects with the use of plant species collected in contaminated mined areas. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates that people living nearby contaminated areas use and consume locally sourced plants, e.g., people know little about the danger of this contamination in their food and the risk of these contaminants to their health. These results also reveal a lack of information about contamination, as well as a lack of actions that include local communities in contaminated area restoration strategies. This situation poses a risk to the food security of the people living nearby former coal mining areas.

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