scholarly journals Risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in agricultural sites and river sediments at the Vatukoula gold mine, Fiji Islands

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Diarra ◽  
Kristiana Ciocio ◽  
Matakite Maata
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
River Sediments ◽  
Metal Exposure ◽  
Gold Mine ◽  
Guideline Values ◽  
Farm Soils

Abstract A comprehensive study was conducted to explore the concentration and distribution of heavy metals in farm soils and river sediments around a gold mining area in Fiji with particular emphasis on ecological and human health risks. Representative samples were acquired from farm sites in Matanagata Village and the Nasivi river, both situated around the Vatukoula gold mine limited (VGML), the largest operational gold mine in Fiji. Following aqua regia digestion and analysis by AAS, the average soil concentrations for Cu (110.4 mg kg–1), Cr (136.2 mg kg–1) and Cd (1.7 mg kg–1), and sediment concentrations for Pb (69.31 mg kg–1), Cd (1.82 mg kg–1), Cu (88.95 mg kg–1) and Cr (143.12 mg kg–1) were found to exceed the recommended guideline values. Based on the geo–accumulation index (Igeo) and enrichments factor (EF), the farm soils were moderately contaminated with Cd while the and sediments showed moderate to significant contamination with Pb, Ni and Cr. Ecological risk assessment confirmed moderate to considerable ecological risk in the metal–contaminated samples, with Cd and Pb generally presenting greater risk compared to other metals. Multivariate analyses including principal component analysis pointed to gold mining activities as a potential source for heavy metals in the area. Furthermore, human health risk assessment (HRA) indicated that while adults faced no significant carcinogenic or non–carcinogenic risks from metal exposure (HI < 1), children were at more risk from Co, Mn, Cr and Fe exposure, as well as potential carcinogenic risk from Cd (ILCR = 1.46E–04).

scholarly journals Heavy Metals Speciation and Human Health Risk Assessment at an Illegal Gold Mining Site in Igun, Osun State, Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 19-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olanrewaju Olusoji Olujimi ◽  
Ogheneochuko Oputu ◽  
Olalekan Fatoki ◽  
Oluwabamise Ester Opatoyinbo ◽  
Oladokun Ali Aroyewun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Cancer Risk ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Residual Fraction ◽  
Mining Site ◽  
Adults And Children

Background. There is increasing global concern over the health effects of heavy metals arising from various anthropogenic activities, especially mining. Mining activities in developing countries are often carried out at an artisanal level using a variety of extraction methods with human health and environmental consequences. Objectives. The broad objective of this study is to assess the chemical forms, distribution pattern, and health risks due to mining and processing techniques at a gold mining site in Igun, Osun State, Nigeria. Methods. Samples were collected from 28 active mine pits and sequentially extracted using standard methods. Extracts were analyzed for metals using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP/OES), while health risk was assessed using United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and Dutch methods. Chemical speciation of heavy metals and health risk assessment was calculated using mobile phase fraction summation. Results. Metals were exclusively present in the residual fractions, indicating that these metals are strongly bound to the resistant components of the soil matrix. The percentage in the residual fraction ranged from 9.41% (tin) to 99.42% (aluminium). The heavy metals geoaccumulation index for the site ranged from 0 (no contamination) to 6 (extremely contaminated). The cancer risk ranged from 6.17E-13 to 7.77E-05 and 2.73E-12 to 4.64E-04 for adults and children, respectively. Discussion. Cancer risk and non-cancer risk (hazard index) assessment showed that arsenic poses a higher risk in adults and children compared to other metals through the dermal exposure route.

scholarly journals Health and ecological risk assessment and simulation of heavy metal-contaminated soil of Tehran landfill

RSC Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 8080-8095
Author(s):  
Shahla Karimian ◽  
Sakine Shekoohiyan ◽  
Gholamreza Moussavi
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Ecological Risk Assessment ◽  
Contaminated Soil ◽  
Toxic Effects

The toxic effects of heavy metals in landfill soils have become a significant concern for human health.

scholarly journals Potential Ecological Risk and Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals and Metalloid in Soil around Xunyang Mining Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (18) ◽  
pp. 4828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Na Wang ◽  
Jichang Han ◽  
Yang Wei ◽  
Gang Li ◽  
Yingying Sun
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Potential Ecological Risk ◽  
Carcinogenic Risk ◽  
Mining Areas ◽  
Metals And Metalloid

Xunyang is rich in various metal minerals and is one of the four major metal mining areas in Shaanxi province, China. To explore the effects of soil heavy metals and metalloid pollution on the environment and human health around the mining areas, four places—Donghecun (D), Gongguan (G), Qingtonggou (Q) and Nanshagou (N)—were selected as the sampling sites. Potential ecological risk (PER) and health risk assessment (HRA) models were used to analyze the environmental and health risks around the mining areas. The concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, Hg) and metalloid (As) in cultivated land in the vicinity of Xunyang mining areas indicated that, except for Cu, the remaining elements detected exceeded the threshold values at some sites. The geo-accumulation index (IGeo) revealed that soils in G and Q could be identified as being extremely contaminated. PER indicated that there was significantly high risk at G and Q for Hg. In N, Pb recorded the highest E r i , which also demonstrates a considerable pre-existing risk. HRA indicated that the hazard index (HI) for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks was much higher among children than among adults, and the ingestion pathway contributed the greatest risk to human health, followed by the dermal pathway and inhalation. Because the HI values of the metals and metalloid in the study areas were all lower than 1, there was no significant non-carcinogenic risk. However, the carcinogenic risk for Cr is relatively higher, surpassing the tolerable values in G, Q, and N. This study analyzed the ecological risks and human health risks of heavy metals and metalloid in farmland soils near the sampling mining areas, and demonstrated the importance of environmental changes caused by land development in the mining industry.

Risk assessment of heavy metals in drinking water on the human health, Assiut City, and its environs, Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elmontaser M. Seleem ◽  
Alaa Mostafa ◽  
Mohammed Mokhtar ◽  
Salman A. Salman
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Human Health

scholarly journals Reforestation Impacted Soil Heavy Metal Fractionation and Related Risk Assessment in the Karst Area, Southwest China

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 891
Author(s):  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Guilin Han ◽  
Xingliang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Ecological Risk ◽  
Southwest China ◽  
Risk Index ◽  
Contamination Factor ◽  
Karst Area ◽  
Risk Assessment Code ◽  
Bcr Sequential Extraction ◽  
Soil Heavy Metals

Human agricultural activities have resulted in widespread land degradation and soil contamination in the karst areas. However, the effects of reforestation after agricultural abandonment on the mobility risks and contamination of heavy metals have been rarely reported. In the present study, six soil profiles were selected from cropland and abandoned cropland with reforestation in the Puding karst regions of Southwest China. The Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) sequential extraction method was used to evaluate the compositions of different chemical fractions of soil heavy metals, including Fe, Mn, Cr, Zn, Ni, and Cd. The total contents of Cr, Ni, Zn, Cd, and Mn in the croplands were significantly higher than those in the abandoned croplands. For all soils, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Fe were mainly concentrated in the residual fractions (>85%), whereas Mn and Cd were mostly observed in the non-residual fractions (>65%). The non-residual fractions of Cd, Cr, Ni, and Zn in the croplands were higher than those in the abandoned croplands. These results indicated that the content and mobility of soil heavy metals decreased after reforestation. The individual contamination factor (ICF) and risk assessment code (RAC) showed that Cd contributed to considerable contamination of karst soils. The global contamination factor (GCF) and potential ecological risk index (RI) suggested low contamination and ecological risk of the investigated heavy metals in the croplands, moreover they can be further reduced after reforestation.

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