Experimental study on the analysis of nanocellulose treated water in Yola metropolis, Nigeria

In this study, cellulose from sugarcane bagasse and wood pulp were converted to nanocellulose and utilized to treat water from different sources within Yola Metropolis to study the efficacy of both methods. From the analysed water parameters, both nanocellulose materials were effective in treating contaminated water. They showed the capability of reducing the concentrations of the various tested parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Nitrate, Chloride, and Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU). Interestingly, analysis of the heavy metal concentrations before and after water treatment with the nanocellulose, showed very significant reduction of the heavy metals. This is encouraging as we explore more efficient methods of water treatment, in order to tackle rising cases of lead and other heavy metal poisoning in Nigeria due to illegal mining activities and deregulated industrial activities. Dans cette recherche, la cellulose de la bagasse de canne à sucre et de la pulpe de bois a été converties en nanocellulose et utilisées pour l’épuration d’eau de différentes sources au sein de Yola Metropolis afin d’étudier l’efficacité des deux méthodes. D’après les paramètres d’eau analysés avec les deux types de nanocelluloses étaient efficaces dans le traitement de l’eau contaminée. Ils ont considérablement réduit les concentrations des différents contaminants testés tels que le TDS, le nitrate, le chlorure et le NTU. En effet, l’analyse de la concentration en métaux lourds avant et après le traitement de l’eau avec la nanocellulose a montré une réduction très significative des métaux lourds. C’est une bonne chose car nous explorons des méthodes plus efficaces de traitement de l’eau, pour lutter contre l’augmentation des cas d’empoisonnement au plomb et à d’autres métaux lourds au Nigeria en raison d’activités minières illégales et d’activités industrielles non réglementées.

SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF TRIBAL SETTLEMENTS IN THE WESTERN GHATS

The Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadri is a mountain range that covers an area of 140,000 square km parallel to the Western coast of the Indian Peninsula .It traverses the states of Kerala , Tamilnadu , Karnataka ,Goa ,Maharashtra, and Gujarat. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and is one of the eight hottest hot spots of biological diversity in the world. It covers 5000 species of flowering plants ,139 mammals species ,508 birds species, and 179 amphibian species ,many discovered species live in the Western Ghats . At least 325 globally threatened species occur in this region. The region glitches many anthropogenic intervention like illegal mining, the establishment of human settlement and deforestation etc. From a Historical view, the Western Ghats is the home for tribes > 50 types of tribes are living in the Western Ghats from the anecdotal period. The majority of the tribal are largely dependent on forests for their livelihood. After the implementation of the forest policy , the tribal livelihood status really worsened in the Western Ghats , they are unable to meet the daily requirement of recommended food intake >2500 Kcl. After post-independence (73years ) of India many development programs are implemented in the tribal area for improvement of livelihood status , but as of calendar date they are facing many problems like economic instability , lack of literacy , lower level of quality of life and not politically empowered . In this context , in the interest of policy implication at the tribal area , the present study was undertaken to study the socioeconomic status and spatial distribution of tribal in the Western Ghats. This study practically helps the policymakers , planners of the policy, and researcher scholars to extrapolate the tribal settlement through the geo-spacing tag of tribal , socio-economic level, Knowledge and attitude of Conservation of Western Ghats at the population level .

Infomapa da mineração: Cartografias e convergências temáticas

O Infomapa da Mineração: Cartografias e convergências temáticas é um esforço de sistematização de temas relevantes que compõem a questão mineral brasileira. O objetivo deste material é popularizar alguns ele­mentos que constituem a geografia da mineração no país e ampliar o debate público a partir de uma linguagem acessível que possibilite uma visão de conjunto sobre as dinâmicas da atividade mineral no Brasil. O material está dividido em quatro seções. A primeira seção apresenta a evolução dos processos minerários em todo território nacional em quatro recortes temporais. A segunda seção mostra a distri­buição das barragens de mineração segundo o dano potencial associado. A terceira seção traz a distribui­ção das minas ativas a céu aberto e as localidades com garimpo ilegal. E a quarta seção representa a densidade de conflitos no campo envolvendo a mineração. Palavras-chave: Mineração; cartografia; Brasil; conflitos. Abstract The Mining Infomap: cartographies and thematic convergences is an effort to systematize relevant subjects that make up the Brazilian mineral issue. The aim of this material is to popularize some elements that constitute the geography of mining in the country, and to broaden the public debate based on an accessible language that allows an overall view of the dynamics of mineral activity in Brazil. The material is divided into four sections. The first section presents the evolution of mining processes throughout the country in four time periods. The second section shows the distribution of mining dams according to their associated potential damage. The third section shows the distribution of active open-pit mines and the locations of illegal mining. And the fourth section represents the density of conflicts in the countryside involving mining. Keywords: Mining; cartography; Brazil; conflicts. Infomapa de la minería: Cartografías y convergencias temáticas Resumen El Infomapa de la Minería: cartografías y convergencias temáticas es un esfuerzo por sistematizar temas relevantes que componen el tema mineral brasileño. El objetivo de este material es popularizar algunos elementos que constituyen la geografía de la minería en el país y ampliar el debate público a partir de un lenguaje accesible que permita una visión global de la dinámica de la actividad minera en Brasil. El material se divide en cuatro secciones. La primera sección presenta la evolución de los procesos mineros en todo el territorio nacional en cuatro períodos de tiempo. La segunda sección muestra la distribución de las presas mineras según el daño potencial asociado. La tercera sección presenta la distribución de minas a cielo abierto activas y los lugares con minería ilegal. Y la cuarta sección representa la densidad de los conflictos rurales relacionados con la minería. Palabras clave: Minería; cartografía; Brasil; conflictos.

Geospatial Effect on the Mining Operation in Joda/Barbil Area of Odisha, India

The study aims to investigate the Geospatial effect on the extraction operation in Joda and Barbil mining areas of Keonjhar district, Odisha, India. Present work involves the topography, soil, climate, and stratigraphy investigation of the area. The acquisition of Landsat 8 TIRS (Thermal Infrared), Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper), and CARTOSAT DEM data of temporal and spatial satellite images from various websites. ARC GIS and ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 software used to find the land use and land cover images (accuracy average 90%). Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and Surface air Temperature (SAT) of Barbil area for 2003, 2007, 2017 and 2018 have been estimated. Comparison of the results have shown that, there is increase in built up, and mining areas whereas the agricultural land and vegetation cover are down scaled. There is constant average SAT rise of 1-2°C in all the land cover classification between 2007 and 2018. The NDVI values show conversion of sparse from dense vegetation in the area. Poor operational strategies in mines operation, like corruption, illegal mining, lack of accountability, overburden wastes/ trailing disposal, ecologic degradation, waterlogging in mine pits, and human rights violations are the root causes of environmental deterioration of the study area. It is pertinent to implement strictly, the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, India, 2021, regular GIS application to assess the mines volume of extraction, strict vigilance and fixation of accountability for losses of existing mines values, and afforestation/ reforestation of degraded/lost forests in Barbil area.

“Illegal” Gold Mining Operations in Ghana: Implication for Climate-Smart Agriculture in Northwestern Ghana

Globally, climate-smart agriculture is highly recognized as an approach for sustainable agriculture and food systems. In Africa and other developing countries, climate-smart agriculture is observed to reposition and modify agricultural systems for improved food and nutritional security. Despite the relevance of the approach to sustainable agricultural planning, illegal gold mining in many parts of the society is placing constraints to its implementation and adoption through its contest with agricultural land for space and activities. Illegal gold mining is on the rise due to the lucrativeness of the non-regulated gold rush opportunities with hard consequences on sustainable agriculture and resilience food systems. As a result, this study seeks to investigate illegal gold mining and its environmental implication for climate-smart agriculture in Ghana. The study used a single case study using a mixed-methods approach to research. The study adopted purposive and systematic sampling techniques to select the study communities and respondents, respectively. Questionnaire and interviews were used to gather the primary data from respondents at the household level, as the unit of analysis. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis reveal that known agricultural practices such as terracing, crop rotation, use of domestic waste/manure, and irrigation of crops were affected adversely by activities of illegal mining. The study recommends the need for conscious efforts from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to sustain the ban on illegal mining with intensified monitoring and supervision while a systematic scheme involving relevant stakeholders is developed and implemented to ban illegal mining in Ghana completely. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture needs to develop an approach to support the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices by smallholder farmers to meet the food demand of their households.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Levels in Soil and Vegetables in Some Farms Around Mining Sites in Mangu Local Government Area Plateau State, Nigeria

When the mining process is not properly controlled, it can be a source of heavy metals pollution in the environment. The uptake of these heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables can be a direct source of the metals into the human food chain. This study assessed the concentrations of lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr) in soil and vegetables obtained from nine (9) farms around mining sites in Mangu LGA. Concentrations of heavy metals in soil and vegetables were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). The results revealed the concentrations of the heavy metals at the farms to be within the recommended maximum levels of world soils but were higher than their respective controls. This implies that the artisanal mining contributed to the increased values of these heavy metals in the environment. Also, the mean concentrations of the heavy metals at Mangu Halle mining site decreased in the order Mn > Zn > Cr > Cu > Ni > Pb > Cd whereas at Alogwom it decreased in the order Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Ni > Cr > Cd. The enrichment factor (EF) of the elements showed deficiency to minimum enrichment for all the heavy metals whereas the pollution index (PI) of the metals indicated very slight contamination to moderate pollution. The results of the heavy metals in the vegetables showed that the bioaccumulation of the metals followed a pattern: Zn > Cu > Pb > Cr > Cd > Ni. Levels of Cd, Pb and Ni in the vegetables were observed to be higher than the recommended limit for vegetables whereas Cu, Cr and Zn exhibited lower values than recommended standards. Thus, their consumption might pose health risk to consumers and therefore there is the need for proper monitoring of the illegal mining activities to reduce health risk and the extent of heavy metals contamination.

History, Current Situation and Challenges of Gold Mining in Ecuador’s Litoral Region

Gold mining in Ecuador has been present in the country since Inca times; over the years interest in the mineral has increased, leading to the creation of legislation to control the mining sector in a safe manner. The Litoral region consists of seven provinces, six of which have registered gold concessions; the most affected provinces are El Oro and Esmeraldas. The objective of this study was to analyze the historical and current situation of artisanal and industrial gold mining in the Litoral region of Ecuador. Different methodologies were used for the elaboration of this study, including bibliographic review, grey literature, field interviews and a validation of expert judgment. The main results indicate that El Oro and Esmeraldas are essentially the most conflictive areas in the region, as they have sometimes had to establish precautionary measures due to the risks caused by illegal mining. In addition, in both areas there is a great socioeconomic impact ranging from lack of opportunities, forgetfulness, migration, emigration, and violation of rights, among others. With respect to environmental impacts, the study highlights the contamination of water sources (which leads to a lack of drinking water for people), and damage to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Finally, the study concludes that the authorities should control the mining sector more by implementing more laws and carrying out inspections to put an end to illegal gold mining, in order to improve the situation in the areas.

Monitoring Mining Activities Using Sentinel-1A InSAR Coherence in Open-Pit Coal Mines

Long-term continuous monitoring of the mining activities in open-pit coal mines is conducive to planning and management of the mining operations. Additionally, this faciliatates assessment on their environmental impact and supervises illegal mining behaviors. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology can be effectively applied in the monitoring of open-pit mines where vegetation is sparse and land cover is dominated by bare rock. The main objective of this study is to monitor the mining activities of four open-pit coal mines in the Wucaiwan mining area in China from 2018 to 2020, namely No. 1, No. 2 (containing two mining areas), and No. 3. We use the normalized differential activity index (NDAI) based on the coherence coefficient as an indicator of the mine activity due to its robustness to temporal and spatial decorrelation. After analyzing and removing the decorrelation caused by rain and snow weather, 70 NDAI images in 12-day intervals are obtained from Sentinel-1A InSAR coherence images. Then, the annually-averaged NDAI images are applied to an RGB composite technique (red for 2018, green for 2019, blue for 2020) to express the interannual variation of the mining activities. Points of interest are then selected for NDAI time series analysis. The RGB composite results indicated that No. 1 and 3 open-pit coal mines were continuously mined during the three years; whereas, the two mining areas of No. 2 were mainly active in 2018. The 12-day NDAI time-series graphs of No. 2 open-pit coal mine also indicate that the coal piles located in the coal transferring area of the first mining area were not completely removed until April 2019. It is also seen that the second mining area was decommissioned in November 2018 and became rehabilitated in July 2019. Results were validated using the Sentinel-2A images and related background information confirming the efficiency of the proposed approach for monitoring the mining activity in open-pit mines.

Assessment of surface waters and pollution impacts in Southern Ghana

Illegal mining and inappropriate use of agrochemicals have exacerbated surface water pollution in Ghana. The quality of water has changed, and knowledge of their current condition is important for formulating policies to conserve the country's water bodies. This study assessed the quality of surface waters in Ghana's Pra River Basin. A survey of 344 local farmers randomly sampled was conducted and a physicochemical analysis of 33 water samples collected from 25 rivers in the basin. Boreholes are the main source of drinking water for 85% of farmers, and they assessed water quality by its appearance. Rainwater provides over 50% of the water needed by the respondents for domestic use. River water was mainly used for crop production and only secondarily for domestic use. At more than 80% of the sampled sites, pH, Fe and P were above the WHO recommended values, while Pb was exceeded at 30% of the sites. Cu, Hg, As and Fe were above permissible levels for irrigation, especially near the mining areas. The poor quality of river water makes it unusable despite its availability. A more effective and efficient land-use policy focusing on buffer zone protection is recommended to minimise water quality degradation in the basin.