Assessing the impacts of gold mining assessing the impacts of gold mining operations on river sediments and water samples from ilesa west local government area ILESA West Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract. Gold 1 N. A total of 51 stream water and sediment samples were randomly collected from water sources available to the communities. Stream water samples collected were analyzed for heavy metals using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) while associated stream sediments were analyzed with x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF). Heavy metals analyzed in both sample types include As, Cu, Cd, Pb, Fe, Cr, Mn, Zn, Zr, and Sr. Results obtained showed the stream waters to be richly concentrated with toxic metals in the range of As(0.002± 0.001 to 0.004± 0.001 mg/l), Cd (0.003±0.001 to 0.034± 0.004 mg/l), Pb (0.002± 0.001 to 0.017±0.003mg/l), Cu(0.078±0.003 to 2.326±0.004 mg/l), Zn(0.013 ±0.004 to 1.937±0.015mg/l), Fe (0.013±0.005 to 0.825±0.085mg/l), Mn (0.002±0.001 to 0.016±0.001mg/l) and Cr (0.009 ± 0.002 to 0.069 ± 0.031mg/l). The variation of heavy metals in stream water samples are Cu>Zn>Cr>Fe>Cd>As>Pb>Mn. Similar contamination of the stream sediments were observed as XRF results showed the sediments to have high concentration of heavy metals As, Cd, Pb ,Cu and Cd clearly above regulated limits. Enrichment Factor of the elements obtained showed high contamination of both the stream water and sediments with toxic metals as a result of high illegal gold mining operations in the area under study.

Assessment of Mining-Induced Land Degradation in Ile-Ife, Osun State Nigeria

“…Field observations further revealed that some of the local farmers and residents, yield their lands to the miners in exchange for monetary compensation. This could explain the reason for large number of pits discovered in the study area (Makinde et al, 2014;Adeoye 2015). 25% of those surveyed concurred that mining operations in their neighborhoods truly destroyed their forest and land.…”

Environmental risk assessments of uses cyanide in gold extraction on water quality parameters and its effect on rhodanese activities in selected organs of coptodon zillii in igun reservoir, Southwestern, Nigeria

“…4 The potential adverse impacts of mining have also been asserted to include displacement of local people from ancestral lands, marginalization, and oppression of people belonging to lower economic classes. 5 Cyanide is one of the few poisons chemicals that it antidotes exist if inhaled or injected by any organisms which can cause a dramatic and severe poisoning that can quickly result in death. It produces histotoxic (intracellular) hypoxic poisoning by the binding of the Citation: Okunola OV, Komolafe OO, Okonji RE, et al Environmental risk assessments of uses cyanide in gold extraction on water quality parameters and its effect on rhodanese activities in selected organs of coptodon zillii in igun reservoir, Southwestern, Nigeria.…”