Factors Affecting Elevated Arsenic and Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Small Shield Lakes Surrounding Gold Mines near the Yellowknife, NT, (Canada) Region

Houben, Adam J.; D’Onofrio, Rebecca; Kokelj, Steven V.; Blais, Jules M.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150960

Cited by 48 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 36 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Local‐scale anthropic influences are related with the environmental pollution that results from extracting gold by amalgamation. As formerly reported, gold‐mercury mining is the major source of As (and other HM) locally in the environment (Houben et al, ; Ono et al, ) and contributes to a bigger proportion of a given environmental As type (Nyanza et al, ). So it is plausible that the effect of As released to the environment on biological indicators (mosses and lichens) was limited and on a small spatial scale.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Artisanal gold‐mining in a rural environment: Land degradation in Kenya

Odumo

Nanos²,

Carbonell³

et al. 2018

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Artisanal gold‐mining (AGM) is one of the most important activities in the districts of Migori and Transmara (Kenya). Gold‐mining, however, is known to release vast quantities of arsenic and metals (some of which are very toxic like As, Hg, Cd, or Pb), which poses a serious threat to not only miners but also to the ecosystem and local populations. We, herein, determine the concentrations of arsenic and some heavy metals in several sample types (i.e., ore, soil, river sediment, and mine tailing) collected from the districts of Migori and Transmara. We also employ lichens and mosses as pollution bioindicators. Geostatistical tools and canonical correlation analysis were used to identify the relevant factors that affected arsenic and metal concentrations in the analysed samples. The following concentration ranges were reported in topsoil: As (1–17,250 mg kg−1), Cd (0.01–15.10 mg kg−1), Cu (7–9,238 mg kg−1), Cr (1–214 mg kg−1), Ni (5–766 mg kg−1), Pb (3–1,149 mg kg−1), and Zn (22–1,271 mg kg−1). It was concluded that the ecosystem in both districts was highly polluted by heavy metals whereas the arsenic concentrations in topsoil were among the highest reported worldwide. The results of this study provide new evidence on the impact of AGM on the environment and may further contribute to the design of policy measures with the aim of reducing environmental and human health risks associated to AGM activities.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

Artisanal gold‐mining in a rural environment: Land degradation in Kenya

Odumo

Nanos²,

Carbonell³

et al. 2018

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…During the full operational history of Giant Mine, an estimated 20 million kg of As 2 O 3 were released to the environment [25], and thus the legacy of contamination during the course of the Giant Mine operation is substantial. Increases in arsenic concentrations in sediment core profiles from Yellowknife Bay (Great Slave Lake), adjacent to the Giant Mine lease, have been reported consistent with the opening years of the mine in approximately 1950 [27,28], and arsenic remains elevated in surface waters within approximately 15 km of the mine (figure 1) [18,19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…In Canada, historic gold mining represents one of the major sources of arsenic contamination to the environment because many recoverable gold deposits are found in arsenic bearing sulfide deposits [9]. Elevated arsenic and metal concentrations have been linked to mine drainage and emissions from gold mining in Ontario [14], Nova Scotia [15,16], British Columbia [17] and the Northwest Territories [18,19]. Despite the widespread documentation of arsenic contamination in aquatic environments, relatively little is known about the long-term ecological impacts of arsenic exposure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Multi-trophic level response to extreme metal contamination from gold mining in a subarctic lake

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Giant Mine, located in the city of Yellowknife (Northwest Territories, Canada), is a dramatic example of subarctic legacy contamination from mining activities, with remediation costs projected to exceed $1 billion. Operational between 1948 and 2004, gold extraction at Giant Mine released large quantities of arsenic and metals from the roasting of arsenopyrite ore. We examined the long-term ecological effects of roaster emissions on Pocket Lake, a small lake at the edge of the Giant Mine lease boundary, using a spectrum of palaeoenvironmental approaches. A dated sedimentary profile tracked striking increases (approx. 1700%) in arsenic concentrations coeval with the initiation of Giant Mine operations. Large increases in mercury, antimony and lead also occurred. Synchronous changes in biological indicator assemblages from multiple aquatic trophic levels, in both benthic and pelagic habitats, indicate dramatic ecological responses to extreme metal(loid) contamination. At the peak of contamination, all Cladocera, a keystone group of primary consumers, as well as all planktonic diatoms, were functionally lost from the sediment record. No biological recovery has been inferred, despite the fact that the bulk of metal(loid) emissions occurred more than 50 years ago, and the cessation of all ore-roasting activities in Yellowknife in 1999.

show abstract

“…In total, 108 studies were excluded through that screening process. A total of 44 studies were kept from this search (Bergman & Bump, 2014;Berndt et al, 2016;Berndt & Bavin, 2012;Braaten et al, 2014;Bravo et al, 2017;Brazeau et al, 2013;Burns et al, 2012Burns et al, , 2013Burns et al, , 2014Burton et al, 2013;Chaves-Ulloa et al, 2016;de Wit et al, 2014;Demers et al, 2013;Denkenberger et al, 2014;Dranguet et al, 2017;Eckley et al, 2015;Eklöf et al, 2013;Ekstrom et al, 2016;Fagnani et al, 2012;Gerson & Driscoll, 2016;Girard et al, 2016;Guedron et al, 2014;Hamelin et al, 2015;Haverstock et al, 2012;Houben et al, 2016;Jeremiason et al, 2016;Leopold et al, 2012;Loftin et al, 2012;Luo et al, 2014;MacMillan et al, 2015;Moreno et al, 2016;Navratil et al, 2015;Noh et al, 2016;Oswald & Branfireun, 2014;Painter et al, 2015;Picado & Bengtsson, 2012;Poste et al, 2015;Pyhtila et al, 2012;Riscassi et al, 2016;Sherman & Blum, 2013;…”

Section: Data Acquisitionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Meta‐Analysis on the Relationship Between Mercury and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Freshwater Environments

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In freshwater ecosystems, several studies have shown a strong linear relationship between total mercury (THg) or methylmercury (MeHg) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. Variations in this linear relationship have been reported, but the magnitude and causes of this variation are not well known. The objective of this study was to conduct a meta‐analysis to quantify and understand the global variation of this mercury (Hg)–DOC association. This meta‐analysis included 54 studies in lentic and lotic ecosystems for a total of 85 THg–DOC and 59 MeHg–DOC relationships. There was an increase in Hg with DOC concentrations in water with a global average slope of 0.25 (confidence interval (CI): 0.20–0.35) ng/mg for THg and 0.029 (CI: 0.014–0.044) ng/mg for MeHg. Relationships were stronger for (1) North American studies, (2) natural environments compared to those disturbed by anthropogenic activities, (3) spatial studies compared to temporal studies, (4) filtered samples (THg only), and (5) the aromatic fraction of DOC compared to the bulk DOC. Coupling with DOC was stronger for THg than for MeHg. Ecosystem type (lentic vs. lotic), geographical coordinates, and publication year did not influence the strength of relationships. Overall, we show that there is a strong but variable coupling between carbon and mercury cycles in freshwater ecosystems globally and that this link is modulated regionally by geographic location, temporal scale, and human activity, with implications for understanding these rapidly changing biogeochemical processes in response to global change.

show abstract

Factors Affecting Elevated Arsenic and Methyl Mercury Concentrations in Small Shield Lakes Surrounding Gold Mines near the Yellowknife, NT, (Canada) Region

Cited by 48 publications

References 36 publications

Artisanal gold‐mining in a rural environment: Land degradation in Kenya

Artisanal gold‐mining in a rural environment: Land degradation in Kenya

Multi-trophic level response to extreme metal contamination from gold mining in a subarctic lake

Global Meta‐Analysis on the Relationship Between Mercury and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Freshwater Environments

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About