Impact of Abandoned Mining Facility Wastes on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Mogpog River, Marinduque, Philippines

Abstract

Background. Mine waste from abandoned mining sites can cause environmental degradation and ecological imbalance to receiving water bodies. Heavy metal pollution affects local communities and may pose health risks to the general public. An abandoned mining facility in Marinduque, Philippines, situated on the of Mogpog River, continuously deposits mine wastes, which may affect the river and the health of local communities. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to examine the presence and extent of heavy metal contamination from mine wastes in the aquatic ecosystem of the Mogpog River by determining the level of heavy metal concentration in the water, sediments and biota. Methods. Four sampling sites were monitored for heavy metals (copper (Cu), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and sulfur (S)) pollution. Several analyses were conducted to determine the heavy metals present in the water, sediment and biota. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used for the analysis of Cu concentrations in water. X-ray fluorescence was used for the analysis of total heavy metals in the sediments and biota. Results. An inverse relationship with water and sediment from upstream to downstream of the river were observed. This trend shows deposition of Cu in the sediments as factored by pH. Flora gathered from the riverbanks recorded concentrations of Cu in their leaves and fruits. Conclusions. It has been difficult for the Mogpog River to regain water quality after years of mine waste deposition. Acid mine drainage occurred upstream of the river which affects the speciation of heavy metals. The potential risk of heavy metal exposure to local communities was observed due to the communities' river utilization. Participant Consent. Obtained Ethics Approval. The Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension of University of the Philippines Los Baños approved the study Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Health Risks Due to Metal Concentrations in Soil and Vegetables from the Six Municipalities of the Island Province in the Philippines

“…There have been several studies on heavy metal contamination in water and sediment [21][22][23][24] in the island province; however, metal concentrations in soil and vegetables were not examined. Other studies focused on phytoremediation strategies and techniques [25][26][27][28][29].…”

Application of Machine Learning for Prediction and Monitoring of Manganese Concentration in Soil and Surface Water

“…The soil and SW in both Mogpog and Boac River are now highly contaminated with toxic metals [21,[35][36][37], posing a great environmental concern in the surrounding areas. Furthermore, no remediation strategies have been developed, and the two mining pits still exist and are liable to flooding and overflow during extreme storm events [38]. It is evident from studies conducted in 1998 [39] and 2019 [35] that the concentration of metals has increased in soil and SW over time, particularly Mn.…”

In Situ Measurements of Domestic Water Quality and Health Risks by Elevated Concentration of Heavy Metals and Metalloids Using Monte Carlo and MLGI Methods

“…Since then, two abandoned open mine pits on the island, the Tapian and the San Antonio mine pits, remained unrehabilitated and continue to adversely affect the island’s environmental quality and water resources [ 11 ]. High concentrations of HMMs were observed across the island in various media such as water and soils [ 12 ], SW and sediments [ 10 , 13 ], agricultural food crops [ 11 ], and freshwater crustaceans and tilapia [ 14 ].…”