Trace element contamination in the mine-affected stream sediments of Oued Rarai in north-western Tunisia: a river basin scale assessment

Ayari, Jamel; Barbieri, Maurizio; Agnan, Yannick; Sellami, Ahmed; Braham, Ahmed; Dhaha, Faouzi; Charef, Abdelkrim

doi:10.1007/s10653-021-00887-1

Cited by 33 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 69 publications

(113 reference statements)

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“…A study carried out in the Sinú River (northern Colombia) on agricultural soils affected by mining activities shows that metal(loid) content is well above the values of the regional geochemical background [7]. In Tunisia, a combination of environmental geochemical indices was used to study the state and sources of metal(loid) contribution that affect the sediments of the Oued Rarai basin in the northwest of the country, showing a high level of potential ecological risk from Sb, As, Pb, Hg, and Ag [8]. Additionally, in Europe, affected areas are described, for example, in southeastern Poland, where the Pb-Zn mining developed in Olkusz-Trzebinia has affected the waters and sediments of the Chechlo, Biala Przemsza, and Sztola rivers [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Dispersion in Alluvial Deposits from Abandoned Mining Sites

Martínez,

Mendoza,

de la Torre

et al. 2024

Minerals

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In the watersheds of abandoned mining districts, it is common to find remains of former facilities and waste dams on stream banks and slopes—a situation that results in the transport and accumulation of metal(loid)s in alluvial deposits. To analyze this problem, an area of the former mining district of Linares–La Carolina (southern Spain) was selected to evaluate the contents and distributions of Ag, As, Ba, Cu, and Pb as potentially toxic elements (PTEs) found in the mineral paragenesis. Specifically, this study focused on the Siles Stream, which runs through a sector where underground mining for the exploitation of galena veins generated abundant mining wastes, mainly waste rock and tailings. Thirty-four sediment samples from the stream bed of the Siles Stream and two sediment samples from the Guadiel River, of which it is a tributary, were analyzed. Floodplain sediments were sampled in the stream banks at the middle and lower reaches (11 samples), as well as the riverine soils developed at the mouth of the Siles Stream (22 samples). The analyzed samples presented high levels of PTEs, in most cases with values much higher than the generic reference levels established by European and regional legislation for PTEs in soils. In the case of Pb, the main metal mined in this district, contents of up to 27,074 mg·kg−1 were observed in the stream bed sediments. Very high concentrations of Pb also appeared in the floodplain sediments, with maximum values in the middle course of the stream, where the concentration reached 43,692 mg·kg−1. With respect to the sediments of the Guadiel river bed, the Pb content was 699 mg·kg−1 before the confluence with the stream and 2537 mg·kg−1 downstream, which clearly reflects the influence of the contributions from the Siles Stream. The enrichment factors (EFs) show that the sediments present a severe to very severe anthropogenic influence for Ag, As, Ba, Cu, and Pb. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicates that the entire basin is extremely polluted by Pb, to which As and Ag are added in the middle course of the stream. The potential ecological risk index (RI) and pollution load index (PLI) based on the contamination factor (CF) suggested that metal loads far exceeded the reference values. Selective chemical extraction methods were used to assess the potential bioavailability of these elements in sediment and soil samples. The results showed high concentrations of Pb in the exchangeable fraction, which poses a significant ecological risk and potential human health risks.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Dispersion in Alluvial Deposits from Abandoned Mining Sites

Martínez,

Mendoza,

de la Torre

et al. 2024

Minerals

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“…Heavy metal pollution (HMP) is an important and urgent environmental problem, widespread in soil and aquatic systems, caused by natural and anthropogenic activities [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. The nature of most HMP includes biotoxicity, persistence, and irreversibility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Anthropogenic Disturbances on the Microbial Relationship during Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Sediment

et al. 2023

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Soil, sediment, and waters contaminated with heavy metals pose a serious threat to ecosystem function and human health, and microorganisms are an effective way to address this problem. In this work, sediments containing heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Cd, As) were treated differently (sterilized and unsterilized) and bio-enhanced leaching experiments were carried out with the addition of exogenous iron-oxidizing bacteria A. ferrooxidans and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria A. thiooxidans. The leaching of As, Cd, Cu, and Zn was higher in the unsterilized sediment at the beginning 10 days, while heavy metals leached more optimally in the later sterilized sediment. The leaching of Cd from sterilized sediments was favored by A. ferrooxidans compared to A. thiooxidans. Meanwhile, the microbial community structure was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, which revealed that 53.4% of the bacteria were Proteobacteria, 26.22% were Bacteroidetes, 5.04% were Firmicutes, 4.67% were Chlamydomonas, and 4.08% were Acidobacteria. DCA analysis indicated that microorganisms abundance (diversity and Chao values) increased with time. Furthermore, network analysis showed that complex networks of interactions existed in the sediments. After adapting to the acidic environmental conditions, the growth of some locally dominant bacteria increased the microbial interactions, allowing more bacteria to participate in the network, making their connections stronger. This evidence points to a disruption in the microbial community structure and its diversity following artificial disturbance, which then develops again over time. These results could contribute to the understanding of the evolution of microbial communities in the ecosystem during the remediation of anthropogenically disturbed heavy metals.

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“…Not only is soil involved in the maintenance of the processes of life but also it has majorly contributed to lifecycle evolution and even its emergence. Heavy metals may contaminate the soil through natural processes, for example, industrial human activities, mineral activities, and weathering, the consumption of fossil energy resources, agriculture, vehicles, metallurgical procedures, and the disposal of waste (Ayari et al, 2021(Ayari et al, , 2022Li et al, 2018). The heavy metal contamination of soils stems from growing industrial development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A statistical approach to study the spatial heavy metal distribution in soils in the Kushk Mine, Iran

Sohrabizadeh

Sodaeizadeh

Ardakani

et al. 2022

Geoscience Data Journal

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The present study was conducted for the spatial distribution and concentration evaluation of heavy metals, including Cu, Cd, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb, within 102 soil samples collected from Kushk Mine in Bafgh, Iran. This work employed hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), principal component analysis (PCA), and spatial distribution patterns, to perform element distribution evaluation within the area. The distributions of heavy metals in the entire area were exhibited in the form of maps. The average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn, and Pb were found to be 0.39, 0.26, 5.3, 4.1, 51.9, and 40.9 mg.kg−1, respectively. Based on the PCA and HCA findings, the heavy metals were divided into two groups. The first group included Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu. In the first group, altered threshold‐surpassing anthropogenic and lithogenic pollution was found to be the main factor accounting for Pb and Zn. The second group involved Fe and Mn, which could be impacted by either anthropogenic and lithogenic factors. Furthermore, the geo‐statistical results demonstrated higher contents of the heavy metals in the south of the mine and in the vicinity of the mine tailings. It may be concluded from the results that the heavy metal contents of the area are impacted by anthropogenic and lithogenic factors.

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Trace element contamination in the mine-affected stream sediments of Oued Rarai in north-western Tunisia: a river basin scale assessment

Cited by 33 publications

References 69 publications

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Dispersion in Alluvial Deposits from Abandoned Mining Sites

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Dispersion in Alluvial Deposits from Abandoned Mining Sites

Effect of Anthropogenic Disturbances on the Microbial Relationship during Bioremediation of Heavy Metal-Contaminated Sediment

A statistical approach to study the spatial heavy metal distribution in soils in the Kushk Mine, Iran

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