Influence of the artisanal gold mining on soil contamination with heavy metals: A case study from Dar-Mali locality, North of Atbara, River Nile State, Sudan

Abstract

Twenty soil samples were collected from North of Atbara (Dar-Mali locality),River NileState, Sudan (17.82289 to 17.82389N and 33.99974 to 34.02127E) inside and outsidegold mining area in order to assess the influence of the gold mining on theconcentrations of selected heavy metals (Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Hg) in study area.The soil contamination by heavy metals of study area was studied using twoparameters; (i) Comparison of the heavy metals concentrations with meanconcentrations in most world soils, (ii) Enrichment Factor (EF). Results revealed thatthe concentrations of heavy metals were varying in the study area, the highestconcentrations were obtained at the center of mining area particularly inside themining basins of gold extraction. The concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Ni, and Pbwere ranged from (4.85 to 34.65 mg kg-1 soil), (6,355 to 14,635 mg kg-1 soil), (37.35 to655 mg kg-1 soil), (11.85 to 42.7 mg kg-1 soil), (0 to 16.5 mg kg-1 soil,) (2.5 to 47.3 mg kg1 soil) and (2.65 to 823.5 mg kg-1 soil), respectively. The results also indicated that thesoil samples which collected from inside mining basins have a highest EF for mostheavy metals particularly Pb, which showed EF value of (676.3), suggesting that the Pbmay be derived from anthropogenic source. This study recommends regularmonitoring of heavy metals in the soils around the Artisanal gold Mining forconservation and protection from pollution.