Assessing the impacts of solid mine wastes on the environment.

Abstract

Mining activities deteriorates the environment in numerous ways. One of the aspects of environment, it harms the most to the Soil, Water, vegetation and causes health problems. Thus, assessing the impacts of solid mine wastes on the environment (quality of Soil and Water) is extremely important for proper assessment of the impacts associated hazards. Due to the lack of proper planning and negligence of regulations, .an appreciable amount of environmental degradation and ecological damage to environment occurs. Tailing samples were collected from Tiira gold field. 4 tailing samples were collected and analysed all samples analysed in triplicate. for parameters like, iron(Fe), lead(Pb), Sulphur(S), Copper(Cu), Arsenic (As). The soil samples were collected from the Tiira gold field. 5 samples of soil are collected and analysed. for the parameters like pH (5-6.5 acidic in nature), organic carbon, soil nitrogen (0-280 mg/kg which is low quantity), zinc, lead, iron of soil. Physicochemical quality of ground and surface waters from Tijra gold field and its environs was conducted between December 2016 to April -2017, This study was undertaken to determine whether physical, chemical and race metal contamination of water sources and soil' as -well as whole environment in Tiira gold field is as a result of mining or geochemical and biochemical processes within the environment. Iron (Fe), and, physical parameters (pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (E.C), Temperature) -and chemical parameters in. water samples were determined. Hence all the parameters of soil and water are compared the soil is more polluted than water. So for. control the soil and water pollution it is suggested. that appropriate steps must be taken by the industry, State Pollution Control Board and the Government to prevent pollution of soil and Water samples were collected from 4 sampling points for the stream and underground water sources like protected wells and boreholes for trace metal analysis. The results showed that groundwater (pH of 6.05) was slightly acidic (low pH) compared to surface water (pH range 6.6pH units) also slightly acidic. Groundwater electrical conductivity ranged from 635 to 855 PS (cm whereas that of surface water ranged from 45L6-7 to 774.72 g/cm. Mining related contaminants detected in water samples in this study were as (ranging from Values <0.001 to 0.002 mg/l), and Fe (with Œ136 and O. 143 mg/l being the respective minimum and maximum values). Relationships between trace metals and chemical and physical parameters in surface water showed that Fe had a strong positive correlation with turbidity (r = 0.0088) and Fe also had a strong positive correlation with total dissolved solids (r = 0.041 temperature correlated positively with electrical dissolved oxygen (r = 00714) in surface water. Compared to WHO / EPA guideline, few of the ground and surface water supplies had one. or more trace metal (Fe, As) levels outside acceptable limits set for drinking water. Most of them however have levels safe for human consumption