An investigation of mercury distribution in the soils around gold mining area at Dar-Mali locality, river Nile State, Sudan

Year 2018, Volume: 7 Issue: 4, 365 - 372, 01.10.2018

Mushtaha Ali Abdalla Elhagwa Jamal Elfaki

https://doi.org/10.18393/ejss.467595

Cited By: 2

Abstract

An artisanal gold mining region located in North of
Atbara (Dar-Mali locality), River Nile State, Sudan (17.82289 to 17.82389N and
33.99974 to 34.02127E) has been studied with the aim to evaluate
the soil contamination with mercury
(Hg) using two parameters; (i) Comparison
of the Hg concentration with the mean concentrations in world soils, (ii)
Enrichment Factor (EF). The results revealed that, the concentrations
of the Hg are varying in the studied area
and the highest concentrations were obtained inside the mining basins used for gold
extraction (2.62 mg kg^-1 soil) it is around 29 times more than mean Hg concentration in world soils, while the
lower concentrations are found at recent Nile River terrace (0.10 mg kg^-1
soil). The results also indicated that the soil samples collected from inside
mining basins had a highest E.F value (352.84) that means, this site must be
closed and remediation process should be started immediately. While the E.F
value of recent Nile River terrace site was 8.74, means, all studied sites have
significant contamination with Hg. The
mobility of Hg may have influenced by
northeast wind, or water runoff from mining zone to nearest areas at same wind
direction or water flow direction.

Keywords

Sudan, River Nile State, Hg concentration, gold mining, enrichment factor, mining basins

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