THE EFFECT OF COAL MINING ON THE WATER QUALITY OF WATER SOURCES IN NIGERIA

Year 2019, Volume: 2 Issue: 2, 251 - 260, 31.12.2019

Oloche Robert Ekwule Gabriel Delian Akpen , George Moses Ugbede

https://izlik.org/JA32MN78RG

Abstract

The
aim of this study is to investigate the effect of coal mining on the drinking
water quality of different water sources in Odagbo, Ankpa L.G.A., Kogi State,
Nigeria.  Five water samples each, were
collected during the dry season, inception of wet and peak wet seasons from the
community’s three water sources. Physico-chemical properties such as electrical
Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), turbidity, pH, hardness of the
water samples were analyzed. Heavy metal concentrations of the samples were
also determined. The result of the chemical characterization placed the
tailings in a semi-acidic group because 50% of its constituents oxides are of
weak acid, therefore making the tailings a potential source of Acid mine
drainage (AMD). The results for water quality test revealed that the values of EC,
TDS, chloride,  and sulphate for the
three water sources (pond, borehole and river) were within World Health
Organization (WHO) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) safe limits for
both the dry and wet seasons. The metallic levels of the metals studied were
relatively low in all the water samples during the dry season with copper,
chromium, manganese, cobalt, iron, lead and nickel not being detected. There
was a reasonable increase in concentration of heavy metals during the wet
seasons possibly as a result of AMD with metals like copper, chromium, cobalt
and nickel not detected. The pollution indices of all the water samples during
the sampled periods, exceeded the critical value of 100. The degrees of
pollution of all the sampled water descended in the order; pond > river >
borehole for all the seasons. Hence, borehole water is the best option for the
community’s consumption after lime treatment to correct its acidity level.

Keywords

Coal mining , water quality parameters , acid mine drainage , heavy metals

Supporting Institution

No form of grant was given during the period of this study

References

• 1.Adejoke C. O., Paul O. B. & Andile M. (2018). Conflict Implication of Coal Mining and Environmental Pollution in South Africa. African Journal on Sonflict Resolution, 18(1): 1-16.
• 2. Adekunle A. I & Mojisola A. A. (2009). Physico-Chemical analysis of well waters in Minna and its Environs, Niger State, Nigeria.Journal Chemical Society of Nigeria, 32 (2):122-127.
• 3. Adriano D. C. (2001). Trace elements in terrestrial environments: Biochemistry, bioavailability and risks of metals. - Springer Verlag, 867.
• 4. Akcil A. & Koldas S. (2006). Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): causes, treatment and case studies, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 14, Issues 12–13, 2006, Pages 1139-1145
• 5. APHA (1998). Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th edition, American Public Water Quality Health Association Washington, D.C, 43.
• 6. Awalla C.O.C (2014). Environmental Impact Assessment of Coal Mining Activity in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria.Journal of Software Engineering and Simulation,2(5): 1-5.
• 7. Bell F.G., Bullock S.E.T., Hälbich T.F.J. & Lindsay P. (2001). "Environmental impacts associated with an abandoned mine in the Witbank Coalfield, South Africa". International Journal of Coal Geology, 45(3): 195-216.
• 8. Eze S. O. & Chigbu G. S. (2015). Physical, Chemical, and Microbiological Parameters of IyiOkai Stream in Abiriba, Ohafa Local Government Area, Abia State, Nigeria.European Journal of Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2(1): 7- 22.
• 9. FDALR (1990) Federal Department of Agricultural Land Resources. The Reconnaissance Soil Survey of Nigeria, ISRIC Library, Waganiagen Netherlands, 1: 1-44.
• 10. Greb S. F. (2002).Environmental Impact of Coal mining and Utilization. Geological survey of American abstracts, 38 (7): 94.
• 11. Johnson B. D. & Hallberg K. B. (2005). Acid mine Drainage Remediation Option: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 338(1-2): 3-14.
• 12. Keating M. (2001). Cradle to Grave: The Environmental Impacts from Coal. www.cat.us/public/reports/pdf.
• 13. Kogi State Solid Minerals Investment Prospects (2005). Revised edition in Ogwuche, J.A. and Odoh, D.P. 2013. Assessment of the Effect of Cessation of Coal Mining on the Socio-Economic Condition of Okaba District, Kogi State. Scholarly Journal of Education 2(4):46-51, April 2013 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJE ISSN 2315-6155 © 2013 Scholarly-Journals.
• 14. Koshal A.K. (2002). Environmental Problems Analysis of Coal Mining in Raniganj & Asansol Blocks (West Bengal) Using Remote Sensing and GIS. GIS Development, Map World Forum, Hyderabad, India.
• 15. Lawson E.O. (2011). Physico-Chemical Parameters and Heavy Metal Contents of Water from the Mangrove Swamps of Lagos Lagoon, Lagos, Nigeria. Journal of Biological Resources, 5(1):8-21.
• 16. March J. (1992). “Advanced Organic Chemistry” 4Th Ed. J. Wiley and Sons, (1992). New York.
• 17. Matthews A., Omono C. & Kakulu S. (2012). Impact of Mining and Agriculture on Heavy Metal Levels in Environmental Samples in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State International Journal of Pure Applied Science Technology. 12(2): 66-77
• 18. Milivojević J., Krstić D., Šmit B. & Djekić V. (2016). Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination and Calculation of Its Pollution Index for Uglješnica River, Serbia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 97:737–742.
• 19. Moschini-Carlos V., Pompeo M. L., Lobo F. L. & Meirelles S. T. (2011). Impact of Coal Mining on Water Quality of the three Artificial Lakes in Morozini River Basin (Treviso, Santa Caterina State, Brasil) Acta Limnological Brasiliensia, 23(3): 271-281.
• 20. Mohan S.V., Nithila P. & Reddy S. J. (1996). Estimation of Heavy Metals in Drinking Water and Development of Heavy Metal Pollution Index. Journal of Environmental Science Health Assessment 31: 2839.
• 21. Nassef M., Hannigan R., EL Sayed K.A & Tahawy M.S.El. (2006). Determination of some heavy metals in the environment of Sadat industrial city. Proceeding of the 2nd Environmental Physics Conference, Cairo University, Egypt, 145-152.
• 22. Naveen-Saviour M & Stalin P. (2012). Soil and Sand Mining: Causes, Consequences and Management. Journal of Pharmacy, 2(4): 1-6.
• 23. Ogwuche J. A. & Odoh D. P. (2013). Assessment of the Effect of Cessation of Coal Mining on the Socio-economic Condition of Okaba District, Kogi State. Scholarly Journal of Education 2(4):46-51, April 2013 Available online at http:// www.scholarly-journals.com/SJE ISSN 2315-6155 © 2013 Scholarly-Journals
• 24. Prasad B. & Kumari P. (2008). The impact of filling an abandoned open cast mine with fly ash on ground water quality: A case study. Mine Water Environment, 27(1): 40-45.
• 25. Prasanthi S., Rao V.S., Shanmukha K. J. & Prasad K. R. S. (2012). Physicochemical Analysis of Water Samples of Najendle Area in Gunter District of Andnra India International Journal of chemical Technology Research 4 (2): 691-699.
• 26. SON (2007). Standard Organisation of Nigeria; Nigeria Standard for Drinking Water Quality; Nigerian Industrial Standard NIS, 554.
• 27. Stolboushkino A. Yu., Ivanova A. I. & Fomina O.A. (2016). Use of Coal-Mining and Processing Wastes in Production of Bricks and Fuel for Their Burning. Procedia Engineering 150:1496 – 1502.
• 28. (USGS) (2016). US Geological Survey. Appraising the Nation’s ground water resources. http://www.Pubs.usgs.gov/gip/gw/quality.html
• 29. Verma S., Thakur B. & Das S. (2012). “To Analyse the water sample of pond located near Nandini mines in Durg district, Chattisgarh, India”, Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, 22: 1-3.
• 30. WHO (1996). World Health Organization. Guideline for Drinking Water, 2nd Edition, Volume 2: Health Criteria and Other Supporting Information. World health Organisation, Geneva. 260 - 973.
• 31. WHO (2011). World Health Organization. Guidelines for drinking water quality [Electronic Resource] Incorporating 1st and 2nd Addenda, Vol.1 Recommendations. 3rd ed Geneva 608p.
• 32. Wu Y. F., Liu C. Q. & Tu C. L. (2008). Atmospheric deposition of metals in TSP of guiyang, PR China. Bull. Environmental Contamination Toxicology, 80 (5): 465-468.