Assessment of Elemental Composition of Kaolin from Kankara and Dutsinma Mine Sites, Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research aimed to assess the health hazards associated with heavy metals contamination around Kankara and Dutsinma Kaolin mining sites. The analysis was done by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) at the Central Laboratory, Umaru Musa Yar-adua University, Katsina. In which health hazards were evaluated. using numerous Statistical and United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) models. Thirty nine (39) different elements were analyzed using the most associated environmental and health risk of priority in which seven (07) of them are heavy metals of interest; Among them are: Nickel (Ni), Copper (Cu), Zink (Zn), Thallium (Ti), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), and Arsenic (As), with an average concentrations of 20.02, 12.59, 54.03, 1344.4, 21.94, 140.00, and Not Available Value (NA) in the studied area. The Values obtained for overall hazard index (HI) are within the accepted values by (USEPA) which indicates no cancer risk for both adults and Children. While the overall excess lifetime cancer risk for a heavy metal was 8.5555E-06 (a maximum of 9 people per 1 million may be affected) for children and 7.5773E-05 (a maximum of 8 people per 1 million may be affected) for adults.