Elevated total mercury (THg) levels in water sources under the influence of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Tanzania.

Abstract

This study investigated the presence and distribution of mercury in water bodies under the influence of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASGM) activities in Tanzania, which continue to predominantly rely on mercury for gold extraction. Various water bodies available for domestic and animal use in mining communities were sampled from surface water sources in ASGM settlements during the rainy and dry seasons. Water samples were analysed using cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectrophotometer (CVAFS). The results indicate that most of water sources had THg levels above the WHO guideline of 1.0µg/L (1000ng/L) for safe drinking water. The levels were significantly higher during the wet season ranging from 3.4 to 96.3µg/L, whereas the range was from 0.84 to 2.12µg/L during the dry period. The higher THg values during the wet season are likely a result of increased lateral transport (e.g. via enhanced runoff) and physical properties of the waterways. Transportation and resuspension of matrix-bound mercury from surface soils and inflow of contaminated water from unprotected tailings were also observed to be potential means of lateral mercury transport. The lowest concentrations (0.846µg/L) were observed in water samples from the Mabubi River, upstream of a mining village. Downstream of the mining village in the same river, higher concentrations were observed in the Nungwe Bay region of Lake Victoria. In other surveyed mining settlements where there were no nearby rivers, pool water indicated high concentrations of THg, including levels above thresholds for safe human use. Immediate stringent measures are needed in order to ensure human and animal safety at ASGM mining settlements. Future investigation is suggested to focus on the distribution of mercury in different media, assessing the prevalence of different mercury species, and investigating the influence of weather and hydrological conditions on the impacts of mercury to organisms as part of the strategies to mitigate mercury pollution.