Environmental assessment of heavy metal pollution in the polymetallic district of Kef Oum Teboul (El Kala, Northeast Algeria)

Abstract

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to focus on the environmental assessment of heavy metals in the abandoned mining district of Kef Oum Teboul (KOT), which is located in the northeastern part of Algeria in an area classified by Ramsar as a Biosphere Reserve since 1990. KOT was one of the primary deposits of copper in the last century, and its releases are stored as dams that seriously threaten the environment. To assess the degree, distribution and sources of contamination approximately the mining area, liquid and solid samples were collected from the mining waste, the soils, and the stream sediment. The samples were analyzed to determine the pH, conductivity and contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd). The mining areas are characterized by high contents of heavy metals that exceed all norms, and the metal contents significantly decrease at significant low distances from these sources. According to the statistical methods used in this study (I-Geo, Pi, RI), the stream sediments and the soils are uncontaminated to moderately contaminated by Cu and Zn, moderately contaminated by Pb, and extremely contaminated by Cd.