Abstract
The concentrations of heavy metals in water and food crops (tomatoes and cassava) grown around the three major dams in Zamfara State were gold mining are usually done were determined using standard methods. The concentration of heavy metal determined in water and food crops were generally high during the dry season with exception of Hg which recorded its highest concentration in year 2015. Zn and Cr levels in the water and food crops were within international safe limits while Cd, Pb and Hg levels were far above (0.01, 0.01 and 0.001mg/l) WHO and USEPA limits respectively. In this work, the concentration of the analyzed heavy metals in mg/l was in the order of Hg> Pb >Cd > Cr > Zn. Correlation analysis showed a significant and positive relationship for Cd and Zn and Hg and Cr during the wet season and a significant positive at the (p>0.05) relationship for Cr and Zn in the dry season. The pollution index value of the water samples across all the three dams indicated that there is need for immediate intervention to ameliorate pollution particularly in the dry season. Keywords: Dams, Heavy metals, food crops, gold mining
Highlights
Environmental pollution by toxic heavy metals does elicit concern in the metropolitan cities and in remote and rural communities where anthropogenic activities, such as mining, are taking place
The aim of the research is to investigate the levels of heavy metals in gold mining areas within the three major dams and food crops grown around the dams in Zamfara State, Nigeria
The higher contamination factor for all the heavy metals during the dry season might be due to seasonal rainfall which dilutes some concentration of the metal concentration during the wet season
Summary
Environmental pollution by toxic heavy metals does elicit concern in the metropolitan cities and in remote and rural communities where anthropogenic activities, such as mining, are taking place. Limited resources and training, and the availability of cheap, but potentially hazardous methods of extraction and processing of minerals can cause significant threats to both miners and the local environment (Bitala, 2008; Armah et al, 2010) Such a scenario is being experienced in mining locations in Zamfara State. Mercury as a pollutant in artisan mining is due mainly to gold processing, when mercury is used to amalgamate gold Cadmium, which is another common toxic metal, occupying position seven in the priority list of hazardous substances (ATSDR, 1999), generally occurs as an isometric trace element in sphalerite. The aim of the research is to investigate the levels of heavy metals in gold mining areas within the three major dams and food crops grown around the dams in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Contamination factor (CF): The Contamination factor (CF) is the ratio obtained by dividing the concentration of each metal in the sediment, water and fish samples by
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
