Abstract
The quality of soils in rehabilitated small-scale mined sites needs thorough investigation since a lot of changes do occur. The study assessed the impacts of small-scale mining activities on concentration and distribution of soil physicochemical properties and heavy metals. The soil samples were collected from 120 (50 m × 50 m) plots. The concentrations of soil physicochemical properties (Ca, Mg, Na, N, P, K, and OC and EC) varied significantly (p < 0.05) between unmined and mined soils. However, there were no statistically, significant differences (p < 0.05) observed in the concentrations of Cd, Hg, Pb, As, and Cu between the unmined and mined soils. Despite the generally poor (33.8%) soil quality in the study area, mining activities further reduced it by 24.2%. Soils from mined sites with unfilled/partially filled pits had higher levels of K, Mg, and Na. As mined sites fallow period increased, concentrations of OC and Cd increased, while Ca, Mg, pH, Cu, Pb, and As and value of EC decreased. The number of years that mined land remained fallow, and whether the pits were filled or unfilled during this period should be factored into the mined land rehabilitation processes.
Highlights
Due to the benefits of small-scale mining of gold especially to the community members, there has been an upsurge of small-scale mining activities in most communities in Ghana, and because of their large numbers, closeness of the mining sites to another and the methods used in extracting the mineral and destruction of the environment have become compounded [12] posing more difficulties in the rehabilitation of small-scale mined sites [13]. is has resulted in large tracts of unproductive and inaccessible small-scale mined sites and unhealthy competition for land resource between the miners and community members [14, 15]
Small-scale mining is fast replacing small-holder farming as the main source of income for the local inhabitants in the study area, and it is essential to help small-scalescale miners to obtain the most benefits from mining and e Scientific World Journal provide assistance for effective rehabilitation of smallscaled mined sites for other uses
Distribution of Soil Parameters across Mined Sites with Filled and Unfilled Pits. ere were significant differences (p < 0.05) in the concentrations of Na, K, Mg, OC, EC, Cu, and Hg between soils of mined areas with filled and unfilled pits. e concentrations of Hg, EC, Mg, K, Na, and Cu were higher in the soils of mined sites with unfilled pits; and the level of OC in the soils was relatively higher in the mined sites with filled pits
Summary
Due to the benefits of small-scale mining of gold especially to the community members, there has been an upsurge of small-scale mining activities in most communities in Ghana, and because of their large numbers, closeness of the mining sites to another and the methods used in extracting the mineral and destruction of the environment have become compounded [12] posing more difficulties in the rehabilitation of small-scale mined sites [13]. is has resulted in large tracts of unproductive and inaccessible small-scale mined sites and unhealthy competition for land resource between the miners and community members [14, 15]. Is has resulted in large tracts of unproductive and inaccessible small-scale mined sites and unhealthy competition for land resource between the miners and community members [14, 15]. Despite all these challenges, alternative livelihood strategies are not available or they are not in good standing to support the marginalized and vulnerable people, who incidentally are farmers in the municipality. Mining activities and processes still occupy peripheral position on the economic ladder [16], and most of the community members without alternative sources of generating income engage in small-scale mining [17] without considering the ecological and environmental consequences. Is study assessed how small-scale mining activities influenced the level and distribution of some physicochemical properties and heavy metals in soil; how the length of fallow period after mining and the pits condition (filled and unfilled pits) affected the levels and distribution of physicochemical properties and heavy metals in soil
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