The Impact Of Mineral Development On Water Resources, Effects Of Tin Mining On Water Quality: Focus On Some Parts Of The Jos Plateau, Nigeria.

Abstract

Mineral development which involves exploration, mining and processing, must have caused some damage to water quality in the study area. Active tin mining took place in the study area from beginning of this century to the mid 1980s and no doubt to some extent, has affected the quality of both surface and groundwater in the localities. The waste after the removal of the desired mineral(tin), which often contains acid generating sulphides, heavy metals and other contaminants is usually left on the ground surface in large free drainage piles, can be major sources of water pollution. Water samples were collected from mining ponds, hand - dug wells, boreholes, and analyzed to investigate the possible level of pollution resulting from leaching of the contaminants. Concentration of Arsenic (As) from one of the hand - dug wells is 0.013mg/l, which is above the W. H. O maximum acceptable limit of 0.01mg/l. also, lead (Pb) has a concentration of 0.011mg/l from a borehole, which is slightly above the W. H. O standard of 0.01mg/l. generally, the water samples did not show any significant pollution of public health concern. Although the devastating effect is much on the landscape in the area as seen in form of numerous mine ponds, heaps of excavated overburden, e. t. c the effects of trace elements is mild, except for lead (Pb) and Arsenic (As) concentration. The mining ponds though seen as good sources of water for irrigation reduces the availability of arable land for farming. Lives are reportedly being loss from ponds from time to time.