Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon)
The objective of the present study was to assess soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbon products used in gold mining in the Kadey catchment area. The results obtained show that gold mining by the small mine is the cause of chemical contamination of the soil caused by hydrocarbon products with...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023059947 |
| _version_ | 1797732934391693312 |
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| author | Charles Eloundou Ndzana Valentin Yvan Emmanuel Mvondo Kemgang Dongmo Tchouta Benjamin Ngounou Ngatcha |
| author_facet | Charles Eloundou Ndzana Valentin Yvan Emmanuel Mvondo Kemgang Dongmo Tchouta Benjamin Ngounou Ngatcha |
| author_sort | Charles Eloundou Ndzana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of the present study was to assess soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbon products used in gold mining in the Kadey catchment area. The results obtained show that gold mining by the small mine is the cause of chemical contamination of the soil caused by hydrocarbon products with concentrations 800 times higher than the threshold value on certain points of the former mining sites. The use of mercury has led to an increase in its concentration to values that are still below the critical thresholds. It also appears from this work that organic matter plays a very important role in the retention of mercury on the soil surface. In the case of hydrocarbons are concerned, although high concentrations above are found exclusively at the surface, the rainfall contributes to their infiltration into the soil and to a horizontal redistribution of the contamination. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-716fca4639274bf883b12b9be89db54e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T12:21:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-716fca4639274bf883b12b9be89db54e2023-08-30T05:52:37ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402023-08-0198e18786Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon)Charles Eloundou Ndzana0Valentin Yvan Emmanuel Mvondo1Kemgang Dongmo Tchouta2Benjamin Ngounou Ngatcha3Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Yaounde, Cameroon; University of Ngaoundéré, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences, Ngaoundere, Cameroon; Corresponding author. Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Yaounde, Cameroon.Institute of Agricultural Research for Development, Soil, Water, Atmosphere Section, Maroua, CameroonUniversity of Ngaoundéré, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences, Ngaoundere, CameroonUniversity of Ngaoundéré, Faculty of Science, Department of Earth Sciences, Ngaoundere, CameroonThe objective of the present study was to assess soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbon products used in gold mining in the Kadey catchment area. The results obtained show that gold mining by the small mine is the cause of chemical contamination of the soil caused by hydrocarbon products with concentrations 800 times higher than the threshold value on certain points of the former mining sites. The use of mercury has led to an increase in its concentration to values that are still below the critical thresholds. It also appears from this work that organic matter plays a very important role in the retention of mercury on the soil surface. In the case of hydrocarbons are concerned, although high concentrations above are found exclusively at the surface, the rainfall contributes to their infiltration into the soil and to a horizontal redistribution of the contamination.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023059947Small-scale miningMercuryHydrocarbonSoilKadey catchment |
| spellingShingle | Charles Eloundou Ndzana Valentin Yvan Emmanuel Mvondo Kemgang Dongmo Tchouta Benjamin Ngounou Ngatcha Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) Heliyon Small-scale mining Mercury Hydrocarbon Soil Kadey catchment |
| title | Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) |
| title_full | Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) |
| title_short | Assessment of the impact of small-scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment (East Cameroon) |
| title_sort | assessment of the impact of small scale mining on soil contamination by mercury and hydrocarbons in the kadey catchment east cameroon |
| topic | Small-scale mining Mercury Hydrocarbon Soil Kadey catchment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844023059947 |
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