Physicochemical Studies for Risk Identification, Assessment, and Characterization of Artisanal Barite Mining in Nigeria

David Oluwasegun Afolayan, Carrick McAfee Eggleston, Azikiwe Peter Onwualu, Adelana Rasak Adetunji, Mingjiang Tao and Richard Kwasi Amankwah
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David Oluwasegun Afolayan: Department of Material Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681, Abuja 900109, Nigeria
Carrick McAfee Eggleston: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Azikiwe Peter Onwualu: Department of Material Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681, Abuja 900109, Nigeria
Adelana Rasak Adetunji: Department of Material Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681, Abuja 900109, Nigeria
Mingjiang Tao: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
Richard Kwasi Amankwah: Department of Material Science and Engineering, African University of Science and Technology, PMB 681, Abuja 900109, Nigeria

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-21

Abstract: Over 90% of barite mining activities in Nigeria are carried out by artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs), and up to 75% of these miners operate informally, without mining license and rights. Such mining activities endanger human lives through the uncontrolled release of toxic heavy metals and other pollutants which are major causes and consequences of severe health hazards in children and adults living close to the mining sites. This paper is in two parts. The first section assesses the extent of heavy metal contamination of Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ba, and Zn in drinking water by the mine water and tailing effluents. The second section estimates heavy metals’ toxicity and exposure level and analyzes and characterizes other human health risks in tailing effluents selected from three barite mining sites in Nigeria. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) results show that the concentrations of Ba and Pb among other heavy metals are above the allowable limits for drinking water. Index of geo-accumulation (Igeo) and contamination factor (CF) for Ba, Fe, and Pb were classified as moderately to extremely polluted (based on the Igeo) and highly contaminated (based on the CF). The calculated non-carcinogenic risk for Ba is 0.87 and 0.99 for Pb. HQ/HI (health quotient/health index) for Zn, Cu, and Fe is ≤0.005. The results indicate that some precautionary measures should be taken to avert the non-carcinogenic risk of Ba and Pb. It is important that barite mining is carried out in a responsible manner, respecting local and national mining laws and global environmental standards.

Keywords: contamination factor; hazard index; maximally exposed individual; artisanal barite mining; barite dosage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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