INFLUENCE OF MINING ACTIVITIES ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER AT IFEWARA GOLD MINE SITE DURING DRY SEASON, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Mining has recently become an important economic activity in south-western Nigeria, but existing studies have largely overlooked its potential to contaminate water in neighboring communities. This study focuses on the effects of physicochemical properties of water in the Ifewara gold mining area. A total of ten water samples were randomly collected from surface and groundwater sources available to the local communities. The surface and groundwater samples collected were analyzed for physicochemical properties and heavy metal concentrations using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Associated parameters related to both surface and ground waters were also examined. Surface water and groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), temperature, calcium, potassium, phosphate, sodium and magnesium. Additionally, concentrations of heavy metals such as Fe, Co, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr and Cd were analyzed following World Health Organization (WHO) standards. During the dry season sampling, the values of pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and total dissolved solids (TDS) ranged from 5.48 to 6.99, 81.3 to 361 μS/cm, and 54 to 180 ppm respectively. Heavy metal analysis (in mg/L) showed that concentrations of Fe, Co, Zn, Ni, Pb, Cr, and Cd in both surface and groundwater ranged from 0.240 to 9.468, 0.001 to 0.090, 0.345 to 3.172, 0.001 to 0.068, 0.001 to 0.001, 0.025 to 0.105, and 0.001 to 0.030 mg/L, respectively. The contamination level index for both physicochemical properties and heavy metal concentrations could not be determined, as samples were collected only during the dry season. Additionally, the possibility of these properties being leached due to mining activities and waste generation from the mine may have influenced the results.