Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
In Senegal, the environmental impact of artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) using mercury (Hg) is poorly documented despite its intensification over the past two decades. We report here a complete dataset including the distribution and speciation of Hg in soil, sediment, and water in pristine and ASGM impacted sites of the Gambia River ecosystem (Kedougou region - eastern Senegal). Selective extraction showed that soils surrounding ASGM activities were contaminated with elemental Hg [Hg(0)] at concentrations up to 3.9 mg kg−1. In the Gambia River, high total Hg (THg: 1.16 ± 0.80 mg kg−1) and methylmercury (MeHg: 3.2 ± 2.3 ng g−1) were also measured in sediment samples collected at ASGM sites. Along the stream, THg concentrations in sediment decrease with distance from the ASGM sites, while those of methylmercury increase downstream. The study of THg and MeHg partitioning between filtered surface water and suspended particles demonstrate that particulate transport is responsible for the downstream dissemination of the Hg contamination from ASGM sites. Sedimentation of fine particles enriched in Hg downstream ASGM sites likely favors MeHg production and accumulation in sediment. Although elemental Hg is weakly labile, surface soil erosion may also provide important and long-term Hg inputs to downstream aquatic ecosystems, where it can be oxidized and methylated. Finally, the dissemination of THg and MeHg downstream from the ASGM sites in the Gambia River may constitute a long-term source of contamination and can have a large scale impact on the aquatic ecosystem through biomagnification.
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Subjects: | P02 - Pollution, E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale, artisanat, or, pollution du sol, pollution de l'eau, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321, http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970, |
Online Access: | http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/1/10.1016%40j.scitotenv.2019.03.108.pdf |
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dig-cirad-fr-5917022024-01-29T01:45:50Z http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/ Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Niane Birane, Guédron Stéphane, Feder Frédéric, Legros Samuel, Ngom Papa Malick, Moritz Robert. 2019. Science of the Total Environment, 669 : 185-193.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108> Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems Niane, Birane Guédron, Stéphane Feder, Frédéric Legros, Samuel Ngom, Papa Malick Moritz, Robert eng 2019 Science of the Total Environment P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 Sénégal http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 In Senegal, the environmental impact of artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) using mercury (Hg) is poorly documented despite its intensification over the past two decades. We report here a complete dataset including the distribution and speciation of Hg in soil, sediment, and water in pristine and ASGM impacted sites of the Gambia River ecosystem (Kedougou region - eastern Senegal). Selective extraction showed that soils surrounding ASGM activities were contaminated with elemental Hg [Hg(0)] at concentrations up to 3.9 mg kg−1. In the Gambia River, high total Hg (THg: 1.16 ± 0.80 mg kg−1) and methylmercury (MeHg: 3.2 ± 2.3 ng g−1) were also measured in sediment samples collected at ASGM sites. Along the stream, THg concentrations in sediment decrease with distance from the ASGM sites, while those of methylmercury increase downstream. The study of THg and MeHg partitioning between filtered surface water and suspended particles demonstrate that particulate transport is responsible for the downstream dissemination of the Hg contamination from ASGM sites. Sedimentation of fine particles enriched in Hg downstream ASGM sites likely favors MeHg production and accumulation in sediment. Although elemental Hg is weakly labile, surface soil erosion may also provide important and long-term Hg inputs to downstream aquatic ecosystems, where it can be oxidized and methylated. Finally, the dissemination of THg and MeHg downstream from the ASGM sites in the Gambia River may constitute a long-term source of contamination and can have a large scale impact on the aquatic ecosystem through biomagnification. article info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal Article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/1/10.1016%40j.scitotenv.2019.03.108.pdf text Cirad license info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess https://agritrop.cirad.fr/mention_legale.html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/purl/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.03.108 |
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P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 |
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P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 Niane, Birane Guédron, Stéphane Feder, Frédéric Legros, Samuel Ngom, Papa Malick Moritz, Robert Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
description |
In Senegal, the environmental impact of artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) using mercury (Hg) is poorly documented despite its intensification over the past two decades. We report here a complete dataset including the distribution and speciation of Hg in soil, sediment, and water in pristine and ASGM impacted sites of the Gambia River ecosystem (Kedougou region - eastern Senegal). Selective extraction showed that soils surrounding ASGM activities were contaminated with elemental Hg [Hg(0)] at concentrations up to 3.9 mg kg−1. In the Gambia River, high total Hg (THg: 1.16 ± 0.80 mg kg−1) and methylmercury (MeHg: 3.2 ± 2.3 ng g−1) were also measured in sediment samples collected at ASGM sites. Along the stream, THg concentrations in sediment decrease with distance from the ASGM sites, while those of methylmercury increase downstream. The study of THg and MeHg partitioning between filtered surface water and suspended particles demonstrate that particulate transport is responsible for the downstream dissemination of the Hg contamination from ASGM sites. Sedimentation of fine particles enriched in Hg downstream ASGM sites likely favors MeHg production and accumulation in sediment. Although elemental Hg is weakly labile, surface soil erosion may also provide important and long-term Hg inputs to downstream aquatic ecosystems, where it can be oxidized and methylated. Finally, the dissemination of THg and MeHg downstream from the ASGM sites in the Gambia River may constitute a long-term source of contamination and can have a large scale impact on the aquatic ecosystem through biomagnification. |
format |
article |
topic_facet |
P02 - Pollution E80 - Économie familiale et artisanale artisanat or pollution du sol pollution de l'eau http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_3483 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_33067 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_7183 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_8321 http://aims.fao.org/aos/agrovoc/c_6970 |
author |
Niane, Birane Guédron, Stéphane Feder, Frédéric Legros, Samuel Ngom, Papa Malick Moritz, Robert |
author_facet |
Niane, Birane Guédron, Stéphane Feder, Frédéric Legros, Samuel Ngom, Papa Malick Moritz, Robert |
author_sort |
Niane, Birane |
title |
Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
title_short |
Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
title_full |
Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in Senegal: Mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
title_sort |
impact of recent artisanal small-scale gold mining in senegal: mercury and methylmercury contamination of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems |
url |
http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/ http://agritrop.cirad.fr/591702/1/10.1016%40j.scitotenv.2019.03.108.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT nianebirane impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems AT guedronstephane impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems AT federfrederic impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems AT legrossamuel impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems AT ngompapamalick impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems AT moritzrobert impactofrecentartisanalsmallscalegoldmininginsenegalmercuryandmethylmercurycontaminationofterrestrialandaquaticecosystems |
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