Impact of Rutile mining on water quality in Mogbwemo, Southwestern Sierra Leone
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Abstract
A study to assess the impact of Rutile mining on the quality of surface and well waters in Mogbwemo was conducted. Results showed significant levels ( p<0.05) of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Ti and Zn) in the water bodies. A four stage sequential extraction procedure according to Tessier protocol applied to sediment of the water bodies for the metals Cu, Fe and Zn revealed about 1% and 15% for the exchangeable and bioavailable fraction respectively of the total metal within the sediment. The bioavailable metal fraction in the sediment correlated strongly to the level of metals present in the water bodies for Fe (R2 = 0.66), but a much weaker correlation for zinc (R2 = 0.34) and no correlation for Cu. It was concluded that pollution in the water bodies of Mogbwemo could possibly have originated from the mining activities of Rutile.
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