Assessment of the impact of coal mining activities on surface water quality: A case study of Mokolo River in the Waterberg region, South Africa.
AI interpretation is pending for this paper.
Open original publication →What the AI sees
Not AI summarized yet.
Research significance
Pending deeper interpretation.
Source abstract
The current study investigated the potential environmental impact of trace metals from coal mining activities on the water quality of the Mokolo River. Water samples were treated using microwave digestion, followed by analysis of 17 selected elements (Ca, K, Mg, Na, Al, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Sb). The macro-elements (Ca, K, Mg, and Na) ranged between 0.02 and 90.98 mg/L. Among the essential trace elements, Fe, Mn, and Mo exceeded permissible limits, with maximum concentrations reaching 6.62 mg/L. Toxic metals, including As, Cd, Cr, and Pb, exceeded guideline limits during the wet season, with concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.33 mg/L. A strong correlation was observed between macro elements, Al and Fe. Elevated concentrations were detected in the Onshoop stream originating from a mining area, but levels decreased downstream in the Mokolo River, suggesting dilution effects. A cautious approach should be adopted because, if elevated levels persist, they may have long-term consequences, potentially compromising the river's assimilative capacity over time. In this regard, the study suggests continuous monitoring and collaborative efforts with the environmental experts from the mining areas to further minimize the elevated levels in river systems that receive leachates from mining activities. The health risk predictions based on Hazard Quotient and Total Cancer Risk values for upstream samples where there are rural communal dwellings with the potential to use the water from the river indicated that children were more vulnerable to metal contamination, with the values ranging up to 34.9.