Assessment of soil metal distribution and environmental impact of mining in Katanga (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Co; Cu; Guide reference; Katanga; Metals; Rhizopshere; Soils; Statistics; Bioremediation; Cadmium; Cobalt; Copper; Environmental impact; Lead; Lead smelting; Manganese; Ore treatment; Smelting; Trace elements; Zinc; Zinc smelting; Democratic Republic of Congo; Environmental conditions; Metal fractionation; Smelting activities; Speciation modeling; Soil pollution

Abstract :

[en] Metal and metalloid (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn) distribution in soils from the Katanga Copperbelt (Democratic Republic of Congo) is investigated in order to characterize the environmental impacts of mining and smelting activities in that area. The concentrations of Cu, Co, As, Zn, Pb and Cd in soils from mining sites are higher than in non-metalliferous sites and above permissible metal and metalloid concentrations in soils. Moreover, the fractionation and mobility of Co, and Cu in such environment is assessed using the application of both ammonium acetate-EDTA extraction and speciation modeling (WHAM 6). The resulting data set covers wide range of environmental conditions (pH, trace metals concentration, natural soils and soils affected by mining and ore processing). These extractions show that only a small fraction of Cu and Co is mobile, with variation depending on sites: mobility is higher in soils affected by mining and ore processing. The strong affinity of Mn-oxides for Co may explain lower Co mobility in Mn-rich soils. The high Mn and Fe contents of Cu-Co soils from Katanga may actually exert a protective effect against the toxic effects of Co. Finally, Cu-Co speciation modeling of contaminated sites emphasizes that organic matter strongly sorb Cu whereas Co speciation is mostly by Mn content. This type of study leads to a better understanding of metal fractionation and can guide to define different practices of phytoremediation. © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Disciplines :

Environmental sciences & ecology

Author, co-author :

Pourret, Olivier; HydrISE, LaSalle Beauvais, 60026 Beauvais cedex, France

Lange, Bastien; HydrISE, LaSalle Beauvais, 60026 Beauvais cedex, France, Laboratoire d'Ecologie Végétale et Biogéochimie, Université Libre Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium

Bonhoure, Jessica; HydrISE, LaSalle Beauvais, 60026 Beauvais cedex, France

Colinet, Gilles ; Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Echanges Eau-Sol-Plantes

Decrée, Sophie; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Geological Survey of Belgium, Rue Vautier 13, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Mahy, Grégory ; Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Biodiversité et Paysage

Seleck, Maxime ; Université de Liège > Ingénierie des biosystèmes (Biose) > Biodiversité et Paysage

Shutcha, Mylor; Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

Faucon, Michel-Pierre; HydrISE, LaSalle Beauvais, 60026 Beauvais cedex, France

Language :

English

Title :

Assessment of soil metal distribution and environmental impact of mining in Katanga (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Publication date :

2015

Journal title :

Applied Geochemistry

ISSN :

0883-2927

Publisher :

Elsevier Ltd

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Available on ORBi :

since 04 September 2015

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