Author(s)

Kouassi Ernest Ahoussi¹, Armand Patrick Yapo¹, Amani Michel Kouassi², Yao Blaise Koffi¹

¹Training and Research Unit of Earth Sciences and Mining Resources (Laboratory of Soil, Water and Geomaterial Sciences) Universiyé Félix Houphouët Boigny Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
²Department of Earth Sciences and Mining Resources, Institute National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët Boigny (INP-HB), Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.

The main purpose of this study is to characterize the surface sediments of the Kokumbo artisanal gold mining sites in Metallic trace Elements (MTEs). A total of 12 samples of surface water sediments were collected for this study. The samples were analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). The mean concentrations of Mn (611.37 mg/kg) and Zn (955.86 mg/kg) in the sediments were very high compared to the standard in unpolluted sediments. The enrichment factor (EF) shows that there is an enrichment of Mn at some sites (EF (Mn) > 2). The presence of As, Mn, and Zn is also highlighted by the geo-accumulation index (I-geo) which shows slight pollution in Mn (0 < I-geo (Mn) < 1) on some sites. Moderate pollution for As (1 < I-geo (As) < 2) was determined at the treatment site and high pollution in Zn at some sites in the area (I-geo (Zn) > 3). This study shows that the presence of Zn in the sediments is linked to artisanal gold mining activities. Indeed, Zn is much used for gold recovery. The statistical analysis (PCA) shows, on the one hand, natural mineralization of the sediments and addition of metals linked to anthropic activities corresponding to the erosion of mining discharges. The surface sediments of the Kokumbo mining sites show pollution in As, Mn, and Zn.

Artisanal Mining, Enrichment Factor (EF), MTEs, Pollution, Sediment

Ahoussi, K. , Yapo, A. , Kouassi, A. and Koffi, Y. (2020) Surface Water Sediments Characterization Using Metallic Trace Elements (MTEs): Case of the Artisanal Gold Mining Sites of Kokumbo (Côte d’Ivoire). Journal of Environmental Protection, 11, 649-663. doi: 10.4236/jep.2020.119039.