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Chapter 14 Arsenic in a highly contaminated gold mine spoil in Ghana: mobilization and potential of soil amendments to reduce the watersoluble arsenic content and improve soil quality

  • Albert Kobina Mensah , Bernd Marschner , Sabry M. Shaheen and Joerg Rinklebe
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Soil Pollution and Remediation
This chapter is in the book Soil Pollution and Remediation

Abstract

Gold mine spoils pose potential threats to environmental resources and consequently raise health concerns for humans. We sequentially extracted arsenic from soil collected from an abandoned mining site for geochemical fractions (water-soluble (FI); specific-sorbed/exchangeable (FII); poorly (FIII)- and well-crystalline (IV) Fe oxide; and residual (FV)). We also employed a preliminary soil incubation study to investigate the potential of soil amendments for amelioration of the water-soluble arsenic contents and soil quality improvement. Compost, iron oxide, manure, and rice husk biochar were each applied at the rates of 0.5%, 2%, and 5% (w/w) to the soil; and NPK (+S) (15:15:15 + 11) fertilizer was applied at 5, 0.2, and 0.1 g/kg. We found that the sequential extraction experiment revealed higher content of arsenic mainly associated with FIII (49%). Results from the incubation experiments indicate that 5% iron oxide reduced the water-soluble content by 93.4%. Further, 5% compost reduced phytoavailable arsenic by 32.5%. Compost, manure, and biochar at 5% improved the mine spoil total C and N, whereas lone treatment with compost and manure at 5% also improved the soil exchangeable K+, Mg2+, and Na+. But application of manure, compost, and iron oxide at 5% provided sorption sites for P, reducing available P from 118.5 mg/kg in the control to 60.3 (by −49%), 12.6 (by −89%), and 7.1 (by −94%) mg/kg, respectively. We thus conclude that 5% iron oxide may very effectively reduce migration and associated environmental health risk of water-soluble As.

Abstract

Gold mine spoils pose potential threats to environmental resources and consequently raise health concerns for humans. We sequentially extracted arsenic from soil collected from an abandoned mining site for geochemical fractions (water-soluble (FI); specific-sorbed/exchangeable (FII); poorly (FIII)- and well-crystalline (IV) Fe oxide; and residual (FV)). We also employed a preliminary soil incubation study to investigate the potential of soil amendments for amelioration of the water-soluble arsenic contents and soil quality improvement. Compost, iron oxide, manure, and rice husk biochar were each applied at the rates of 0.5%, 2%, and 5% (w/w) to the soil; and NPK (+S) (15:15:15 + 11) fertilizer was applied at 5, 0.2, and 0.1 g/kg. We found that the sequential extraction experiment revealed higher content of arsenic mainly associated with FIII (49%). Results from the incubation experiments indicate that 5% iron oxide reduced the water-soluble content by 93.4%. Further, 5% compost reduced phytoavailable arsenic by 32.5%. Compost, manure, and biochar at 5% improved the mine spoil total C and N, whereas lone treatment with compost and manure at 5% also improved the soil exchangeable K+, Mg2+, and Na+. But application of manure, compost, and iron oxide at 5% provided sorption sites for P, reducing available P from 118.5 mg/kg in the control to 60.3 (by −49%), 12.6 (by −89%), and 7.1 (by −94%) mg/kg, respectively. We thus conclude that 5% iron oxide may very effectively reduce migration and associated environmental health risk of water-soluble As.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface VII
  3. Aknowledgments IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. Chapter 1 Evolution of land reclamation practices and introducing mine land degradation and revegetation in Ghana 1
  6. Chapter 2 Methods used in soil and human health risk assessment 29
  7. Chapter 3 Identifying risks using sequential extraction analyses, size fractionation, and acid neutralization capacity experiments 49
  8. Chapter 4 Risk identification using remediation incubation experiments, redox microcosm, geospatial analyses, and synchrotron radiation science 67
  9. Chapter 5 Impacts of mining on soil quality 83
  10. Chapter 6 Topsoil and its management during stockpiling 93
  11. Chapter 7 Effects of mining on the accumulation and pollution with potentially toxic elements 101
  12. Chapter 8 The power of plants in cleaning and stabilising potentially toxic elements in mine-contaminated soils 111
  13. Chapter 9 Achieving mining sector sustainability 143
  14. Chapter 10 Rehabilitation and restoration of degraded mined sites and soils 159
  15. Chapter 11 Case studies in mine land revegetation and remediation employing various approaches 171
  16. Chapter 12 Plant species used in revegetation and their corresponding impacts 189
  17. Chapter 13 Concurrent rehabilitation/revegetation 203
  18. Chapter 14 Arsenic in a highly contaminated gold mine spoil in Ghana: mobilization and potential of soil amendments to reduce the watersoluble arsenic content and improve soil quality 217
  19. Chapter 15 Significance of revegetation of degraded mining sites 239
  20. Measuring and monitoring success of post-reclamation efforts 259
  21. Chapter 17 Critical factors for driving successful restoration of degraded mine lands 273
  22. Chapter 18 Management of restored mine sites 291
  23. Chapter 19 The challenges and strategies for post-mine land restoration efforts in Ghana 301
  24. Chapter 20 A best-fit conceptual framework to enhance phytoremediation scaling 315
  25. Chapter 21 Phytostabilization of Co, Hg, Mo, and Ni by ryegrass with manure and iron oxides reduced environmental concerns 335
  26. Chapter 22 Identifying research gaps for future reclamation studies 363
  27. Chapter 23 General conclusions and summaries 373
  28. References 385
  29. Index 447
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111662046-014

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Preface VII
  3. Aknowledgments IX
  4. Contents XI
  5. Chapter 1 Evolution of land reclamation practices and introducing mine land degradation and revegetation in Ghana 1
  6. Chapter 2 Methods used in soil and human health risk assessment 29
  7. Chapter 3 Identifying risks using sequential extraction analyses, size fractionation, and acid neutralization capacity experiments 49
  8. Chapter 4 Risk identification using remediation incubation experiments, redox microcosm, geospatial analyses, and synchrotron radiation science 67
  9. Chapter 5 Impacts of mining on soil quality 83
  10. Chapter 6 Topsoil and its management during stockpiling 93
  11. Chapter 7 Effects of mining on the accumulation and pollution with potentially toxic elements 101
  12. Chapter 8 The power of plants in cleaning and stabilising potentially toxic elements in mine-contaminated soils 111
  13. Chapter 9 Achieving mining sector sustainability 143
  14. Chapter 10 Rehabilitation and restoration of degraded mined sites and soils 159
  15. Chapter 11 Case studies in mine land revegetation and remediation employing various approaches 171
  16. Chapter 12 Plant species used in revegetation and their corresponding impacts 189
  17. Chapter 13 Concurrent rehabilitation/revegetation 203
  18. Chapter 14 Arsenic in a highly contaminated gold mine spoil in Ghana: mobilization and potential of soil amendments to reduce the watersoluble arsenic content and improve soil quality 217
  19. Chapter 15 Significance of revegetation of degraded mining sites 239
  20. Measuring and monitoring success of post-reclamation efforts 259
  21. Chapter 17 Critical factors for driving successful restoration of degraded mine lands 273
  22. Chapter 18 Management of restored mine sites 291
  23. Chapter 19 The challenges and strategies for post-mine land restoration efforts in Ghana 301
  24. Chapter 20 A best-fit conceptual framework to enhance phytoremediation scaling 315
  25. Chapter 21 Phytostabilization of Co, Hg, Mo, and Ni by ryegrass with manure and iron oxides reduced environmental concerns 335
  26. Chapter 22 Identifying research gaps for future reclamation studies 363
  27. Chapter 23 General conclusions and summaries 373
  28. References 385
  29. Index 447
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