article · Advances in Environmental and Engineering Research
Mining operations release heavy metals into surface water, which alters aquatic environments and threatens human health. This research evaluated monthly variations in surface water quality across gold mining regions in Osun State, Nigeria, over the course of a full year. Using standard sampling and laboratory testing procedures, the study assessed the suitability of the water for drinking and agricultural irrigation. A wide array of indicators was measured, including dissolved oxygen, hardness, turbidity, total suspended solids, nutrients, and heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, manganese, mercury, and arsenic. Most physicochemical parameters remained within permissible standard thresholds. However, ongoing monitoring remains essential to track pollutant levels over time. The findings support the implementation of dedicated water treatment procedures and stronger regulatory policies to protect public health and maintain water resources in mining communities.
Mining activities often introduce hazardous heavy metals into local water systems, risking community health and agriculture. By mapping how water quality fluctuates throughout the year in mining zones, this research provides baseline conditions that help environmental authorities identify where targeted treatment and regulatory policies are necessary to ensure safe drinking and irrigation water.
The work represents early-stage baseline monitoring rather than a commercial product. It could inform environmental consultancies, municipal water authorities, and mining operators seeking to design targeted testing regimes or effluent treatment systems. Any technical solutions, such as specialised filtration systems or continuous monitoring hardware, would require subsequent development and commercial validation because the abstract focuses solely on observational water assessment.
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Industrial and urban development are contributing to an increase in global environmental degradation. Therefore, the release of heavy metals from mining-related operations into surface water is harmful to human health. But as anthropogenic influences on the environment grow, surface water characteristics are also alter, impacting aquatic creatures. In order to analyze the acceptability of the surface water in the gold mining area for drinking and irrigation uses, different quality water assessment methodologies were incorporated in this research. In light of this, the purpose of the current study is to comprehend how the hydrogeochemistry and appropriateness of surface water for drinking and irrigation vary every month. The study employed standardized analytical techniques. According to APHA recommendations, all sampling, conservation, transportation, and analysis were completed (2012). All collected samples were transported to the study lab while being kept in an icebox to prevent the degradation of the organic components. As a result, the study is focused on the contamination level in the surface water for a year. Overall, the study highlights important pollutants impacting surface water quality as it passes through Osun State's gold mining regions. Finally, it has been determined that the following criteria are crucial for the stretch of this research season: DO, Hardness, Turbidity, Chloride, Potassium, Nitrate, Lead, TSS, Cadmium, Chromium, Sulphate, Manganese, Mercury, and Arsenic. Most of the physicochemical variables examined in this study fell within their corresponding standard limits. Based on the results of this study, the appropriate constituted authority is encouraged to continuously monitor and assess surface water quality suitability for drinking, domestic, and irrigation purposes by keeping track of the effects of water contaminants and detecting any changes in the water quality. To safeguard and maintain groundwater quality and public health, it is advised that appropriate regulatory policies and water treatment procedures be employed in the area. Additionally, it is proposed that when enhancing water quality and investigating the sustainable use of water resources, surface water pollution should be taken into consideration.
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DOI: 10.21926/aeer.2301011
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