Influence of Vat Leach Reprocessed Tailings on the Environments around Sekenke Gold Mine, Iramba District, Tanzania.

Roman, Priscus (2025) Influence of Vat Leach Reprocessed Tailings on the Environments around Sekenke Gold Mine, Iramba District, Tanzania. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

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Abstract

Soil pollution is a worldwide phenomenon which results from both natural and anthropogenic activities. This study aimed to assess the environmental risks associated with reprocessed tailings by determining the concentration of heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Fe, Zn & Cr) by using XRF (Rigaku Nex CG) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS, Varian 55B) for As. Eighteen (18) samples from both unprocessed and reprocessed tailing heaps, twelve (12) garden soils, nine (9) water samples and six (6) leafy vegetable samples collected and analysed in the laboratory to assess the heavy metals levels. The pollution load Index (PLI) values for unprocessed and reprocessed tailings were 2.440 and 1.858 respectively, indicating significant environmental pollution. In garden soils, the pollution index (PI) and contamination degree, (Cdeg) values were 2.9889 and 27.082 respectively, confirming elevated contamination. As and Cr was higher in both children and adults consuming water. Cancer risk evaluation showed children consuming Amaranthus spp faced higher risk for As, Cd, Cr and Pb than in adults. In contrast, consuming Cucurbita moschata posed cancer risk from As, Cd and Cr in both groups though Pb related risk for children remained below US EPA life time cancer risk (LTCR) thresholds. However, further studies are required to assess levels of heavy metals in other green leafy vegetables and fruits around the process plants, health risks through dermal and inhalation and assess the levels of heavy metals dispersion in soils from the abandoned reprocessed tailings to a far distance. Keywords: Heavy Metals, Geo accumulation Index(Igeo),tailings, Contamination, pollution load Index, Amaranthus spp, Cucubita moschata,Iramba.

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