Hydrochemical Characterization and Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Mining Environment of Afema Township (South-East of Côte d’Ivoire)

Afema Township, located in the department of Aboisso, was mined from 1992 to 1998. At the end of the exploitation, the sites did not undergo any real rehabilitation work. In order to determine the impact of these mining activities on the physicochemical characteristics and quality of groundwater, this study was undertaken. The results of the water analyses collected in the mining area were processed using Piper's triangular diagram and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The methodological approach consisted, first of all, in determining the hydro-facies of the waters studied, then in dividing them into different groups on the basis of their hydro-chemical similarity and in identifying the factors likely to explain both the origin of the parameters studied and their correlation. Finally, the overall quality of these waters was estimated from the calculation of the quality index. The results showed that the waters studied were divided into two main families: chloride-calcium-magnesium waters and bicarbonate-calcium-magnesium waters. They were on the whole weakly mineralized, with an average electrical conductivity of 195.76 μS.cm-1. This mineralization was controlled by two essential phenomena, the residence time of water in the aquifers and surface infiltration and leaching from unsaturated ground. The physico-chemical quality of the groundwater studied complied with the standards of potability recommended by the WHO. However, the results also showed high levels of cadmium (0.052 mg.L-1) and lead (0.058 mg.L-1); this explained the overall poor quality of these waters according to the water quality index. Thus, the studied waters presented a real risk for human consumption. The consumption of these waters by local communities exposes them to health risks

Hydrochemical Characterization and Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Mining Environment of Afema Township (South-East of Côte d’Ivoire)

Afema Township, located in the department of Aboisso, was mined from 1992 to 1998. At the end of the exploitation, the sites did not undergo any real rehabilitation work. In order to determine the impact of these mining activities on the physicochemical characteristics and quality of groundwater, this study was undertaken. The results of the water analyses collected in the mining area were processed using Piper's triangular diagram and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The methodological approach consisted, first of all, in determining the hydro-facies of the waters studied, then in dividing them into different groups on the basis of their hydro-chemical similarity and in identifying the factors likely to explain both the origin of the parameters studied and their correlation. Finally, the overall quality of these waters was estimated from the calculation of the quality index. The results showed that the waters studied were divided into two main families: chloride-calcium-magnesium waters and bicarbonate-calcium-magnesium waters. They were on the whole weakly mineralized, with an average electrical conductivity of 195.76 μS.cm-1. This mineralization was controlled by two essential phenomena, the residence time of water in the aquifers and surface infiltration and leaching from unsaturated ground. The physico-chemical quality of the groundwater studied complied with the standards of potability recommended by the WHO. However, the results also showed high levels of cadmium (0.052 mg.L-1) and lead (0.058 mg.L-1); this explained the overall poor quality of these waters according to the water quality index. Thus, the studied waters presented a real risk for human consumption. The consumption of these waters by local communities exposes them to health risks

Cartographie De La Vulnérabilité À La Pollution Des Aquifères Du Socle Précambrien : Cas De La Région D’oumé (Centre-Ouest De La Côte D’ivoire)

Development of agricultural and mining activities and the rapid growth of the population (3.8%) in Oumé’s area, constitute a potential risk of groundwater’s pollutions. This study interested Oumé’s area and aims to elaborate a map of vulnerability to pollution for a better management of groundwaters. The database is constituted by various data in particular, geological, hydrogeological, geomorphological, pluviometric data and satellite image. Methods DRASTIC and GOD were used in this study. Results of DRASTIC method indicated that 31.86% of study area have a very low vulnerability, 68.12% a low vulnerability and 0.02% a moderate vulnerability. With GOD method, 12.8% of study area have a very low vulnerability, 86.46% a low vulnerability and 0.74% a moderate vulnerability. The chemical analysis of groundwater showed that weaker rates of nitrates (0-14mg/l) registered inside the surely well protected zones. These observations have led to validate some various maps obtained. Result of the test of Kappa revealed that coefficient K is reliable and gave moderate agreement (K=0.43) between both methods. This agreement is confirmed by the surface analysis (79.01%). In this study, the DRASTIC method supplied better results and is thus better adapted for the evaluation of vulnerability in the pollution of groundwater of this area

Apport Du SIG Et De L’analyse Multicritère Dans La Prospection Hydrogéologique Du Socle Précambrien De Gagnoa (Centre-Ouest De La Côte d’Ivoire)

Côte d’Ivoire is constituted in more than 97.5% of crystalline basement which contains the main part of groundwater resources of the country. These resources are contained in the weathering material and fissured aquifers. Gagnoa area located at the Central West of Côte d'Ivoire, on crystalline and metamorphic basement. In this area, surface water and groundwater are exploited for the water supply of the populations. However surface water are often doubtful quality and can affect the health of these populations. Thus find water resources in sufficient and good quality amount is a necessity in this area. The study aims to identify favourable areas for the archievement of drillings with important discharge using geomorphologic, hydrogeological data and remote sensing. Multi-criteria analisys methods were used in this study. The database is constituted by various data in particular, data sheets of drillings, hydroclimatic statements and satellite image. This database was stored, analyzed, treated and managed using ARCGIS 10.2. software. Various treatments allowed to establish various thematic maps (accessibility, exploitability, availability). The synthesis of all information inside a SIG allowed to establish the maps of favourable areas to achieve drillings with large discharges. The classes of good and excellent sensibility cover 26% of the study area. These favourable areas for the achievement of drillings with important discharge are located at the center and south of the study area. Validation of this map showed that 66% of the water points (drillings) with discharge superior to 5 m3/h overlap on the good and excellent classes of sensibility. The various zones of productivity of Gagnoa area were able to be characterized. These results are very interesting and useful for the hydrogeological prospecting. They contribute to a better knowledge and a groundwater resource management

Développement d'une méthodologie pour une meilleure évaluation des impacts environnementaux de l'industrie extractive

An increasing demand of mineral resources is associated with modern society development. In parallel, mining projects face strong oppositions both from public and from environment protection agencies, due to the potential impacts associated with ore extraction. In order to conciliate the needs of producing raw materials and of taking into account the preservation of the quality of the environment, it is necessary to assess the environmental impact previous to the start of the mining activities. The Environmental Impact Assessment procedure helps to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts of a project. Although Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure is mandatory, the regulations do not impose any impact assessment method. Thus, EIA practitioners are free to use the method that suits them and their own expertise to estimate the environmental impacts of a project. The main purpose of this work is to propose a method to more effectively evaluate the environmental impacts of the mining industry. To achieve this, two approaches have been explored: the Mining Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology (MEIAM) developed in this thesis and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is a standardized methodology. MEIAM is based on the risk analysis approach and makes it possible to evaluate the impacts taking into account the climatic and geological conditions and the initial state of the zone. LCA is a standardized technique that assesses the impacts produced on the site and those generated off-site but whose generating activities are related to the system studied. These methods were implemented on a gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire.MEIAM, taking into account the particular characteristics of the study area, showed high impact results for both surface water and groundwater pollution, mainly at the operation and post-closure stages. This study has also shown that pollution sources with high level impacts include tailings, soils previously contaminated by dust fallout and mining works. Regarding the LCA, which is in essence an overall method, it has made it possible to highlight quite significant off-site impacts. For on-site effects, the study showed that the impacts on human health are mainly due to metal emissions from operation activities (ore processing and tailings management as well as blasting). Finally, our work showed that all the impacts were better taken into account by a combination of MEIAM and LCA in the EIA procedures.L’industrie minière joue un rôle important dans le développement économique de nos pays. Cependant, les projets miniers font de nos jours face à de sérieuses oppositions tant des communautés locales que des organismes de protection de l'environnement, en raison des impacts potentiels associés à l'extraction minière. Pour concilier les besoins de production de matières premières (assurer le développement économique) et la prise en compte de la préservation de la qualité de l'environnement, il est nécessaire d'évaluer les impacts environnementaux potentiels, conséquences des activités minières avant leur début et choisir les meilleures options d’un point de vue environnemental. L’Étude d’Impact Environnemental (EIE) est une procédure qui permet d’identifier et d’évaluer les impacts d’un projet. Les projets miniers sont assujettis à une telle étude. Or bien que la procédure d’EIE soit obligatoire, la réglementation ne prescrit aucune méthode d’évaluation des impacts ; qui est laissée au choix du praticien. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de proposer une méthode permettant d’évaluer plus efficacement les impacts environnementaux de l’industrie minière. Pour y parvenir deux approches ont été explorées : la méthodologie d’Analyse et d’Évaluation des Impacts environnementaux Miniers (MAEIMIN) développée dans cette thèse et la méthodologie d’Analyse de Cycle Vie (ACV) qui est une technique standardisée ISO. MAEIMIN est une technique basée sur la démarche d’analyse de risque et permet d’évaluer les impacts en prenant en comptes les conditions climatiques, géologiques et de l’état initial de la zone. L’ACV est quant à elle une technique standardisée qui permet d’évaluer les impacts produits sur le site et ceux générés hors du site mais dont les activités génératrices sont liées au système étudié. Ces méthodes ont été mises en œuvre sur une mine d’or en Côte d’Ivoire. MAEIMIN, en prenant en compte les caractéristiques particulières de la zone d’étude, a montré des résultats d’impacts élevés aussi bien pour la pollution des eaux de surface que pour les eaux souterraines, principalement aux étapes d’exploitation et d’après-mine. Cette étude a également montré que les sources de pollution entraînant des impacts de niveau élevé comprennent les dépôts de résidus (terrils et effluents), les sols préalablement contaminées par des retombées de poussière et les travaux miniers. S’agissant de l’ACV, qui est par essence une méthode généraliste, elle a permis plus particulièrement de mettre en évidence des impacts off-site assez significatifs. Pour les effets on-site, l’étude a montré que les impacts sur la santé humaine sont essentiellement dus aux émissions de métaux par les activités d’exploitation (traitement du minerai et gestion des résidus miniers ainsi que les émissions de l’abattage). Enfin, notre travail a permis de montrer une meilleure prise en compte de l’ensemble des impacts par une combinaison de MAEIMIN et de l’ACV dans les procédures d’EIE

Development of a methodology for a better assessment of the environmental impacts of the mining industry

L’industrie minière joue un rôle important dans le développement économique de nos pays. Cependant, les projets miniers font de nos jours face à de sérieuses oppositions tant des communautés locales que des organismes de protection de l'environnement, en raison des impacts potentiels associés à l'extraction minière. Pour concilier les besoins de production de matières premières (assurer le développement économique) et la prise en compte de la préservation de la qualité de l'environnement, il est nécessaire d'évaluer les impacts environnementaux potentiels, conséquences des activités minières avant leur début et choisir les meilleures options d’un point de vue environnemental. L’Étude d’Impact Environnemental (EIE) est une procédure qui permet d’identifier et d’évaluer les impacts d’un projet. Les projets miniers sont assujettis à une telle étude. Or bien que la procédure d’EIE soit obligatoire, la réglementation ne prescrit aucune méthode d’évaluation des impacts ; qui est laissée au choix du praticien. L’objectif général de cette thèse est de proposer une méthode permettant d’évaluer plus efficacement les impacts environnementaux de l’industrie minière. Pour y parvenir deux approches ont été explorées : la méthodologie d’Analyse et d’Évaluation des Impacts environnementaux Miniers (MAEIMIN) développée dans cette thèse et la méthodologie d’Analyse de Cycle Vie (ACV) qui est une technique standardisée ISO. MAEIMIN est une technique basée sur la démarche d’analyse de risque et permet d’évaluer les impacts en prenant en comptes les conditions climatiques, géologiques et de l’état initial de la zone. L’ACV est quant à elle une technique standardisée qui permet d’évaluer les impacts produits sur le site et ceux générés hors du site mais dont les activités génératrices sont liées au système étudié. Ces méthodes ont été mises en œuvre sur une mine d’or en Côte d’Ivoire. MAEIMIN, en prenant en compte les caractéristiques particulières de la zone d’étude, a montré des résultats d’impacts élevés aussi bien pour la pollution des eaux de surface que pour les eaux souterraines, principalement aux étapes d’exploitation et d’après-mine. Cette étude a également montré que les sources de pollution entraînant des impacts de niveau élevé comprennent les dépôts de résidus (terrils et effluents), les sols préalablement contaminées par des retombées de poussière et les travaux miniers. S’agissant de l’ACV, qui est par essence une méthode généraliste, elle a permis plus particulièrement de mettre en évidence des impacts off-site assez significatifs. Pour les effets on-site, l’étude a montré que les impacts sur la santé humaine sont essentiellement dus aux émissions de métaux par les activités d’exploitation (traitement du minerai et gestion des résidus miniers ainsi que les émissions de l’abattage). Enfin, notre travail a permis de montrer une meilleure prise en compte de l’ensemble des impacts par une combinaison de MAEIMIN et de l’ACV dans les procédures d’EIE.An increasing demand of mineral resources is associated with modern society development. In parallel, mining projects face strong oppositions both from public and from environment protection agencies, due to the potential impacts associated with ore extraction. In order to conciliate the needs of producing raw materials and of taking into account the preservation of the quality of the environment, it is necessary to assess the environmental impact previous to the start of the mining activities. The Environmental Impact Assessment procedure helps to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts of a project. Although Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure is mandatory, the regulations do not impose any impact assessment method. Thus, EIA practitioners are free to use the method that suits them and their own expertise to estimate the environmental impacts of a project. The main purpose of this work is to propose a method to more effectively evaluate the environmental impacts of the mining industry. To achieve this, two approaches have been explored: the Mining Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology (MEIAM) developed in this thesis and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which is a standardized methodology. MEIAM is based on the risk analysis approach and makes it possible to evaluate the impacts taking into account the climatic and geological conditions and the initial state of the zone. LCA is a standardized technique that assesses the impacts produced on the site and those generated off-site but whose generating activities are related to the system studied. These methods were implemented on a gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire.MEIAM, taking into account the particular characteristics of the study area, showed high impact results for both surface water and groundwater pollution, mainly at the operation and post-closure stages. This study has also shown that pollution sources with high level impacts include tailings, soils previously contaminated by dust fallout and mining works. Regarding the LCA, which is in essence an overall method, it has made it possible to highlight quite significant off-site impacts. For on-site effects, the study showed that the impacts on human health are mainly due to metal emissions from operation activities (ore processing and tailings management as well as blasting). Finally, our work showed that all the impacts were better taken into account by a combination of MEIAM and LCA in the EIA procedures

Caractérisation Hydro-Chimique et Évaluation de la Qualité des Eaux Souterraines de l’Environnement Minier du Canton Afema (Sud-Est de la Côte d’Ivoire)

Le Canton Afema situé dans le département d’Aboisso a connu une exploitation minière de 1992 à 1998. A la fin de l’exploitation les sites n’ont pas subi de réels travaux de réhabilitation. Afin de déterminer l’impact de ces activités minières sur les caractéristiques physico-chimiques et la qualité des eaux souterraines, cette étude a été entreprise. Les résultats des analyses d’eaux collectées dans la zone minière ont été traités à l’aide du diagramme triangulaire de Piper et de l’Analyse en Composantes Principales (ACP). L’approche méthodologique a consisté d’abord à déterminer les hydro-faciès des eaux étudiées puis à les repartir en différents groupes sur la base de leur ressemblance hydro-chimique et à identifier les facteurs susceptibles d’expliquer à la fois l’origine des paramètres étudiés et leur corrélation. Enfin, la qualité globale de ces eaux a été estimée à partir du calcul de l’indice de qualité. Les résultats ont montré que les eaux étudiées étaient réparties en deux grandes familles : les eaux chlorurées calciques et magnésiennes et les eaux bicarbonatées calciques et magnésiennes. Elles étaient dans l’ensemble faiblement minéralisées, avec une conductivité électrique moyenne de 195,76 μS.cm-1. Cette minéralisation était contrôlée par deux phénomènes essentiels, le temps de séjour de l’eau dans les aquifères et l’infiltration superficielle et le lessivage des terrains non saturés. La qualité physico-chimique des eaux souterraines étudiées était conforme aux normes de potabilité recommandées par l’OMS. Cependant, les résultats ont aussi montré de fortes teneurs en cadmium (0,052 mg.L-1) et en plomb (0,058 mg.L-1) ; ce qui était responsable de la mauvaise qualité globale de ces eaux selon l’indice de qualité. Ainsi, la consommation des eaux étudiées par les populations locales constitue un danger pour leur santé. Afema Township, located in the department of Aboisso, was mined from 1992 to 1998. At the end of the exploitation, the sites did not undergo any real rehabilitation work. In order to determine the impact of these mining activities on the physicochemical characteristics and quality of groundwater, this study was undertaken. The results of the water analyses collected in the mining area were processed using Piper's triangular diagram and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The methodological approach consisted, first of all, in determining the hydro-facies of the waters studied, then in dividing them into different groups on the basis of their hydro-chemical similarity and in identifying the factors likely to explain both the origin of the parameters studied and their correlation. Finally, the overall quality of these waters was estimated from the calculation of the quality index. The results showed that the waters studied were divided into two main families: chloride-calcium-magnesium waters and bicarbonate-calcium-magnesium waters. They were on the whole weakly mineralized, with an average electrical conductivity of 195.76 μS.cm-1. This mineralization was controlled by two essential phenomena, the residence time of water in the aquifers and surface infiltration and leaching from unsaturated ground. The physico-chemical quality of the groundwater studied complied with the standards of potability recommended by the WHO. However, the results also showed high levels of cadmium (0.052 mg.L-1) and lead (0.058 mg.L-1); this explained the overall poor quality of these waters according to the water quality index. Thus, the studied waters presented a real risk for human consumption. The consumption of these waters by local communities exposes them to health risks

Mining impacts assessment using the LCA methodology: case study of Afema gold mine in Ivory Coast

International audienceEnvironmental impact assessment studies are mandatory for major industrial or infrastructure projects in most countries. These studies are usually limited to on‐site impacts during exploitation but do not consider indirect impacts generated off‐site or those concerning other steps of the project, including dismantling. National regulations in various countries have recently begun to include these neglected impacts to obtain a better appreciation of project trade‐offs. Several scientists have highlighted the substantial potential of using the life cycle assessment methodology to increase the level of detail and completeness of EIA studies.Even if mining activities are known to produce significant local impacts, their consequences outside an extraction site have not yet been well documented. The implementation of the LCA methodology in the EIA procedure has been carried out in a gold mining project by separating on‐site and off‐site impacts during the entire life cycle of the mine from prospection to site restoration following the end of exploitation.Mining projects occur over large time periods and require diverse materials and processes. The main difficulty of such analysis is the data collection that needs to be extrapolated for some of the activities. Even with these limitations, the Afema case study highlighted the significant share of off‐site impacts (from a spatial perspective) and the major contribution of the exploitation phase of the mine (from a temporal perspective). Operating activities, especially excavation, ore and waste rock transportation, blasting, ore processing and tailing treatments, are the main impacts produced during the exploitation phase and are involved in climate change, particulate matter formation, and land destruction.Therefore, this standardized LCA method should be recommended by the regulatory authorities for use in EIA procedures

Caractérisation Hydro-Chimique et Évaluation de la Qualité des Eaux Souterraines de l’Environnement Minier du Canton Afema (Sud-Est de la Côte d’Ivoire)

Le Canton Afema situé dans le département d’Aboisso a connu une exploitation minière de 1992 à 1998. A la fin de l’exploitation les sites n’ont pas subi de réels travaux de réhabilitation. Afin de déterminer l’impact de ces activités minières sur les caractéristiques physico-chimiques et la qualité des eaux souterraines, cette étude a été entreprise. Les résultats des analyses d’eaux collectées dans la zone minière ont été traités à l’aide du diagramme triangulaire de Piper et de l’Analyse en Composantes Principales (ACP). L’approche méthodologique a consisté d’abord à déterminer les hydro-faciès des eaux étudiées puis à les repartir en différents groupes sur la base de leur ressemblance hydro-chimique et à identifier les facteurs susceptibles d’expliquer à la fois l’origine des paramètres étudiés et leur corrélation. Enfin, la qualité globale de ces eaux a été estimée à partir du calcul de l’indice de qualité. Les résultats ont montré que les eaux étudiées étaient réparties en deux grandes familles : les eaux chlorurées calciques et magnésiennes et les eaux bicarbonatées calciques et magnésiennes. Elles étaient dans l’ensemble faiblement minéralisées, avec une conductivité électrique moyenne de 195,76 μS.cm-1. Cette minéralisation était contrôlée par deux phénomènes essentiels, le temps de séjour de l’eau dans les aquifères et l’infiltration superficielle et le lessivage des terrains non saturés. La qualité physico-chimique des eaux souterraines étudiées était conforme aux normes de potabilité recommandées par l’OMS. Cependant, les résultats ont aussi montré de fortes teneurs en cadmium (0,052 mg.L-1) et en plomb (0,058 mg.L-1) ; ce qui était responsable de la mauvaise qualité globale de ces eaux selon l’indice de qualité. Ainsi, la consommation des eaux étudiées par les populations locales constitue un danger pour leur santé. Afema Township, located in the department of Aboisso, was mined from 1992 to 1998. At the end of the exploitation, the sites did not undergo any real rehabilitation work. In order to determine the impact of these mining activities on the physicochemical characteristics and quality of groundwater, this study was undertaken. The results of the water analyses collected in the mining area were processed using Piper's triangular diagram and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The methodological approach consisted, first of all, in determining the hydro-facies of the waters studied, then in dividing them into different groups on the basis of their hydro-chemical similarity and in identifying the factors likely to explain both the origin of the parameters studied and their correlation. Finally, the overall quality of these waters was estimated from the calculation of the quality index. The results showed that the waters studied were divided into two main families: chloride-calcium-magnesium waters and bicarbonate-calcium-magnesium waters. They were on the whole weakly mineralized, with an average electrical conductivity of 195.76 μS.cm-1. This mineralization was controlled by two essential phenomena, the residence time of water in the aquifers and surface infiltration and leaching from unsaturated ground. The physico-chemical quality of the groundwater studied complied with the standards of potability recommended by the WHO. However, the results also showed high levels of cadmium (0.052 mg.L-1) and lead (0.058 mg.L-1); this explained the overall poor quality of these waters according to the water quality index. Thus, the studied waters presented a real risk for human consumption. The consumption of these waters by local communities exposes them to health risks