Impact of Coal Mining Activities on Crops around Maignga Coal Mining Site, Akko Local Government of Gombe State-Nigeria
- September 5, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: Environmental Science, IJRIAS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue IV, April 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
D.U Yuguda*, D. Kulawe1
Department of Biological Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria
*Corresponding author
Abstract: – The study aimed to determine the impact of coal mining activities on edible crops around Maiganga coal mine site of Akko Local Government Area, Gombe State-Nigeria by assessing the level of some heavy metals in some selected crops and soil around the area so as to ascertain the influence of coal mining on crops around the area. Two regions were compared which include contaminated site (farms around Maiganga coal mine site) and a non-contaminated site (farm lands 40km away from Maiganga coal mines). Soil, maize and millet samples were collected from each of the two study areas, they were then labeled and stored in polythene bags. The leaves samples were shade dried, grinded and labeled before taken to the Biochemistry Department laboratory of Gombe State University for processing and analysis. Among the selected heavy metals analyzed Zn, Fe and Mn were detected while Co, Cd and Pb were not at detectable range of ASS machine. However, the result showed that the level of Fe and Zn concentration in maize, millet and soil samples were higher in the contaminated site while the level of Mn was higher in the control site than in the contaminated site. The mean concentration value in maize leaves samples of Zn=67.13 Fe =24.93 Mn = 198.0 and Zn=58.33 Fe =24.00 and Mn =235 in the contaminated and the uncontaminated site respectively, whereas the mean concentration value in millet leaves samples of Zn=59.53 Fe =30.00 Mn =119.0 and Zn= 55.67 Fe = 25.20 and Mn = 226.0 in the contaminated and the uncontaminated site respectably, and that of the mean concentration value in soil samples of Zn= 42.67 Fe = 32.27 Mn =191.0 and Zn= 4.80 Fe = 28.00 and Mn =260 in the contaminated and the uncontaminated site respectably. Moreover, the data collected were analyzed using student T test in SPSS version 16 for comparison of the two study areas. Moreover, the value obtained were all below the recommended level. If the concentration of toxic metals continue to increase it will pose a health threat to the local people who continue to consume on edible crops cultivated around the affected area.
Key words: Maiganga, Coal mine, Heavy metals, Edible plants, Soil samples
