Indexed By
Article Tools
Email this article (Login required)
Email the author (Login required)
About The Authors

W Wilopo
Geological Engineering Department, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
Indonesia

Senior Lecturer

R Resili
Department of Mines and Energy, Murung Raya District, Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia
Indonesia

Senior Staff

D P E Putra
Geological Engineering Department, Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia
Indonesia

User
Author Guidelines

SJR Rank

SCImago Journal & Country Rank

Sinta Rank

Sinta Rank

Visitor Statistic

Effect of traditional gold mining to surface water quality in Murung Raya District, Central Kalimantan Province

W Wilopo, R Resili, D P E Putra
  J. Degrade. Min. Land Manage. , pp. 33-36  
Viewed : 778 times

Abstract


There are many locations for traditional gold mining in Indonesia. One of these is in Murung Raya District, Central Kalimantan Province. Mining activities involving the application of traditional gold processing technology have a high potential to pollute the environment, especially surface water. Therefore, this study aims to determine the impact of gold mining and processing on surface water quality around the mine site. Based on the results of field surveys and laboratory analysis, our data shows that the concentration of mercury (Hg) and Cyanide (CN) has reached 0.3 mg/L and 1.9 mg/L, respectively, in surface water. These values exceed the drinking water quality standards of Indonesia and WHO. Many people who live in the mining area use surface water for daily purposes including drinking, cooking, bathing and washing. This scenario is very dangerous because the effect of surface water contamination on human health cannot be immediately recognized or diagnosed. In our opinion the dissemination of knowledge regarding the treatment of gold mining wastewater is urgently required so that the quality of wastewater can be improved before it is discharged into the environment

Keywords


heavy metals; surface water contamination; traditional gold mining

Full Text:

PDF

References


Benjamin, M.M., Sletten, R.S.,, Bailey, R.P., Bennett, T., 1996, Sorption and filtration of metals using iron-oxide-coated sand. Water Research 30: 2609–2620.

Deutsch, W.J., 1997, Groundwater Geochemistry, Lewis Publishers, USA, 221 pages.

Harijoko, A., Htun, T.M., Saputra, R., Warmada, I.W., Setijadji, L.D., Imai, A., Watanabe, K., 2010, Mercury and arsenic contamination from small scale gold mining activites at Selogiri area, Central Java, Indonesia. Journal of Southeast Asian Applied Geology 2: 56-69

Laperdina, T.G, 2002, Estimation of mercury and other heavy metal contamination in traditional gold-mining areas of Transbaikalia. Journal Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis 2: 219-223;

Nickson, R.T., McArthur, J.M., Ravenscroft, P., Burgess, W.G., and Ahmed, K.M., 2000, “Mechanism of Arsenic Release to Groundwater, Bangladesh and West Bengal”. Applied Geochemistry 15: 403-413.

Regional Development Planning Agency Murung Raya District, 2010, Basic Data for Development of Murung Raya District, 76 pages.

Wilopo, W., Hendrayana, H., Sasaki, K., Hirajima, T., 2006, Arsenic Contamination in Groundwater at Buyat, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Proceedings of Annual Meeting of Mining and Mineral Institute of Japan MMIJ, Tokyo.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.




Copyright (c) 2013 Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management

License URL: http://jdmlm.ub.ac.id/index.php/jdmlm/about/submissions#privacyStatement

Indexed By