Mitigating Aquatic Pollution from The Maiganga Coal Mine: Source Identification, Risk Assessment, And Community-Driven Management Strategies

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@article{1711780,
      author = {Abdullahi, M. B, Paul, A. M.},
      title = {Mitigating Aquatic Pollution from The Maiganga Coal Mine: Source Identification, Risk Assessment, And Community-Driven Management Strategies},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2025},
      volume = {9},
      number = {5},
      pages = {584-595},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1711780.pdf},
      abstract = {Even though coal mining is a pivotal source of energy production, mining operations at the Maiganga coal mine site have resulted in significant environmental pressures, especially on surface water and agricultural systems. Also, potentially toxic elements (PTEs) introduced by acid mine drainage (AMD) and mine runoff have the ability to bioaccumulate and endanger both human health and the environment. This project developed community-informed mitigation measures for sustainable environmental management while evaluating the risks, causes, and amount of PTE contamination. During the dry and wet seasons of 2025, 132 environmental samples (soil, water, sediment, and food crops) were collected from six locations that represented the downstream, control, and mine-proximal zones, and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) was used to evaluate and determine the metal concentrations. Results of the study showed that the average amounts of Pb (0.15 mg/L), Cd (0.03 mg/L), and As (0.04 mg/L) in surface water were higher than the WHO (2017) allowable limits, soil and sediment samples showed moderate to severe contamination, according to non-carcinogenic risk assessment, both adults and children had Hazard Index (HI) values greater than 1, with children's exposure to lead carrying the highest risk (HI = 2.81), and multivariate analysis mainly connected AMD and mining tailings leachate to contamination patterns. According to stakeholder interviews (n = 90), most people were aware that water quality is getting worse (91%) but have little to no information about chronic metal toxicity (62% ignorant), and the respondents underlined the necessity of community-led water surveillance and monitoring, stronger effluent regulations, and remedial infrastructure. Therefore, to improve environmental quality and safeguard the livelihoods of the roughly 15,000 residents of Maiganga who depend on the hydrological system, integrated remediation alternatives such as built wetlands, phytoremediation, and participatory surveillance are advised.},
      keywords = {Community engagement, Ecological restoration, Geoaccumulation, Heavy metals, hydrological system, Livelihood},
      month = {November},
      doi = {Paid 36100 to Ibrahim ($25)}
  }