IMPACT OF ARTISANAL PERMA GOLD MINING ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY

The artisanal exploitation of gold in Perma is not without impact on the environment and even the quality of groundwater. For this, three gold panning sites were selected. Samples of water (surface and underground) and sediments were taken during the rainy season between the months of August and September 2021. The results from the physico-chemical analyzes show that the waters are slightly acidic (6 < pH < 7.42), weakly mineralized and conductive (21 < EC < 448 µS/cm) the water temperature varies between 27.7 °C and 30.8 °C. The concentrations of cyanides and zinc vary respectively from 0 µg/L and 30 µg/L and from 0.01 and 0.5 mg/L. With regard to the sediments, the physico-chemical analyzes show the following results: the water pH is close to neutral [6.79 6.98] and the KCl pH is slightly acidic [6.42 6.53]. Sediments from the Kouaterna site record high concentrations of total phosphorus 7934.00 meq/kg, total carbon 1.1094%, NTK 1200 mg/kg and organic matter 1.91%. As for the exchangeable K and the cation exchange capacity, they evolve respectively between 0.0859 meq/kg and 0.1791 meq/kg and 4.360 meq/kg < CEC < 6.160 meq/kg. Groundwater in the area is weakly mineralized, of good quality and has no impact on consumption, unlike unsuitable surface water.