Variation of heavy metal concentration in soil around a platinum slimes dam

Abstract

Abstract: Platinum mining contributes significantly in sustaining most national economies. While the global demand for platinum continues to rise, the release of waste from mining activities into air, water and soil has profound negative effects on food production, animal and plant health. This study evaluates spatial variations of iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) in soil around a slimes dam at Mimosa platinum mine in Zimbabwe. Five sets of soil samples were collected at a depth of 20 cm within an interval of 50 m from the foot of the slimes dam in the north, south, east and west directions. Soil samples were put in polythene bags and transported to the laboratory for analysis of heavy metal concentrations using the EDTA titration method. The findings show that concentrations of the four heavy metals show notable variations with increasing distance from slimes dam. This implies that sustainable waste management practices need to be put in place to reduce adverse environmental of heavy metal pollution in soils.