Environmental and Health Implications of Coal Mining at Maiganga, Gombe State, Nigeria

Chibuisi Samuel Ikwuagwu^1,

¹Department of Geology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
Chibuisi Samuel Ikwuagwu. Environmental and Health Implications of Coal Mining at Maiganga, Gombe State, Nigeria. Journal of Environment Pollution and Human Health. 2017; 5(1):5-14. doi: 10.12691/jephh-5-1-2

Abstract

Coal occurrence, exploitation, Processing, and utilization have strong impact both on human health and the environment. This results from its composition and environment of occurrence. Maiganga Coal occurs in the Gombe sandstone. Result of the petrography analysis of the study area demonstrates high silica content and the presence of some elements in the mine. Chronic exposure to these materials by human and the environment poses substantial risks. Both the mineworkers and the Maiganga people that live in the area are daily exposed to these materials and the resultant effects. Pneumoconiosis, silicosis, Acid Mine Drainage (AMD), and water pollution are among the health and environmental risks interaction with Coal in the area poses. High ash and moisture contents of the coal samples as indicated by the proximate analysis posit some implications for the environment and health. The findings of this study indicate that two wells drilled to serve the Maiganga community are of poor quality, hence unfit for use because of the interference of the coal deposit in the area. Besides the established environmental and health challenges, there are potential health and environmental risks the Coal mining, use, and post-combustion disposal in the study area poses. These are what this paper underpins.

Keywords:
abandoned mine pneumoconiosis Maiganga coal environment health

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	B. Tutmez, B. Hozatli, and A.K. Cengiz, An Overview of Turkish Lignite Qualities by Logistic Analysis, Journal of Coal Science, & Engineering, 19, 2013, 113-118.
[2]	E. Morrice and Colagiuri, Coal Mining, Social Injustice and Health: A Universal Conflict of Power and Priority”, Health & Place, 19, 2013, 74-79.
[3]	V. Saini, R.P. Gupta, M.K. Arora, Environmental Impact Studies in Coalfields in India: A Case Study from Jharia Coal-field, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review, 53, 2016, 1222-1239.
[4]	IIED, Coal Case Study, 66, 2002, 1-9.
[5]	M.K. Ghose, Technological Challenges for Boosting Coal Production with Environmental Sustainability, Environment Monitoring Assessment, 154, 2009, 373-381.
[6]	R.K. Tiwary, Environmental Impact of Coal Mining on Water Regime and its Management, in R.K. Tiwary, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, (Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Netherlands 2001) 185-1999.
[7]	L. Li, Y. Lei, and D. Pan, Economic and Environmental Evaluation of Coal Production in China and Policy Implications, Natural Hazards, 77, 2015, 1125-1141.
[8]	M. Shahbaz, S. Farhani, and I. Ozturk, Do Coal Consumption and Industrial Development Increase Environmental Degradation in China and India”, Environment Science Pollution Research, 22, 2015, 3895-3907.
[9]	A.A. Lavrinenko and G. Yu. Golberg, Reasons Causing Difficulty of Improvement of Coal Preparation Environmental Efficiency. Part 1, Coke and Chemistry 58, 2015, 362-366.
[10]	S.A.M. Din, N.N.N. Yahya, A. Abdullah, Fine Particulates Matter (PM2.5 from Coal-Fired Power Plant in Manjung and its Health Impacts”, Procedia-Socio and Behavioral. Science, 85. 2013, 92-99.
[11]	D. Jin and Z. Bian, Quantifying the Emission’s Impact of Coal Minin Activities on the Environment and Human Health in Process, Journal of Coal Science. & Engineering, 19, 2013, 421-426.
[12]	M. Hendryx, The Public Health Impacts of Surface Coal Mining, The Extractive Industry. Society, 2, 2015, 820-826.
[13]	P. Hota and B. Behera, Coal Mining in Odisha: An Analysis of Impacts on Agricultural Production and Human Health, The Extractive Industry and Society, 2, 2015, 683-693.
[14]	M. Zhai, O. Totolo, M.P. Modisi, R.B. Finkelman, S.M. Kelesitse, and M. Menyatso, Heavy Metal Distribution in Soils near Palapye, Botswana: an Evaluation of the Environmental Impact of Coal Mining and Combustion on Soils in a Semi-Arid Region, Environmental Geochemistry Health, 31, 2009, 759-77.
[15]	L. Askaer, L.B. Schmidt, B. Elberling, G. Asmund, and I. Jónsdóttir, Environmental Impact on an Arctic Soil-Plant System Resulting from Metals Released from Coal Mine Waste in Svalbard (78o N), Water Air Soil Pollution, 195, 2008, 99-114.
[16]	M. Ćujić, S. Dragović, M. Dordević, R. Dragović, and B. Gajić, Environmental Assessment of Heavy Metals around the Largest Coal Fired Power Plant in Serbia, Catena, 139, 2016, 44-52.
[17]	E.O. Adaikpoh, G.E. Nwajei, and J.E Ogala, Heavy Metals Concentrations in Coal and Coal and Sediments from River Ekulu in Enugu, Coal City of Nigeria, Journal Applied Science Environmental Management, 9, 2005, 5-8.
[18]	Z. Bian, J. Dong, S. Lei, H. Leng, S. Mu, and H. Wang, The Impact of Disposal and Treatment of coal Mining Waste on Environment and Farmland, Environmental Geology, 58, 2009, 625-634.
[19]	C.A. Nwadinigwe, Lignite and Sub-Butiminous Coals: Rich Stock for Smokeless Solis Fuels and Chemicals, in H.C. Okolo and M.C. Mkpadi, (eds.), Nigeria Coal: A Resource for Energy and Investment (Abuja: Raw Materials Research and Development Council 1996) 1-273.
[20]	Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Nigeria Mineral Projects: Exploration, Exploitation, and Development, 2012, 19-22.
[21]	Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Coal: Exploration and Power Generating Opportunities in Nigeria, 2008, 1-12.
[22]	M.M. Mokhtar, M.H. Hassim, and R.M. Taib, Health Risk Assessment of Emissions from a Coal-Fired Power Plant Using AERMOD Modelling, Processing Safety and Environmental Protection, 92, 2014, 476-485.
[23]	Obaje, N.G. Solid Mineral Resources, in N.G. Obaje, Geology and Mineral Resources of Nigeria, Lecture Notes in Earth Sciences (London: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009) 177-154.
[24]	S.W. Petters, Stratigraphic Evolution of the Benue Trough and Its Implications for the Upper Cretaceous Paleogeograpghy of West Africa”, The Journal. of Geology, 1978, 311-322.
[25]	S. Mukherjee, Environmental Mineralogy, in S. Mukherjee, Applied Mineralogy: Applications in Industry and Environment, (New Dehli: Capital Publishing Company 2011) 490- 525.
[26]	G.S. James, Handbook of Coal Analysis (Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2005).
[27]	I. Ristović, Environmental Risks to Air, Water and Soil Due to the Coal Mining Process, in G. Meško et al. (eds.) Understanding and Managing Threats to the Environment in South Eastern Europe, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security, (New York: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011) 251-264.
[28]	Md.N. Hossain, S.K. Paul, and Md.M. Hasan, Environment Impacts of Coal Mine and Thermal Power Plant to the Surroundings of Barapukuria, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, Environment Monitoring Assesment, 187, 2015, 1-11.
[29]	S.A. Morman and G.S. Plumlee, Dust and Human Health, in P. Knippertz and J.B.W. Stuut (eds), Mineral Dust: A key Player in the Earth System, Springer Science, 2014, 385-409.
[30]	L. Kurth, A. Kolker, M. Engle, N. Geboy, M. Hendryx, W. Orem, M. McCawley, L. Crosby, C. Tatu, M. Varonka, and C. DeVera, Atmospheric Particulate Matter in Proximity to Mountaintop Coal Mines: Source and Potential Environmental and Human Health Impacts, Environmental Geochemistry Health, 37, 2015, 529-544.
[31]	J. Chen, G. Liu, Y. Kang, B. Wu, R. Sun, C. Zhou, and D. Wu, Coal Utilization in China: Environmental Impacts and Human Health, Environmental Geochemistry Health, 36, 2014, 735-753.
[32]	S. Mukherjee, Concept of Geomedicine and Medicinal Mineralogy, in S. Mukherjee, Applied Mineralogy: Applications in Industry and Environment (New Dehli: Capital Publishing Company 2011) 526-569.
[33]	C. Zinman, G.A. Richards, J. Murray, J.I. Phillips, D.J. Rees, R.G. Thomas, Mica Dust As a Cause of Severe Pneumoconiosis, American journal Industrial Medi., 41. 139 – 144. 2002
[34]	Morman, S.A.; Plumlee, G.S. Dust and Human Health. In Knippertz, P.; Stuut, J.B.W. (eds). Mineral Dust: A Key Player in the Earth System, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2014.
[35]	American Lung Association, Pneumoconiosis, http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumoconiosis/ (Accessed on 18 April 2016).
[36]	American Lung Association, Silicosis, http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/silicosis/ (Accessed on 18 April 2016).
[37]	J, Rakovan, Environmental Mineralogy, Rocks & Minerals, 83, 2008, 172-174.
[38]	P. J. Davies, D.B. Gore, and S.J. Khan, Managing Produced Water from Coal Seam gas Projects: implications for an Emerging Industry in Australia, Environmental Science Pollution Research, 22, 2015, 10981-11000.
[39]	L. Guijian, P. Zicheng, and Y. Pingyue, Sulfur in Coal and Its Environmental Impact from Yanzhou Mining District, China, Chenese Journal Geochemistry, 20(3), 2001, 273-281.
[40]	U.S. Onoduku, Chemistry of Maiganga Coal Deposit, Upper Benue Trough, North Eastern Nigeria, Journal of Geoscience and Geomatics, 2 (3), 2014, 80-84.
[41]	M. Benvetuti, I. Mascaro, F. Corsini, M. Ferrari, P. Lattanzi, P. Parrini, P. Costagliola, and G. Taanelli, Environmental Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Waste Dumps atthe Pb(Zn)-Ag Bottino Mine, Apuane Alps, Italy, Europeaan. Journal Mineralogy, 12, 2000, 441-453. 2000.
[42]	C.J.B. Gomes, C.A.B. Mendes, and J.F.C. L. Costa, The Environmental Impact of Coal Mining: A Case Study in Brazil’s Sangao Watershed, Mine Water Environment, 30, 2011, 159-168.
[43]	B. Ӧhlander, T. Chatwin, and L. Alakangas, Management of Sulfide-Bearing Waste, a Challenge for the Mining Industry, Minerals, 2, 2012, 1-10.
[44]	D.W. Blowes, C.J. Ptacek, J.L. Jambor, Mineralogy of Mine Waste and Strategies for Remediation, EMU Notes in Mineralogy, in D.J. Vaughan, and R.A. Wogelius (eds.) Environmental Mineralogy II (London: European Mineralogical Union 2013) 295-338.
[45]	A.M. Cook, and S.J. Fritz, Environmental Impacts of Acid Leachate Derived from Coal-Storage Piles upon Groundwater, in A.M. Cook and S.J. Fritz, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 135 (Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers 2002) 371-388.
[46]	Z. Bian, H. Zhang, and S. Lei, Analysis of Environmental Impacts of Underground Coal Mining in an Arid Region Using Remote Sensing and GIS, Journal of Coal Science & Engineering, 17, 2011, 363-371.
[47]	Q. Wu, S. Liu, The Classification of Mine Environmental Geology Problems in China, Environment Earth Science, 64, 2011, 1505-1511.
[48]	M.F. Howlader, Coal Mining Impacts on Water Environs around the Barapukuria Coal Mining Area, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, Environment Earth Science, 70. 2013, 215-226.