Shell/UNN Centre for Environmental Management & Control, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria; Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria; Resource and Environmental Policy Research Centre, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria.
J Environ Manage. 2022 Nov 1;321:115864. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115864. Epub 2022 Aug 15.
In this study, the effect of galena mining with respect to heavy metal pollution of groundwater, surface water, soil and sediments in Enyimagalagu and Mkpuma-Akpatakpa Communities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, was investigated to estimate the health and economic burden. The heavy metals were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The water quality of the groundwater and surface water was determined using the water quality index (WQI). The potential health burden was estimated by determining carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risks via risk index (RI) and hazard index (HI), respectively. The potential economic burden was estimated using the value of statistical life (VSL) and cost of illness (COI). Obtained results revealed that the WQI of the groundwater and surface water ranged from 197 to 327 indicating very poor to unsuitable water for drinking. No non-carcinogenic risks were associated with exposure to the soil and sediment components of the environment. However, there were non-carcinogenic risks associated with the surface and groundwater, with the HIs ranging from 1.8 to 5.4. Based on the carcinogenic risk threshold of 10, there were carcinogenic risks across all the environmental media ranging from 8.410 - 2.110. The economic cost of heavy metal pollution ranged from 20.7 million USD (10.35 billion) to 543.3 million USD (271.6 billion) for the VSL, whereas it ranged from 0.141 million USD (70.8 million) to 3.72 million USD (1.86 billion) for the COI. These costs are quite huge and can be avoided via pollution abatement measures.
在这项研究中，调查了尼日利亚埃博尼州恩亚马加拉古和 Mkpuma-Akpatakpa 社区方铅矿开采对地下水、地表水、土壤和沉积物中重金属污染的影响，以估计健康和经济负担。使用原子吸收光谱法（AAS）测量重金属。使用水质指数（WQI）确定地下水和地表水的水质。通过确定致癌和非致癌健康风险，分别通过风险指数（RI）和危害指数（HI）来估计潜在的健康负担。使用统计生命价值（VSL）和疾病成本（COI）来估计潜在的经济负担。获得的结果表明，地下水和地表水的 WQI 范围从 197 到 327，表明水非常差，不适宜饮用。暴露于环境中的土壤和沉积物成分不会引起非致癌风险。然而，地表水和地下水与非致癌风险有关，HI 范围从 1.8 到 5.4。根据致癌风险阈值 10，所有环境介质均存在致癌风险，范围从 8.410 - 2.110。重金属污染的经济成本从 VSL 的 2070 万美元（103.5 亿美元）到 54330 万美元（2716 亿美元）不等，而从 COI 的 141 万美元（7080 万美元）到 3720 万美元（1860 亿美元）不等。这些成本相当巨大，可以通过污染减排措施避免。
