An assessment was conducted of drinking water quality in four communities in Zamfara State, Nigeria affected by lead poisoning from gold mining and processing activities. Water samples from 18 sources were tested for 22 parameters. Results showed high levels of lead, turbidity, and bacteria in many sources, likely due to mining waste contamination. A geochemical analysis found lead and other heavy metals in rocks from mining sites. Community members process mining materials within households, exposing adults and children to dust. Recommendations included providing new water sources, sensitization on hygiene, and monitoring to address contamination issues.

1. Drinking Water Quality AssessmentDrinking Water Quality Assessment
in the Communities Affected by Leadin the Communities Affected by Lead
Poisoning in Zamfara State, NigeriaPoisoning in Zamfara State, Nigeria
Dogara Bashir
National Water Resources Institute,
Kaduna
Paper presented at the Stakeholders’ Sensitization Forum
on Sustainable Mining in Zamfara State held at J.B.
Yakubu Conference Centre, Gusau, Nigeria on 12th
August,
2010

2. o Outbreak of acute lead
poisoning in Zamfara State
o Joint CDC and WHO
investigation reported
illness and deaths among
children mostly under 5
years old in some
communities in Bukkuyum
and Anka LGAs
o Based on consultations
with UNICEF and Zamfara
State Ministry of Water
Resources, NWRI
mobilsed a technical team
to carry out an
assessment survey of
drinking water quality in
the affected communities
Introduction
2

3. Introduction
o The study included:
o Drinking Water Quality Assessment (on-site
and laboratory analyses);
o Participatory Rapid Appraisal (sanitary
inspection, health issues, socio-economic
impacts); and
o Geo-chemical assessment of the mined rocks
being processed in the communities
o Based on consultation with Zamfara State
MWR and RWSSA and available logistics, 4
affected villages were assessed:
o ‘Yargalma and Tungan Guru (Bukkuyum LGA)
o Dareta, and Abare (Anka LGA)
3

4. o Socio-economic assessment included:
o Demography (estimated population, number of
compounds, range of households per
compound, range of population per
household);
o Available infrastructure (schools, clinics,
roads, water supply sources, etc.);
o Gold processing activities (sources of the
mined rocks, processing procedures, costs of
the various processes, income from the
processing activities, etc.); and
o Number of children that died from this crisis
and when the current crisis began.
Methodology
4

5. o Water Quality
Assessment:
o 18 water sources were
sampled;
o 2 boreholes in Abare
o 2 streams (1 each in
‘yargalma and Abare)
o 2 concrete wells (1 each in
Dareta and Abare)
o 11 unprotected dug-wells (4
in ‘yargalma, 2 in Tungar
Guru, 3 in Dareta and 2 in
Abare)
o 1 in Rumbuki, an unaffected
village in between ‘Yargalma
and Tungar Guru
Methodology
5

6. o Water Quality Assessment:
o 22 parameters were measured
o 9 on the sites
o 7 in Gusau (within 24 hrs of sampling)
o 6 in NWRI Lab, Kaduna (samples preserved by
acidification on site)
o Methodologies for measurements and
analyses;
o Various instruments by different manufacturers
were used in the course of measurement of
parameters and analyses of the samples
o The analytical methods adopted were based on
international acceptable methods and analytical
application principles
Methodology
6

7. o Sanitary inspection
and hygiene practices
assessment
o Sanitary risk level for
each selected water
well was determined
from the answers to
the standard sanitary
risk inspection
questions
o Focus interviews were
carried out on the
hygiene practices of
the community
members especially
women and children
Methodology
7

8. Methodology
o Geochemical Assessment
and Inspection of Mines
o geology and hydrogeology of
the area were rapidly
appraised
o Samples of the rock
materials (from different
mines) processed were
collected
o Lambargudu mine was
visited and assessed
o Rock samples were
subjected to the following:
o Thin section – to determine the
major mineralogical
constituents of the rocks
o Geochemical analyses – to
determine the major elements 8

9. Findings
o Demography
o Based on average of 4 HH/compound and
average of 8 persons/HH, estimated populations
were:
o ‘Yargalma = 1,760; Tungar guru = 928
o Dareta = 3,040; Abare = 4,032
9

10. Available Infrastructural Facilities
S/N Community Road
Primary
Schools
Qur'anic
Schools
Islamiyya
Schools
Dispen-
sary
Bore-
holes
Concrete
Wells
1 Yargalma L & S 1+
3 - 1 1* -
2 Tungan Guru - - 2 - - - -
3 Dareta L & S 1 4 - 1 - 1
4 Abare L 1 3 - - 3 5
Note: L & S = laterite and seasonal; L = laterite
+ = Primary School is a community effort and is made-up of used zinc roofing sheets with virtually no furniture
* = Bore was drilled by Zamfara State RWSSA with UNICEF support but was not activated
10

11. Processing of Mined Rocks
11

12. Cost/Benefit of Mined Rocks Processing
12

13. Geology and Hydrogeology
o The areas lie within the basement
rocks of the Anka schist belts
o quartzites, schist and phyllites as
the dominate rocks of the areas
o Occurrence of gold in placers and
primary veins of quartzites, phyllite
and schists are quite common at
Kwali and Gwashi (Bukkuyyum LGA)
and Sunke and Lambargudu (Anka
LGA)
o Lambargudu mine is
primarily a mixed quartzite,
phyllites and schists mixed
with dark shinning galena
crystals and reddish brown
sulphide and iron
o The aquifers are mainly the weathered
regoliths and the fractures in the
transmission zone
o They are quite productive and highly
sustainable for domestic water supply fitted
with hand pumps and moderate submersible
pumps capacity 13

14. Drinking Water Quality
Aesthetic
Parameters
S/N Parameter Range
NSDWQ
MAL
%
Compliance
1 Appearance Clear - Dirty Clear 50
2 Turbidity (NTU) 2.11 - 753.00 5.00 22
3 EC (µS/cm) 40.3 - 1135.0 1000 89
4 TDS (mg/l) 20.3 - 568.0 500 89
Chemical Non-toxic
ParametersS/N Parameter (mg/l) Range NSDWQ MAL % Compliance
1 pH 5.8 - 7.5 6.5 - 8.5 39
2 Iron (Fe) 0.01 -5.6 0.30 78
3 Fluoride (F) 0.22 - 1.39 1.50 100
4 Manganese (Mn) 0.0 - 6.9 0.2 72
5 Calcium (Ca) 4.01 - 25.73 75.00 100
6 Magnesium (Mg) 0.71 - 4.35 20.00 100
7 Nitrate (NO3) 0.11 - 52.80 50.00 94
8 Bicarbonate (HCO3) 26 - 406 250 83
9 Sulphate (SO4) 0 - 140 100 94
14

15. Drinking Water Quality
Bacteriological
Parameters
Chemical (Toxic)
Parameters
S/N Parameter (mg/l) Range
NSDWQ
MAL
%
Compliance
1 Lead (Pb) 0.004 - 0.062 0.010 83
2 Cromium (Cr) 0.00 - 0.05 0.05 100
3 Arsenic (As) 0.00 - 0.00 0.01 100
S/N Parameter (cfu/100 ml) Range
NSDWQ
MAL
%
Compliance
1 Total Coliforms (TC) 0 - TNTC <10 19
2
Thermotolerant
Coliforms (TTC) 0 - 560 0 83
o Most wells have high lead content
o May be as a result of gold processing activities
within compounds
o Low lead conc. in well at Rumbuki village
o This increases lead intake apart from the
processing dust
15

16. Sanitary Risk Levels
o 9 (56%) out of the 16 sampled
points had a medium risk
o seven (44%) of the points had high
risk levels
o 0 (0%) fell within the low risk
score
o Sanitary risk inspection also
shows pollution of the environment
around the water points by:
o animals,
o faulty or lack of drainage,
o poor well construction,
o absent of cover,
o poor sanitation practices, and
o defective hygiene practices.
16

17. Observations
1. The water sample analyses indicated presence of lead in
the water samples collected from the handdug wells,
boreholes and the stream where the mining materials are
being washed in the affected communities.
2. The primary raw materials for the gold mining collected
from the mining sites indicate the occurrence of chromium,
lead, silver and other trace metals associated with the gold
mineralization.
3. Community members involved in the mining activities
undertake the processing of the mining materials within
and outside their households.
4. It was noted that both Adults and children are involved in
the mining processing of the gold.
5. The processing of the mining materials includes the
crushing, grinding and washing with the resultant high dust
of the materials being processed. However, most of the
washing activity takes place in the close by stream during
the rainy season and the hand dug wells are used during
the dry season when the stream are completely dry.
17

18. Recommendations
1. In order to discourage the further use of the contaminated
wells in the affected communities, Government should
provide as a matter of urgency, appropriate number of
boreholes (3 in ‘Yargalma, 2 in Tungar Guru, 4 in Dareta,
and 2 in Abare) without delay.
2. All the wells in the communities should be redeveloped and
flushed to eliminate further contamination of groundwater
in the areas.
3. There is the need for community sensitization and
mobilization on hygiene and sanitation practices.
4. Establishment of WASHCOM should be highly encouraged
among the community members.
5. There is the urgent need for quarterly assessment,
monitoring and evaluation of activities in these
communities.
6. A special conference should be organized for all
stakeholders to strategize and come out with resolutions
that will assist in addressing the identified challenges and
to avoid reoccurrence of such incidences in the future. 18

19. 19