Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2016 Oct 26;13(11):1047.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph13111047.

Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental Effects and Bacterial Strategies for Resistance

Muibat Omotola Fashola  1 , Veronica Mpode Ngole-Jeme  2 , Olubukola Oluranti Babalola  3
Affiliations
Review

Heavy Metal Pollution from Gold Mines: Environmental Effects and Bacterial Strategies for Resistance

Muibat Omotola Fashola et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Mining activities can lead to the generation of large quantities of heavy metal laden wastes which are released in an uncontrolled manner, causing widespread contamination of the ecosystem. Though some heavy metals classified as essential are important for normal life physiological processes, higher concentrations above stipulated levels have deleterious effects on human health and biota. Bacteria able to withstand high concentrations of these heavy metals are found in the environment as a result of various inherent biochemical, physiological, and/or genetic mechanisms. These mechanisms can serve as potential tools for bioremediation of heavy metal polluted sites. This review focuses on the effects of heavy metal wastes generated from gold mining activities on the environment and the various mechanisms used by bacteria to counteract the effect of these heavy metals in their immediate environment.

Keywords: bioremediation; environmental pollution; metal toxicity; mine wastes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There is no competing interest in relation to this manuscript.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Akabzaa T.M. Boom and Dislocation: A Study of the Social and Environmental Impacts of Mining in the Wassa West District of Ghana. Third World Network, Africa Secretariat; Accra, Ghana: 2000.
    1. Lottermoser B. Mine Wastes: Characterization, Treatment and Environmental Impacts. Springer; New York, NY, USA: 2007. pp. 1–290.
    1. Adler R., Rascher J. A Strategy for the Management of Acid Mine Drainage from Gold Mines in Gauteng. CSIR; Pretoria, South Africa: 2007.
    1. Acevedo F. The use of reactors in biomining processes. Electron. J. Biotechnol. 2000;3:10–11. doi: 10.2225/vol3-issue3-fulltext-4. - DOI
    1. Rawlings D.E. Heavy metal mining using microbes 1. Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 2002;56:65–91. doi: 10.1146/annurev.micro.56.012302.161052. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources