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
. 2020 May 28;10(26):200611.
doi: 10.5696/2156-9614-10.26.200611. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Impact of Abandoned Mining Facility Wastes on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Mogpog River, Marinduque, Philippines

Catherine B Gigantone  1 , Marisa J Sobremisana  1 , Lorele C Trinidad  2 , Veronica P Migo  3
Affiliations

Impact of Abandoned Mining Facility Wastes on the Aquatic Ecosystem of the Mogpog River, Marinduque, Philippines

Catherine B Gigantone et al. J Health Pollut. .

Abstract

Background: Mine waste from abandoned mining sites can cause environmental degradation and ecological imbalance to receiving water bodies. Heavy metal pollution affects local communities and may pose health risks to the general public. An abandoned mining facility in Marinduque, Philippines, situated on the of Mogpog River, continuously deposits mine wastes, which may affect the river and the health of local communities.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to examine the presence and extent of heavy metal contamination from mine wastes in the aquatic ecosystem of the Mogpog River by determining the level of heavy metal concentration in the water, sediments and biota.

Methods: Four sampling sites were monitored for heavy metals (copper (Cu), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and sulfur (S)) pollution. Several analyses were conducted to determine the heavy metals present in the water, sediment and biota. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used for the analysis of Cu concentrations in water. X-ray fluorescence was used for the analysis of total heavy metals in the sediments and biota.

Results: An inverse relationship with water and sediment from upstream to downstream of the river were observed. This trend shows deposition of Cu in the sediments as factored by pH. Flora gathered from the riverbanks recorded concentrations of Cu in their leaves and fruits.

Conclusions: It has been difficult for the Mogpog River to regain water quality after years of mine waste deposition. Acid mine drainage occurred upstream of the river which affects the speciation of heavy metals. The potential risk of heavy metal exposure to local communities was observed due to the communities' river utilization.

Participant consent: Obtained.

Ethics approval: The Office of Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension of University of the Philippines Los Baños approved the study.

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Keywords: Marinduque; acid mine drainage; heavy metals contamination; mine waste pollution.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study sampling sites
Figure 2
Figure 2
Copper concentrations and pH of riverine water in various sampling sites of the Mogpog River
Figure 3
Figure 3
Copper concentration of sediments collected from various sampling sites along the Mogpog River
Figure 4
Figure 4
Polynomial regression of copper in sediments and water of the Mogpog River
Figure 5
Figure 5
Chromium concentrations of sediments collected from various sampling sites along the Mogpog River
Figure 6
Figure 6
Sulfur concentrations of sediments collected from various sampling sites along the Mogpog River
Figure 7
Figure 7
Exposure to Mogpog River through the following activities: (a) bathing; (b) children bathing; (c) river crossing; (d) children's river crossing; and (e) laundry
Figure 8
Figure 8
Documentation of mine waste pollution in Bocboc, Mogpog River sediments (a & b) suspended milky-white colloids; and (c) rust deposits along the riverbank
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Manahan SE. Environmental chemistry. 9th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2010. p. 783. p.
    1. Bradl HB. Heavy metals in the environment: origin, interaction and remediation. 1st ed. Vol 6. Cambridge, MA: Academic Press; 2005. p. 282. p.
    1. Dayap N. [Los Bañños, Philippines]: University of the Philippines Los Baños; 2003. Copper transport and dispersion in Tayabas bay [master's thesis] pp. 9–22.
    1. Connell DW, Miller GJ. Chemistry and ecotoxicology of pollution. New York: John Willey and Sons; 1984. Mar. p. 464. p.
    1. Wang LK, Chen JP, Hung YT, Shammas NK. Heavy metals in the environment. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2009.