Skip to main content

Appraisal of pollution scenario, sources and public health risk of harmful metals in mine water of Barapukuria coal mine industry in Bangladesh

Environmental Science and Pollution Research volume 28, pages 22105–22122 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the accumulation and sources of harmful metals and associated public health risk from the usage of underground mine water of Barapukuria coal mine in Bangladesh, keeping in mind the optimum reuse. Thirty underground mine water samples had been analyzed for assessing temperature, pH, EC, TC, DO, BOD, COD, Ca, K, S, Ti, Mn, V, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, and Pb. Numerous pollution evaluation and health risk assessment indices along with multivariate statistical tools were employed in this study to apprise the pollution scenario, controlling factors, and probable health risk. The chronic or persistent health risk of metals via oral and dermal exposure of adults and children was determined using the hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI). The results showed that the content of physicochemical parameters and potentially harmful elements in water samples was many folds higher than the national and international standards. The results of pollution evaluation indices indicate that coal seam-leached mine water is highly concentrated by potentially harmful metals and not suitable for drinking, agriculture, and aquatic lives. The correlation coefficients and multivariate analysis illustrate both the geological and anthropogenic factors controlling the variability of metals in mine water. Results of HQoral value suggest that V, Co, and Pb are significant health risk for adults and Mn, V, Co, Cu, and Pb are for children. Vanadium is found potential for dermal effects, and HIdermal value directs 33%, and 70% samples exceed the safe limit for adults and children, respectively. The HI value suggests that oral exposure to harmful metals creates more harm than dermal absorption, and children are more vulnerable than adults. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this study would deliver expedient insights to initiate necessary steps to minimize the public health risk by applying appropriate environmental protocols.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

References

  • Ahmed N, Bodrud-Doza M, Islam SMDU, Choudhry MA, Muhib MI, Zahid A, Hossain S, Moniruzzaman M, Deb N, Bhuiyan MAQ (2019) Hydrogeochemical evaluation and statistical analysis of groundwater of Sylhet, northeastern Bangladesh. Acta Geochim 38(3):440–455

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alam M, Alam MM, Curray J, Chowdhury RMLR, Gani MR (2003) An overview of the sedimentary geology of the Bengal basin in relation to the regional tectonic framework and basin-fifill history. Sediment Geol 155:179–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allison JD, Brown K, Novo-Gradac (1991) MINTEQA2/PRODEFA2, a geochemical assessment model for environmental systems: version 3.0 user’s manual, EPA/600/3–91/021, pp 105

  • APHA (American Public Health Association) (1992) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 18th edn. American Public Health Association, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • APHA (American Public Health Association) (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 18th ed, Eaton, AD, Clesceri, LS, and Greenberg, AE (eds.), Washington

  • Backman B, Bodis D, Lahermo P, Rapant S, Tarvainen (1997) Application of a groundwater contamination index in Finland and Slovakia. Environ Geol 36:55–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakr MA, Rahman QMA, Islam MM, Islam MK, Uddin MN, Resan SA, Haider MJ, Sultan-Ul-Islam M, Ali MW, Chowdhury MA, Mannan KH, Anam ANMH (1987) Geology and coal deposit of Barapukuria basin, Dinajpur Districts, Bangladesh. Records Geol Survey Bangladesh 8(1):36

    Google Scholar 

  • Banglapedia (2016) National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (2nd.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh

  • Banks D, Younger PL, Arnesen R-T, Iversen ER, Sheila B (1997) Banks, mine-water chemistry: the good, the bad and the ugly. Environ Geol 32(3):157–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhuiyan MAH, Islam MA, Dampare SB, Parvez L, Suzuki S (2010a) Evaluation of hazardous metal pollution in irrigation and drinking water systems in the vicinity of a coal mine area of northwestern Bangladesh. J Hazard Mater 179:1065–1077

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhuiyan MAH, Islam MA, Dampare SB, Parvez L, Suzuki S (2010b) Heavy metal pollution of coal mine-affected agricultural soils in the northern part of Bangladesh. J Hazard Mater 173:383–394

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhutiani R, Kulkarni DB, Khanna DR, Gautam A (2016) Water quality, pollution source apportionment and health risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater of an industrial area in North India. Expo Health 8:3–18

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bodrud-Doza M, Bhuiyan MAH, Islam SMDU, Quraishi SB, Muhib MI, Rakib MA, Rahman MS (2019a) Delineation of trace metals contamination in groundwater using geostatistical techniques: a study on Dhaka City of Bangladesh 2019a. Groundw Sustain Dev 9:100212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2019.03.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bodrud-Doza M, Islam SMDU, Hasan MT, Alam F, Haque MM, Rakib MA, Asad MA, Rahman MA (2019b) Groundwater pollution by trace metals and human health risk assessment in central west part of Bangladesh. Groundw Sustain Dev 9:100219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2019.100219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bodrud-Doza M, Islam SMDU, Rume T, Quraishi SB, Rahman MS, Bhuiyan MAH (2020) Groundwater quality and human health risk assessment for safe and sustainable water supply of Dhaka City dwellers in Bangladesh. Groundw Sustain Dev 10:100374. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2020.100374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bortey-Sam N, Nakayama SMM, Ikenaka Y, Akoto O, Baidoo E, Mizukawa H, Ishizuka M (2015) Health risk assessment of heavy metals and metalloid in drinking water from communities near gold mines in Tarkwa, Ghana. Environ Monit Assess 187:397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4630-3

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caboi R, Cidu R, Fanfani L, Lattanzi P, Zuddas P (1999) Environmental mineralogy and geochemistry of the abandoned Pb-Zn Montevecchio-Ingurtosu mining district, Sardinia, Italy. Chronique de la recherche minière 534:21–28

    Google Scholar 

  • CMC (Chinese mining Company) (1994) Preliminary geology and exploration report of Barapukuria coal mine, Bangladesh

  • DoE (Department of Environment) (1997) Industrial effluents quality standard for Bangladesh, Bangladesh Gazette Additional August, 28, 1997. In: The environment conservation rules 1997. Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz SL, Espósito ME, del Carmen BM, Amiotti NM, Schmidt ES, Sequeira ME, Paoloni JD, Nicolli HB (2016) Control factors of the spatial distribution of arsenic and other associated elements in loess soils and waters of the southern Pampa (Argentina). Catena 140:205–216

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dong S, Feng H, Xia M, Li Y, Wang C, Wang L (2020) Spatial–temporal evolutions of groundwater environment in prairie opencast coal mine area: a case study of Yimin Coal Mine, China. Environ Geochem Health 42:3101–3118. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00544-z

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edet AE, Offiong OE (2002) Evaluation of water quality pollution indices for heavy metal contamination monitoring. A study case from Akpabuyo-Odukpani area, Lower Cross River Basin (southeastern Nigeria). GeoJournal 57:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ENHIS (European Environment and Health Information System) (2007) Exposure of children to chemical hazards in food. Fact Sheet No. 4.4, CODE: RPG4_Food_EX1.World Health Organization

  • FAO (1972) Overall Study of the Messara Plain. Report on study of the water resources and their exploitation for irrigation in Eastern Crete. FAO Report No. AGL:SF/GRE/31

  • Ficklin DJWH, Plumee GS, Smith KS, McHugh JB (1992) Geochemical classification of mine drainages and natural drainages in mineralized areas. In: Kharaka YK, Maest AS (eds) Water–rock interaction, vol 7. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp 381–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Fralick PW, Kronberg BI (1997) Geochemical discrimination of clastic sedimentary rock sources. Sediment Geol 113:111–124

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao P, Sun X, Xiao E, Xu Z, Sun W (2019) Characterization of iron-metabolizing communities in soils contaminated by acid mine drainage from an abandoned coal mine in Southwest China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26:9585–9598

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gammons CH, Harris LN, Castro JM, Cott PA, Hanna BW (2009) Creating lakes from open pit mines: processes and considerations, with emphasis on northern environments. Can Tech Rep Fish Aquat Sci 2826:106

    Google Scholar 

  • Giri S, Singh AK (2015) Human health risk assessment via drinking water pathway due to metal contamination in the groundwater of Subarnarekha River Basin, India. Environ Monit Assess 187:63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4265-4

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gržetić I, Ghariani RHA (2008) Potential health risk assessment for soil heavy metal contamination in the central zone of Belgrade (Serbia). J Serbian Chem Soci 7:923–934

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Habib MA, Islam ARMT, Bodrud-Doza M, Mukta FA, Khan R, Siddique MAB, Phoungthong K, Techato K (2019) Simultaneous appraisals of pathway and probable health risk associated with trace metals contamination in groundwater from Barapukuria coal basin. Bangladesh, Chemosphere 242:125183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125183

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hossain MN, Paul SK, Hasan MM (2015) Environmental impacts of coal mine and thermal power plant to the surroundings of Barapukuria, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Environ Monit Assess 187:202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-015-4435-4

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hower J, Robertson JD (2003) Clausthalite in coal. Int J Coal Geol 53:219–225

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howitt D, Cramer D (2005) Introduction to SPSS in psychology: with supplement for releases 10, 11, 12 and 13. Pearson, Harlow

    Google Scholar 

  • Howladar MF, Deb PK, Muzemder ATMSH (2017) Monitoring the underground roadway water quantity and quality for irrigation use around the Barapukuria coal mining industry, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Groundwater Sustain Develop 4:23–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howladar MF, Deb PK, Muzemder ATMSH, Ahmed M (2014) Evaluation of water resources around Barapukuria coal mine industrial area, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Appl Water Sci 4:203–222

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam MR, Hayashi D (2008) Geology and coal bed methane resource potential of the Gondwana Barapukuria Coal Basin, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Int J Coal Geol 75(3):127–143

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Islam SMD, Bhuiyan MAH, Rume T, Mohinuzzaman M (2016) Assessing heavy metal contamination in the bottom sediments of Shitalakhya River, Bangladesh; using pollution evaluation indices and geo-spatial analysis. Pollution 2(3):299–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam SMD, Majumder RK, Uddin MJ, Khalil MI, Alam MF (2017) Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater in Patuakhali district, southern coastal region of Bangladesh. Expo Health 9:43–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jaishankar M, Tseten T, Anbalagan N, Mathew BB, Beeregowda KN (2014) Toxicity, mechanism and health effects of some heavy metals. Interdiscip Toxicol 7(2):60–72

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karim Z (2011) Risk assessment of dissolved trace metals in drinking water of Karachi, Pakistan. Bull. Environ Contam Toxicol 86:676–678

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan FH (1991) Geology of Bangladesh. University Press Limited, Dhaka

    Google Scholar 

  • Khan AA, Chouhan RKS (1996) The crystal dynamics and the tectonic trends in the Bengal basin. J Geodyn 22(3/4):267–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan MHR, Seddique AA, Rahman A, Shimizu Y (2017) Heavy metals contamination assessment of water and soils in and around Barapukuria coal mine area, Bangladesh. American J Environ Protec 6(4):80–86

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar PJS (2014) Evolution of groundwater chemistry in and around Vaniyambadi Industrial Area: differentiating the natural and anthropogenic sources of contamination. Chem Erde 25298:11

    Google Scholar 

  • Lattin J, Carrol, Green P (2003) Analyzing multivariate data. Duxbury Press, Belmont

    Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Wu P (2017) Geochemical characteristics of dissolved rare earth elements in acid mine drainage from abandoned high-As coal mining area, southwestern China. Environ. Sci Pollut Res 24:20540–20555

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liao J, Ru X, Xie B, Zhang W, Wu H, Wu C, Wei C (2017) Multi-phase distribution and comprehensive ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollutants in a river affected by acid mine drainage. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 141:75–84

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linn M, Peng W, Gui H (2016) Heavy metals in deep groundwater within coal mining area, northern Anhui province, China: concentration, relationship, and source apportionment. Arab J Geosci 9:319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2354-5

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu CW, Lin KH, Kuo YM (2003) Application of factor analysis in the assessment of groundwater quality in a Blackfoot disease area in Taiwan. Sci Total Environ 313:77–89

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCullough CD, Lund MA (2006) Opportunities for sustainable mining pit lakes in Australia. Mine Water Environ 25:220–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mohan SV, Nithila P, Reddy SJ (1996) Estimation of heavy metal in drinking water and development of heavy metal pollution index. J Environ Sci Health A 31:283–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otchere FA, Veiga MM, Hinton JJ, Farias RA, Hamaguchi R (2004) Transforming open mining pits into fish farms: moving towards sustainability. Nat Resource Forum 28:216–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park JD, Zheng W (2012) Human exposure and health effects of inorganic and elemental mercury. J Prev Med Public Health 45(6):344–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petritz KM, Gammons CH, Nordwick S (2009) Evaluation of the potential for beneficial use of contaminated water in a flooded mine shaft in Butte, Montana. Mine Water Environ 28:264–273

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasad B, Bose JM (2001) Evaluation of the heavy metal pollution index for surface and spring water near a limestone mining area of the lower Himalyas. Environ Geol 41:183–188

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raymond J, Therrien R (2008) Low-temperature geothermal potential of the flooded Gaspe´ Mines, Que’bec, Canada. Geothermics 37:189–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renz A, Rühaak W, Schätzl P, Diersch H-JG (2009) Numerical modeling of geothermal use of mine water: challenges and examples. Mine Water Environ 28:2–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sakurovs R, French D, Grigore M (2007) Quantification of mineral matter in commercial cokes and their parent coals. Int J Coal Geol 72:81–88

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha S, Kazama F (2007) Assessment of surface water quality using multivariate statistical techniques: a case study of the Fuji river basin, Japan. Environ Model Softw 22:464–475

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sultana S, Biswas PK, Rahman A, Sultana S, Zaman MN (2016) Risk factor assessment of coal mine drainage water on surrounding agricultural soil: a case study at Barapukuria in Bangladesh. J Geosci Environ Protec 4:7–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Temmerman WM, Durham PJ, Vaughan DJ (1993) The electronic structures of the pyrite-type disulphides (MS2, where M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) and the bulk properties of pyrite from local density approximation (LDA) band structure calculations. Phys Chem Miner 20(4):248–254

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tiwari AK, Singh PK, Mahato MK (2017) Assessment of metal contamination in the mine water of the west Bokaro coalfield, India. Mine Water Environ 36:532–541

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1989) Risk assessment guidance for superfund volume I human health evaluation manual (part A)

  • USEPA (2004) Risk assessment guidance for superfund volume I: human health evaluation manual (part E). http://www.epa.gov/oswer/riskassessment/ragse/pdf/introduction.pdf

  • USEPA (2009) National primary and secondary drinking water standards. (http://www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/pdf/mcl.pdf)

  • USEPA (US Environmental Protection Agency) (2001) Baseline human health risk assessment Vasquez Boulevard and I-70 superfund site, Denver CO. http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/sites/VB-170-Risk.pdf. Accessed 01/20/2011

  • Vega M, Pardo R, Barrado E, Deban L (1998) Assessment of seasonal and polluting effects on the quality of river waterby exploratory data analysis. Water Res 32:3581–3592

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang J, Sharma A, Tomita A (2003) Determination of the modes of occurrence of trace elements in coal by leaching coal and coal ashes. Ener Fuels 17:29–37

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiggering H (1993) Sulfide oxidation—an environmental problem within colliery spoil dumps. Environ Geol 22:99–105

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DJ, Bigham JM, Cravotta CA, Traina SJ, Anderson JE, Lyon G (2002) Assessing mine drainage pH from the color and spectral reflectance of chemical precipitates. Appl Geochem 17:1273–1286

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wongsasuluk P, Chotpantarat S, Siriwong W, Robson M (2014) Heavy metal contamination and human health risk assessment in drinking water from shallow groundwater wells in an agricultural area in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. Environ Geochem Health 36(1):169–182

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright IA, Belmer N, Davies PJ (2017) Coal mine water pollution and ecological impairment of one of Australia’s most ‘protected’ high conservation-value Rivers. Water Air Soil Pollut 228:90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3278-8

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright IA, Paciuszkiewicz K, Belmer N (2018) Increased water pollution after closure of Australia’s longest operating underground coal mine: a 13-month study of mine drainage, water chemistry and river ecology. Water Air Soil Pollut 229:55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-018-3718-0

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Zhao DY, Jia HY, Zhang Y, Zhang XX, Cheng SP (2009) Preliminary risk assessment of trace metal pollution in surface water from Yangtze River in Nanjing Section, China. Bull. Environ Contam Toxicol 82:405–409

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang M, Fei Y, Ju YMZ, Li H (2012) Health risk assessment of groundwater pollution—a case study of typical city in North China Plain. J Earth Sci 23(3):335–348

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakir HM, Arafat Y, Islam MM (2017) Assessment of metallic pollution along with geochemical baseline of soils at Barapukuria open coal mine area in Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Asian J Water Environ Pollut 14(4):77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakir HM, Islam MM, Arafat MY, Sharmin S (2013) Hydrogeochemistry and quality assessment of waters of an open coal mine area in a developing country: a case study from Barapukuria, Bangladesh. Int J Geosci Res 1(1):20–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao F, Cong Z, Sun H, Ren D (2007) The geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in acid mine drainage from the Sitai coal mine, Shanxi Province, North China. Int J Coal Geol 70:184–192

Download references

Funding

The JSPS-UGC Project (Grant No. JPJSBP120187003) provided financial assistance for conducting the research.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh

    Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan, Md. Bodrud-Doza & S. M. Didar-Ul Islam

  2. International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (WPI-I2CNER), Kyushu University, 744, Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan & Bidyut Baran Saha

  3. Climate Change Programme (CCP), BRAC, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh

    Md. Bodrud-Doza

  4. Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8563, Japan

    Md. Abdur Rakib

  5. Mechanical Engineering Department, Kyushu University, 744, Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan

    Bidyut Baran Saha

  6. School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China

    S. M. Didar-Ul Islam

Authors
  1. Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Md. Bodrud-Doza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Md. Abdur Rakib
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Bidyut Baran Saha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. M. Didar-Ul Islam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

MAHB, MAR, and BBS have made the concept and study design, collected the samples, performed a laboratory experiment, and prepared the draft manuscript. MB and SMDI performed data analysis and interpretation, and improved the draft manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mohammad Amir Hossain Bhuiyan or S. M. Didar-Ul Islam.

Ethics declarations

Ethical approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent to publish

All of the author’s checked the final version of the manuscript and provided consent to publish.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Responsible Editor: Xianliang Yi

Supplementary information

ESM 1

(DOCX 39 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bhuiyan, M.A.H., Bodrud-Doza, M., Rakib, M.A. et al. Appraisal of pollution scenario, sources and public health risk of harmful metals in mine water of Barapukuria coal mine industry in Bangladesh. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 22105–22122 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11999-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-11999-z

Keywords

  • Coal mining
  • Heavy metals
  • Mine water
  • Multivariate statistics
  • Pollution indices