Small-Scale Gold Mining and Heavy Metal Pollution: Assessment on the Physicochemical Parameters in the Surface Water Resources in Surigao City

Abstract

The study aims to evaluate the physicochemical properties such as temperature, conductivity, resistivity, salinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), and dissolved oxygen (DO), and the heavy metals concentration of Lead, Copper, Cadmium, Mercury, and Nickel along artisanal gold mining sites in the waterways in Surigao City. Through panning and amalgamation process, research has found out that among 54 barangays in Surigao City, Barangay Mat-I has gold deposits. Nineteen sampling stations with ten physicochemical parameters and five heavy metals were identified during wet and dry conditions. Results showed that pH, salinity, resistivity, TDS, TSS, DO, BOD, and COD exceeded the limit due to the presence of heavy metals like Hg, Pb, Ni, and Cd set by DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 34 standard and Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 for surface water and statistical analysis using PCA multivariate.

Keywords

• artisanal gold mining
• physicochemical
• heavy metals
• multivariate pca