Heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of gold mine and its environmental impact at Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Eastern Desert in Egypt is a significant gold-mining region, and its gold mine is one of the world’s oldest. The presence of tailings and slag piles in the vicinity of historical mining sites can give rise to environmental risks for the surrounding soil, water, and air. These hazards primarily result from erosion and the interaction between these materials and runoff waters. The mining practices employed in the past involved the storage of ore underground and subsequent surface crushing. However, this approach has resulted in heavy metals and chemicals buildup within soils and sediments. The concentrations of various metals, trace elements, and toxic substances, including Fe, As, Au, Ag, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, CN, Hg, Mo, Li, and Cr, were analyzed in samples collected from the Fawakhir and El Sid sites. The abundance of metals and toxic substances measured in these sediments exhibit a decreasing trend as follows: Fe > As > Cr > Au > Mn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Li > Co > Mo > Cd > Ag > Hg > CN. These toxic elements can persist for long periods and are widespread in natural and artificial sources, including parent rocks, water, atmosphere, and mining activities. Significant quantities of heavy metals, including arsenic (As), iron (Fe), and mercury (Hg), along with highly toxic chemicals such as cyanide (CN), were detected within the silver and gold deposits. The presence of these hazardous substances poses a significant risk to both the local ecosystem and human well-being. Soil contamination in the area can be attributed to various factors, including natural erosion processes, ancient mining activities, and the abandonment of tailing deposits.