Author(s)

Kagbagnan Kone^1,2, Adjoumani Rodrigue Kouakou³, Julien Bahino⁴, Horo Kone⁵, Kouakou Eric Adou², Ehouman Ahissan Donatien³, Kopoin Adouby²

¹Département de Géographie, UFR Sciences Sociales, Université Péléforo Gon Coulibaly, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
²Laboratoire des Procédés Industriels de Synthèse de L’environnement et des Energies Nouvelles, Institut National Polytechniques Félix Houphouët Boigny, Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
³Laboratoire de Thermodynamique et Physico-chimie du Milieu, UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées, Université Nangui Abrogoua, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
⁴Laboratoire des Sciences de la Matière de l’Environnement et de l’Energie Solaire, LASMES, UFR SSMT, Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
⁵Laboratoire de Physique chimie, UFR médecine/Département des Sciences et Techniques, Université Alassane Ouattara, Bouaké Côte d’Ivoire.

The Tongon mine, the largest gold mine in C?te d’Ivoire, has been in operation since April 2010. However, to our knowledge to date, no study has been conducted on metallic contamination in suspended particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) where there is a lack of information on the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk to human health associated with the exposure of populations in the Tongon area to these pollutants. The general objective of this study is to evaluate the level of contamination of PM₁₀; PM_2.5 by heavy metals and their impact on the health of populations exposed to these pollutants in the Tongon gold mine area. The sampling and measurement of suspended particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) were done using a MiniVol TAS passive air sampler. Heavy metal concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (Nex ION 2000 ICP-MS, USA). The results indicate that the average concentrations of suspended particles (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) obtained are all above the recommended exposure limits. In addition, among the heavy metals contained in the suspended particles, the concentrations of arsenic and nickel are high and all above the standard limit values. The assessment of the health risks related to the inhalation of PM₁₀ particles reveals that their inhalation over a long period could cause a carcinogenic risk.

Particulate Matters (PM₁₀ and PM_2.5), West Africa, Tongon, Heavy Metals, Inhalation, Carcinogenic Risk, Metallic Contamination

Kone, K. , Kouakou, A. , Bahino, J. , Kone, H. , Adou, K. , Donatien, E. and Adouby, K. (2023) Human Health Risks from Exposure to Heavy Metals of Suspended Particulate Matter around the Tongon Gold Mine, Côte d’Ivoire. Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment, 12, 171-187. doi: 10.4236/jacen.2023.122014.