Environmental impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining within Kambele and Pater gold mining sites, East Cameroon

The increasing demand for gold, notably in the jewellery industry and other sectors such as finance, electronics, and aerospace, has exerted pressure on gold exploration and exploitation worldwide. Recently, Batouri has witnessed several exploration and exploitation efforts, predominantly by small scale mining companies. These activities have impacted the quality of the environment within Batouri gold district. This research assesses the impact of artisanal and small-scale gold mining on the environment in the Batouri gold district, notably in the Kambele and Pater mining sites, where limited scientific studies on the environmental impacts of gold mining activities have been carried out. Eighteen surface water samples were collected from the Kambele and Pater mining sites during the dry season. Four trace elements (Mercury, Lead, Cyanide, and Arsenic) were analyzed to determine the quality of water in the study area using a Buck Scientific Atomic Absorption Spectrometer 205. The concentration of Mercury (102.64—5550.38 μg/L) and Lead (336.7–2072 μg/L) was found to be far greater than the European directives and the WHO pollution guidelines while the concentration of Cyanide (1.45–10.35 μg/L) and Arsenic (0.12–0.42 μg/L) were below both the European directives and WHO pollution guidelines. The order of abundance was as follows: Hg > Pb > CN > As. Spatial interpolation was used to understand the spatial and concentration distributions of the pollutants over the study area. A timeseries analysis was conducted to determine the changes in the environment as a result of mining activities in Batouri over 20 years (2002–2022). The results of the change fallowing, or farming areas, and bare ground areas, while mature and young savannah forests together with water resources showed a decrease as a result of mining activities. Deforestation, abandoned pits, mine collapse, rockfall, air pollution, soil and subsoil degradation, water pollution, and destruction of the natural environment are the main environmental problems observed in the field. These environmental problems can be averted by encouraging reforestation, filling mine pits with waste rock, and gold recovery using gravity-based methods such as jigs and shaking tables, which are more environmentally friendly and enforce environmental protection policies.