Environmental and health impacts of coal occurrence and exploitation in Akunza mighili, North central Nigeria

Akunza Mighili is a community in the outskirts of Lafia widely known for extensive coal mining activities. However, no assessment has been conducted on the impact of this mining on the environment and health hazards. This research aims to investigate the environmental and health impacts of coal exploitation in Akunza Mighili. Five representative rock samples were collected during field mapping and analyzed to determine their elemental and mineralogical constituents using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, two coal samples were subjected to rock eval pyrolysis. A total of twenty groundwater samples were collected and analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Measurement of groundwater physical parameters was also conducted during the field mapping. Field results indicated that the area primarily consists of shale interbedded with coal seams, ferruginous sandstone, ferruginous siltstone, and minor occurrences of mudstone. Based on the XRD and XRF results, graphite is the dominant mineral in coal while SO3 and SiO2 represent the dominant major oxides. The coal samples in the area are immature for oil generation based on their maximum pyrolysis temperature (Tmax). In the groundwater of the area, the order of parameters is pH > Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) > Temperature (T) > Electrical Conductivity (EC), while the concentration of heavy metals follows this order: Fe > Zn > Cu > Co > Cd > Mn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Hg. The assessment of heavy metal pollution indicated that the groundwater in the area is significantly polluted, which poses serious health risks.