Assessment of Copper Contamination in Soil Near Malanjkhand Copper Mine, Madhya Pradesh

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine the copper concentration and soil properties of the area around Malanjkhand copper mine, which is located in north east of Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh which is the largest copper deposit in India producing nearly 2.2 million tonnes of copper tailings annually. The soil was characterized geochemically by taking samples from areas around the mine and the contaminated waste nallas coming out from the mine. Studies were done and the pH, electrical conductivity and the organic carbon content were measured. Copper content of the soil samples were examined. The enrichment factor and index of geoaccumulation were also calculated. On the basis on the enrichment factor and the index of geoaccumulation, the copper concentration was found to be highest near the waste dump and significantly high close to the nallas.