Liquid gold: assessing groundwater quality at the historic Kolar gold fields, Karnataka, India

Title

Liquid gold: assessing groundwater quality at the historic Kolar gold fields, Karnataka, India

Creator

Paulose J.; Xavier J.

Description

To assess ecological sustainability and resilience, it is necessary to periodically examine various ecological properties in areas with high pollution and contaminant risks. Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Kolar, Karnataka, showcases one of India's most contaminated zones because of the extensive gold mining and its lingering effects. In KGF, the quality of groundwater has been severely reduced as there exist extensive mining tailings, locally referred to as cyanide dumps, which have been neglected for several preceding years without proper disposal strategies. The current approach focuses on the water pollution caused by heavy metal deposits in the KGF region. Groundwater samples were sampled from Oorgam, an abandoned region in KGF, and subsequently filtered for water quality examinations. The investigation documented concentrations of several metals, including cadmium (0.068 0.0024 ppm), lead (0.288 0.0016 ppm), nickel (0.058 0.0047 ppm), and chromium (0.23 0.0235 ppm) and have met the standard specifications in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO). Prominent pH disparity was documented amongst the experimental samples, with a detectable pH drop in the aqua-purified water in comparison to the positive control. The test results imply that the water samples collected from KGF remain unpotable for consumption or irrigation due to the persistence of high levels of heavy metal concentration. This study underscores the urgent requirement for a remedial approach to ensure water safety for drinking and irrigation in the area. 2025 Brawijaya University. All rights reserved.

Source

Journal of Degraded and Mining Lands Management, Vol-12, No. 2, pp. 7071-7077.

Date

2025-01-01

Publisher

Brawijaya University

Subject

groundwater; heavy metals; Kolar Gold Fields; Kolar mines; WHO standards

Coverage

Paulose J., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India; Xavier J., Department of Life Sciences, Christ University, Karnataka, Bengaluru, 560029, India

Rights

Restricted Access

Relation

ISSN: 2339076X

Format

Online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.15243/jdmlm.2025.122.7071

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