ASSESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF GOLD MINING ACTIVITIES, SUKARI MINE, CENTRAL EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Sukari Gold Mine (SGM) is located at 23 km from southwest of the Red Sea coastal town of Marsa Alam, South Central Eastern Desert and is considered as the largest and modernized gold mine in Egypt. About 90 percent of gold mines around the world use cyanidation (sodium cyanide compound) to separate the gold from finely ground rock. This study integrates observations from high resolution Remote Sensing data and hydro-geochemical analyses to assess the environmental impact of the SGM activities on surface and groundwater with emphasis on the Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) where cyanide-rich waste is pumped and stored. Surface and groundwater samples from boreholes around the SGM open pit and TSF, in addition to TSF sludge and rock samples from the Dump leaching (where processing of low gold grade occurs), were collected following the EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert Group Sampling Protocol. Total cyanide analysis for groundwater, TSF surface water, sludge and Dump leaching rock samples in addition to free cyanide and hydrochemistry analyses (cations and anions) were performed for the groundwater samples to trace the cyanide distribution and measure its concentrations in the study area using ICP-MS. Terrain and watershed modelling was accomplished using high resolution WorldView-2 Satellite imagery; spatial analysis of contaminated mining areas with relevant data sets such as the distribution of lithologies, stream networks, surface water bodies, and groundwater reservoirs was accomplished in a GIS platform (ArcGIS software). Insights into the groundwater flow system in the study area were gained from the analysis of temporal (2014-2018) satellite-based precipitation data and head data. Four main precipitation events were detected (October 20, 2015, October 26, 2016, October 09, 2017 and May 27, 2018) which were accompanied by rise in groundwater levels. The impact of a set of possible mining and land use scenarios as indicators of cyanide-pollutants transport and receptor conditions are being evaluated. Preliminary findings indicate that the applications of modern mining and extraction methods with the required environmental precautions reduced the severity risk and distribution of cyanide in the study area.