Geochemical Characterization of the Spoil Heaps of the Ain Aouda Mine and its Impact on the Soil (Morocco)
			
	
 
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				Intelligent Systems, Georesources and Renewable Energies Laboratory, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Fez, Morocco
				 
			 
										
				
				
		
		 
			
			
		
		
		
		
		
		
	
							
					    		
    			 
    			
    				    					Corresponding author
    					    				    				
    					Narmine  Assabar   
    					Intelligent Systems, Georesources and Renewable Energies Laboratory, University of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Fez, Morocco
    				
 
    			
				 
    			 
    		 		
			
																						 
		
	 
		
 
 
Ecol. Eng. Environ. Technol. 2023; 6:100-108
		
 
 
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ABSTRACT
The exploitation of the Ain Aouda zinc lead mine in the Tazekka massif (Morocco) has abandoned spoil heaps stored directly on a karstified carbonated ground, in the middle of nature, without any means of precaution. The heaps were exposed to the weather agents such as water infiltration and air circulation, which would generate a real source of pollution for the ecosystem. These pollution will inevitably produce effluents that can be loaded with metals and metalloids, which will have a significant negative influence on the soil and the environment. In this regard, the objective of this study is to confirm the existence of contamination/pollution of soils by the technique of atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma, and of spoil heaps by  X-ray diffractometry, which confirmed contamination by zinc, arsenic, lead and copper. Their maximum concentration are respectively 19858.800 (ppm), 1280.700 (ppm), 495.750 (ppm), and 328.65 (ppm). Nevertheless, we note that the pH of the majority of soils always remains basic, due to the significant presence of carbonates, the majority of soils are calcareous (15% to 30%) to very calcareous (> 30%). We notice that the phenomenon of neutralization occurs.