Mercury contamination stemming from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations poses significant environmental and health concerns. This study focuses on the Darmali area in River Nile State, Sudan, where the reprocessing of amalgamation tailings has led to mercury contamination. This study assessed the mercury content in soil and tailings samples, as well as in tap and groundwater, to evaluate the human health risks from ASGM activities and assess contamination levels within the study area. Soil and water samples were collected from various locations, including agricultural, residential, and tailings sites, as well as groundwater and tap water from the Nile. Mercury analysis was conducted using MA-3000 (NIC), and geo-accumulation index analysis revealed extreme pollution levels in areas with tailings and moderate pollution levels in agricultural and residential areas. Hazard quotients were applied to assess health risks, with inhalation of mercury vapor identified as the primary exposure route. The results indicated that tailings pose significant health risks, particularly for children, while water samples and soil from agricultural and residential areas did not pose significant risks. These findings underscore the urgent need for authorities and local communities to address mercury contamination by removing and treating tailings from affected areas to mitigate health risks.

This study aims to evaluate the adsorption characteristics of unmodified natural rice husk particles (sizes of 74, 177, and 500 μm) in adsorbing dyes in wastewater. The adsorption isotherm analysis was performed in batch mode. Turmeric was selected as a model for organic dyes. Ten isotherm models were used to predict and determine the characteristic parameters: Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, Dubinin-Radushkevich, Flory-Huggins, Fowler-Guggenheim, Hill-de-Boer, Jovanovic, Harkin Jura, and Halsey isotherm models. The adsorption isotherm analysis showed the phenomena that occur during adsorption are physical, with multilayer formation on the surface of the adsorbent and the occurrence of adsorbate-adsorbate repulsive interaction. The pore-filling molecules occur at the largest and medium particle sizes, whereas the small particle size has no pore-filling molecules. This study reveals that the natural rice husk (unmodified) could be employed as a low-cost and effective sorbent for wastewater treatment, supporting current issues in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Landfills have the potential to contribute to mercury (Hg) pollution, due to the burial of waste containing mercury. Mercury from domestic waste can enter the soil surrounding landfills through surface runoff and leachate. In this study, we assessed the levels of Hg in the paddy soil around the Nam Son landfill, the largest landfill in the North of Vietnam, during both rainy (September 2021) and dry (January 2022) seasons. The concentration of Hg was in the range of 20.5 to 79.7 μg/kg dry w.t. in Bac Son and Nam Son, and 16.6 μg/kg dry w.t. at a higher reference site. In most of the samples, the rainy season showed higher Hg concentrations than the dry season. Soil samples taken closer to the landfill exhibited higher levels of Hg contamination compared to those in more distant paddy areas, suggesting a decreasing trend of Hg concentration as one moves away from the pollution source. Additionally, Hg concentration was found to decrease vertically from the surface, with the higher value observed in the surface layer (0–5 cm), and the lower in the bottom layer (20–25 cm). The geo-accumulation index showed that all the sampling points were moderately to heavily polluted, indicating that Hg was lost from the waste source in the landfill. This study provides valuable insights into the spatial and vertical distribution of Hg pollution in the topsoil and highlights the importance of managing and assessing the risks of Hg-containing waste.