ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Mining Association Rules Applied to
Goethite and Haematite Abundances in
Manganese-Contaminated Soils
G-I. E. Ekosse1, N Forcheh2
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1Mining and Minerals, School of Physical and Mineral Sciences, University of Limpopo,
P/Bag X1106 Sovenga 0727, South Africa
2Department of statistics, University of Botswana, P/Bag 0022 Gaborone, Botswana
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2007;16(4):531-538
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Mining association rules (MAR) are applied in elucidating on the abundances and association of Fe
minerals in soils within the proximity of an abandoned manganese oxide (MnOx) mine. Four hundred soil
samples were obtained from a 4 km2 area close to the abandoned mine in Kgwakgwe, Botswana. The Fe
minerals in the soil samples were identified by x-ray diffractometry. Results depicted haematite and goethite
present in different abundances: none, trace, minor and major in soils from the study area but only
haematite in soils from the control site. From 16 possible combinations of the two Fe minerals in the soil
samples, MAR results for confidence, certainty factor, lift and support, depicted haematite in major quantity
to be the most influential. This fact is substantiated by its occurrence in the country shales.