Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion

Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla; Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong; Serge Tchounang Kouonang; Bernard Yerima; Daniel Njopwouo

doi:doi:10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion

Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla, Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong, Serge Tchounang Kouonang, Bernard Yerima, Daniel Njopwouo

Published in Earth Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 2)

Received: 20 February 2018 Accepted: 7 March 2018 Published: 29 March 2018

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Abstract

Discovery of new geophagic clayey deposit in the locality of Meka'a contributed to the apparition of new species of geophagic clay materials in the local market. Due to the fact that positive or negative effects of geophagia are conditioned by physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the clay soil ingested, it is therefore necessary to mineralogically and physico-chemically characterize these clayey materials in order to ascertain their health implications. X ray diffractometry (XRD), X ray fluorescence (XRF), particles size distribution, pH and cation exchance capacity (CEC) are the main analyses carried out with these materials. The results show that the clayey materials of Meka’a are extremely weathered and maybe as a result of the weathering of ignimbritic flows. Two main species (yellow and red) of this clay soil are identified on the basis of their colour, mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristic. Analysis of samples of these two types of materials shows that Meka’a clayey materials are mainly made up of kaolinite (64-87%) and goethite (6-25%). These two minerals greatly influence the properties of these materials. Abundance of kaolinite in this clayey mineral assemblage could be of benefit in the protection of gastro intestinal tract resulting from ingestion of soils with high clay content. These clayey soils have a lower CEC and cannot cause cations deficiency in the digestive tract. Their acidic pH makes them suitable for use as remedy for relief of nausea and to curb salivation associated with pregnancy. No dental enamel or gastro-intestinal tract damage was to be feared when ingesting Meka’a clayey soils and their great abundance in Zn could be of benefit to geophagic individuals. However, possibility of Fe supplementation of the clayey soils of Meka’a may be very low considering low ferric hydroxide content and the fact that only a part of Fe present in the clayey soil can be released in the digestive tract.

Published in	Earth Sciences (Volume 7, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
Page(s)	74-85
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2018. Published by Science Publishing Group

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References

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Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla, Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong, Serge Tchounang Kouonang, Bernard Yerima, Daniel Njopwouo. (2018). Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sciences, 7(2), 74-85. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla; Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong; Serge Tchounang Kouonang; Bernard Yerima; Daniel Njopwouo. Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sci. 2018, 7(2), 74-85. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla, Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong, Serge Tchounang Kouonang, Bernard Yerima, Daniel Njopwouo. Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sci. 2018;7(2):74-85. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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@article{10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15,
  author = {Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla and Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong and Serge Tchounang Kouonang and Bernard Yerima and Daniel Njopwouo},
  title = {Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion},
  journal = {Earth Sciences},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {74-85},
  doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20180702.15},
  abstract = {Discovery of new geophagic clayey deposit in the locality of Meka'a contributed to the apparition of new species of geophagic clay materials in the local market. Due to the fact that positive or negative effects of geophagia are conditioned by physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the clay soil ingested, it is therefore necessary to mineralogically and physico-chemically characterize these clayey materials in order to ascertain their health implications. X ray diffractometry (XRD), X ray fluorescence (XRF), particles size distribution, pH and cation exchance capacity (CEC) are the main analyses carried out with these materials. The results show that the clayey materials of Meka’a are extremely weathered and maybe as a result of the weathering of ignimbritic flows. Two main species (yellow and red) of this clay soil are identified on the basis of their colour, mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristic. Analysis of samples of these two types of materials shows that Meka’a clayey materials are mainly made up of kaolinite (64-87%) and goethite (6-25%). These two minerals greatly influence the properties of these materials. Abundance of kaolinite in this clayey mineral assemblage could be of benefit in the protection of gastro intestinal tract resulting from ingestion of soils with high clay content. These clayey soils have a lower CEC and cannot cause cations deficiency in the digestive tract. Their acidic pH makes them suitable for use as remedy for relief of nausea and to curb salivation associated with pregnancy. No dental enamel or gastro-intestinal tract damage was to be feared when ingesting Meka’a clayey soils and their great abundance in Zn could be of benefit to geophagic individuals. However, possibility of Fe supplementation of the clayey soils of Meka’a may be very low considering low ferric hydroxide content and the fact that only a part of Fe present in the clayey soil can be released in the digestive tract.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion
AU  - Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla
AU  - Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong
AU  - Serge Tchounang Kouonang
AU  - Bernard Yerima
AU  - Daniel Njopwouo
Y1  - 2018/03/29
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
T2  - Earth Sciences
JF  - Earth Sciences
JO  - Earth Sciences
SP  - 74
EP  - 85
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5982
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
AB  - Discovery of new geophagic clayey deposit in the locality of Meka'a contributed to the apparition of new species of geophagic clay materials in the local market. Due to the fact that positive or negative effects of geophagia are conditioned by physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the clay soil ingested, it is therefore necessary to mineralogically and physico-chemically characterize these clayey materials in order to ascertain their health implications. X ray diffractometry (XRD), X ray fluorescence (XRF), particles size distribution, pH and cation exchance capacity (CEC) are the main analyses carried out with these materials. The results show that the clayey materials of Meka’a are extremely weathered and maybe as a result of the weathering of ignimbritic flows. Two main species (yellow and red) of this clay soil are identified on the basis of their colour, mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristic. Analysis of samples of these two types of materials shows that Meka’a clayey materials are mainly made up of kaolinite (64-87%) and goethite (6-25%). These two minerals greatly influence the properties of these materials. Abundance of kaolinite in this clayey mineral assemblage could be of benefit in the protection of gastro intestinal tract resulting from ingestion of soils with high clay content. These clayey soils have a lower CEC and cannot cause cations deficiency in the digestive tract. Their acidic pH makes them suitable for use as remedy for relief of nausea and to curb salivation associated with pregnancy. No dental enamel or gastro-intestinal tract damage was to be feared when ingesting Meka’a clayey soils and their great abundance in Zn could be of benefit to geophagic individuals. However, possibility of Fe supplementation of the clayey soils of Meka’a may be very low considering low ferric hydroxide content and the fact that only a part of Fe present in the clayey soil can be released in the digestive tract.
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla

Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong

Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Serge Tchounang Kouonang

Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Bernard Yerima

Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon
Daniel Njopwouo

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon

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Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla, Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong, Serge Tchounang Kouonang, Bernard Yerima, Daniel Njopwouo. (2018). Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sciences, 7(2), 74-85. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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ACS Style

Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla; Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong; Serge Tchounang Kouonang; Bernard Yerima; Daniel Njopwouo. Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sci. 2018, 7(2), 74-85. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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AMA Style

Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla, Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong, Serge Tchounang Kouonang, Bernard Yerima, Daniel Njopwouo. Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion. Earth Sci. 2018;7(2):74-85. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15

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@article{10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15,
  author = {Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla and Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong and Serge Tchounang Kouonang and Bernard Yerima and Daniel Njopwouo},
  title = {Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion},
  journal = {Earth Sciences},
  volume = {7},
  number = {2},
  pages = {74-85},
  doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20180702.15},
  abstract = {Discovery of new geophagic clayey deposit in the locality of Meka'a contributed to the apparition of new species of geophagic clay materials in the local market. Due to the fact that positive or negative effects of geophagia are conditioned by physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the clay soil ingested, it is therefore necessary to mineralogically and physico-chemically characterize these clayey materials in order to ascertain their health implications. X ray diffractometry (XRD), X ray fluorescence (XRF), particles size distribution, pH and cation exchance capacity (CEC) are the main analyses carried out with these materials. The results show that the clayey materials of Meka’a are extremely weathered and maybe as a result of the weathering of ignimbritic flows. Two main species (yellow and red) of this clay soil are identified on the basis of their colour, mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristic. Analysis of samples of these two types of materials shows that Meka’a clayey materials are mainly made up of kaolinite (64-87%) and goethite (6-25%). These two minerals greatly influence the properties of these materials. Abundance of kaolinite in this clayey mineral assemblage could be of benefit in the protection of gastro intestinal tract resulting from ingestion of soils with high clay content. These clayey soils have a lower CEC and cannot cause cations deficiency in the digestive tract. Their acidic pH makes them suitable for use as remedy for relief of nausea and to curb salivation associated with pregnancy. No dental enamel or gastro-intestinal tract damage was to be feared when ingesting Meka’a clayey soils and their great abundance in Zn could be of benefit to geophagic individuals. However, possibility of Fe supplementation of the clayey soils of Meka’a may be very low considering low ferric hydroxide content and the fact that only a part of Fe present in the clayey soil can be released in the digestive tract.},
 year = {2018}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Clayey Materials of Meka'a (West Cameroon) Preliminary Step for Their Utilization for Human Ingestion
AU  - Stève Aurèle Douola Ninla
AU  - Armand Sylvain Ludovic Wouatong
AU  - Serge Tchounang Kouonang
AU  - Bernard Yerima
AU  - Daniel Njopwouo
Y1  - 2018/03/29
PY  - 2018
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
T2  - Earth Sciences
JF  - Earth Sciences
JO  - Earth Sciences
SP  - 74
EP  - 85
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5982
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20180702.15
AB  - Discovery of new geophagic clayey deposit in the locality of Meka'a contributed to the apparition of new species of geophagic clay materials in the local market. Due to the fact that positive or negative effects of geophagia are conditioned by physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the clay soil ingested, it is therefore necessary to mineralogically and physico-chemically characterize these clayey materials in order to ascertain their health implications. X ray diffractometry (XRD), X ray fluorescence (XRF), particles size distribution, pH and cation exchance capacity (CEC) are the main analyses carried out with these materials. The results show that the clayey materials of Meka’a are extremely weathered and maybe as a result of the weathering of ignimbritic flows. Two main species (yellow and red) of this clay soil are identified on the basis of their colour, mineralogy and physico-chemical characteristic. Analysis of samples of these two types of materials shows that Meka’a clayey materials are mainly made up of kaolinite (64-87%) and goethite (6-25%). These two minerals greatly influence the properties of these materials. Abundance of kaolinite in this clayey mineral assemblage could be of benefit in the protection of gastro intestinal tract resulting from ingestion of soils with high clay content. These clayey soils have a lower CEC and cannot cause cations deficiency in the digestive tract. Their acidic pH makes them suitable for use as remedy for relief of nausea and to curb salivation associated with pregnancy. No dental enamel or gastro-intestinal tract damage was to be feared when ingesting Meka’a clayey soils and their great abundance in Zn could be of benefit to geophagic individuals. However, possibility of Fe supplementation of the clayey soils of Meka’a may be very low considering low ferric hydroxide content and the fact that only a part of Fe present in the clayey soil can be released in the digestive tract.
VL  - 7
IS  - 2
ER  -

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