Characterization of Sands for Heavy Minerals, Selected Heavy Metals Distribution and Profiling along River Tiva, Kitui County, South Eastern Kenya

The main objective of this study is to characterize the river Tiva sands for heavy mineral content & determine the elements associated with heavy minerals. The elemental determination was done using an energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (EDXRF) Shimadzu (EDX 800HS) & XRD analyses were done for mineral identification. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the results of elemental concentrations to determine the correlation between the elements & the source of the heavy minerals. XRD results of analyses showed the existence of ilmenite & Hematite as some of the heavy minerals present in these samples. Results of XRF data obtained showed iron oxide to average 10.46%; Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) results average at 3.83%. These data suggest that approximately 80% of the iron in these samples is confined to magnetite & a proportionate relationship between iron & titanium dioxide may be indicative of significant titanomagnetite content. This study demonstrated the existence of titanium bearing heavy minerals in river Tiva sands. The results indicate the potential area for further detailed exploration for the heavy minerals in the study area.