Estimation of potential cadmium contamination using an integrated RUSLE, GIS and remote sensing technique in a remote watershed area: a case study of the Mae Tao Basin, Thailand

The Mae Tao Basin in Mae Sot district, Thailand, is a cadmium contaminated area, where the dominant carrier of the contaminant is sediment leached into the water resources by surface runoff. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation incorporated with remote sensing and geographic information system software were applied to calculate the potential erosion that can occur in the Mae Tao Basin. The erosion potential was combined with the cadmium concentration profile, obtained using secondary data from the Land Development Department, Royal Thai Survey Department and Meteorological Department of Thailand, to calculate the potential cadmium flux due to erosion. The results indicate that maximum value of potential cadmium flux due to erosion occurred in the mining production area of the Mae Tao Basin. In addition, there is significant evidence that the upstream area of the basin has the potential to release cadmium during incidents of erosion.