Tembo Backsion D, Sichilongo Kwenga, Cernak Joseph
Department of Chemistry, The University of Zambia, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka 10101, Zambia.
Chemosphere. 2006 Apr;63(3):497-501. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.08.002. Epub 2005 Dec 9.
The extent of pollution of the environment as a result of mining activities in Kabwe, the provincial capital of Central province in Zambia has not yet been evaluated. Mining of lead and zinc were the core activities of Kabwe mine while cadmium and silver were produced as by-products. The smelting processes produced a significant amount of copper. The spatial distribution of four heavy metals in soils in the northern, eastern, southern and western directions of the mine was analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Samples were collected up to 20 km in each direction from the mine. Results were consistent with the wind flow patterns in the town. Results ranged between 0.08 and 28 mg kg(-1) (Cd); 0.20 and 0.61 mg kg(-1) (Cu); 0.10 and 758 mg kg(-1) (Pb) and 0.40 and 234 mg kg(-1) (Zn) suggesting high precipitation of metals from the core mining activities. These concentrations were for only the fractions of metals extractable by 0.5M nitric acid and that could be available for plant uptake in the environment. The distribution of metals indicated a decrease of metal concentrations with distance from the mine, which confirmed that precipitation due to mining activities was the main cause of soil contamination.
赞比亚中央省省会卡布韦的采矿活动对环境造成的污染程度尚未得到评估。铅锌矿开采是卡布韦矿的核心活动，镉和银则作为副产品产出。冶炼过程产生了大量的铜。利用原子吸收光谱法（AAS）分析了该矿场北、东、南、西四个方向土壤中四种重金属的空间分布情况。在每个方向上从矿场向外最多20公里处采集样本。结果与该镇的风向模式一致。结果范围为0.08至28毫克/千克（镉）；0.20至0.61毫克/千克（铜）；0.10至758毫克/千克（铅）以及0.40至234毫克/千克（锌），这表明核心采矿活动导致大量金属沉淀。这些浓度仅针对可被0.5M硝酸萃取的金属部分，这些金属在环境中可供植物吸收。金属分布表明，随着与矿场距离的增加，金属浓度降低，这证实了采矿活动造成的沉淀是土壤污染的主要原因。
