Department of Plant and Environmental Science, School of Natural Resources, Copperbelt University, P. O BOX 21692, Jambo Drive, Riverside, Kitwe, Zambia.
Unit of Toxicology and Environment, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, DR, Congo.
J Environ Public Health. 2022 Jul 5;2022:4515115. doi: 10.1155/2022/4515115. eCollection 2022.
Zambia and the DR Congo are situated in the central African Copperbelt, which is part of the Lufilian geological structure arc stretching over from Kolwezi in Katanga Province in the DRC to Luanshya in Copperbelt Province in Zambia. The area has large copper-cobalt deposits of which the extraction causes severe ecosystem damage due to pollution of water, food crops, and the ambient air negatively impacting population health. Contamination of drinking water for domestic use and foods (cereals, roots and tubers, vegetables, and fruits) was determined by assessing the contents of trace metals including Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn, Co, As, U, Cd, and Cu and through a questionnaire for environmental damage. Food samples were analyzed by inductively coupled argon plasma/optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), while water and urine samples were analyzed by inductively coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations of Ni, Pb, and Cd were higher in almost all food crops, although Cu was more in samples of and . Mean contents (g/L) of Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, and U were, respectively, 5,454.6, 2552.2, 138.7, 39.7, 2361.1, and 21.4 in the DRC and 108.9, 543.3, 0.3, 0.2, 1.5, and 0.5 in Zambia, being significantly higher and always far above World Health Organization maximum limits in the DRC. Urine samples taken only from the DRC contained trace metals with children's samples being more contaminated than adult ones. Our results conclusively echo the most critical challenges of toxic pollutants causing numerous health issues among the population. Given an outcry among households adjacent to mines about land degradation and food spoilage, and health problems over years, joint efforts are needed from public and private sectors for stringent mining exploitation monitoring for sustainable governance to protect the environment and ensure food and nutrition safety, and population well-being in Zambia and the DR Congo.
赞比亚和刚果民主共和国位于中非铜带，这是卢菲利安地质构造弧的一部分，从刚果民主共和国加丹加省的科卢韦齐延伸到赞比亚铜带省的卢安夏。该地区拥有大型的铜钴矿床，由于水污染、粮食作物污染以及周围空气对人口健康产生负面影响，开采导致了严重的生态系统破坏。通过评估痕量金属（包括 Mn、Ni、Pb、Zn、Co、As、U、Cd 和 Cu）的含量以及环境破坏情况的问卷调查，确定了饮用水和食物（谷物、根茎类蔬菜、蔬菜和水果）的污染情况。通过电感耦合氩等离子体/光学发射光谱法（ICP-OES）分析食物样本，通过电感耦合氩等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）分析水和尿液样本。几乎所有的粮食作物中 Ni、Pb 和 Cd 的浓度都较高，而 Cu 的浓度在 和 样本中较高。刚果民主共和国 Mn、Zn、Cd、Pb 和 U 的平均含量（g/L）分别为 5454.6、2552.2、138.7、39.7、2361.1 和 21.4，赞比亚的 Mn、Zn、Cd、Pb 和 U 的平均含量（g/L）分别为 108.9、543.3、0.3、0.2、1.5 和 0.5，刚果民主共和国的含量明显更高，且始终远远高于世界卫生组织的最高限量。仅从刚果民主共和国采集的尿液样本中含有痕量金属，儿童样本的污染程度高于成人样本。我们的结果明确反映了有毒污染物对人口健康造成的诸多问题的最严重挑战。鉴于矿山附近家庭对土地退化和食物变质以及多年来健康问题的强烈抗议，需要公共和私营部门共同努力，严格监测采矿活动，以实现可持续治理，保护环境，确保粮食和营养安全，以及赞比亚和刚果民主共和国的人口福祉。
