Volume 20, Issue 1, April 2017, Pages 371–379
P. Materanya1, Dieudonné Wafula Mifundu2, M. Yalire3, Munyololo Wayemba4, and N. Kapapa5
1 Centre de recherche en sciences naturelles (CRSN/LWIRO) Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
2 Centre de recherche en Géophysique (C.R.G), Kinshasa, RD Congo
3 Observatoire volcanologique de Goma (OVG/GOMA), RD Congo
4 Centre de Recherche Géologiques et Minières, CRGM-Lwiro, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Cellule de protection Civile, sud Kivu, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2017 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The disaster wich occurred in Tchigoma (a village located at about 25km from the city of Bulambika) in the chiefdom of Bunyakiri was investigated. The disaster caused the death of 3 people and some of them just survived. The accident was caused by the exposure to the high concentration of two gases during the digging of a toilet pit. The following concentrations were recorded in the hole considered as the epicenter: the carbon dioxide (CO2) at 93.8% and the carbon monoxide CO at 2031 parts per million, using GA2000 equipment. Although the exact value of the lethal concentration for humans is uncertain, these recorded values are too high for mammals’ survival .The mortality caused by these gases is a function of the inhaled concentration and duration of exposure. From the observations on the site, we had concluded that the gas were generated the peat covered by the alluvium layer considered as a roof.
Author Keywords: Disaster, Tchigoma, death, gas, epicenter.
P. Materanya1, Dieudonné Wafula Mifundu2, M. Yalire3, Munyololo Wayemba4, and N. Kapapa5
1 Centre de recherche en sciences naturelles (CRSN/LWIRO) Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
2 Centre de recherche en Géophysique (C.R.G), Kinshasa, RD Congo
3 Observatoire volcanologique de Goma (OVG/GOMA), RD Congo
4 Centre de Recherche Géologiques et Minières, CRGM-Lwiro, Sud-Kivu, RD Congo
5 Cellule de protection Civile, sud Kivu, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2017 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The disaster wich occurred in Tchigoma (a village located at about 25km from the city of Bulambika) in the chiefdom of Bunyakiri was investigated. The disaster caused the death of 3 people and some of them just survived. The accident was caused by the exposure to the high concentration of two gases during the digging of a toilet pit. The following concentrations were recorded in the hole considered as the epicenter: the carbon dioxide (CO2) at 93.8% and the carbon monoxide CO at 2031 parts per million, using GA2000 equipment. Although the exact value of the lethal concentration for humans is uncertain, these recorded values are too high for mammals’ survival .The mortality caused by these gases is a function of the inhaled concentration and duration of exposure. From the observations on the site, we had concluded that the gas were generated the peat covered by the alluvium layer considered as a roof.
Author Keywords: Disaster, Tchigoma, death, gas, epicenter.
Abstract: (french)
Cette étude a concerné la catastrophe qui s’est produite à Tchigoma (village situé à 25km de centre de Bulambika) dans la chefferie de Bunyakiri qui a causé la mort de 3 personnes et plusieurs autres sauvés de justesse. Les victimes ont été exposées à deux gaz mortels lors des travaux de creusage d’une fosse qui devrait servir à la toilette. Les concentrations enregistrées dans le trou considéré comme épicentre du Dioxyde de carbone (CO2) a été de 93,8% et pour le Monoxyde de Carbone (CO) 2031 parts par million en utilisant GA2000. Bien que la valeur exacte de la concentration létale pour l’homme soit incertaine, ces valeurs enregistrées sont trop élevées pour que les mammifères survivent. La mortalité causée par ces gaz est fonction de la concentration inhalée et de la durée d’exposition. D’après les observations sur le site, nous avons conclu que l’origine de ces gaz serait la présence de la tourbe couverte par la couche d’alluvions qui se comporterait comme un véritable toit.
Author Keywords: Catastrophe, Tchigoma, mort, gaz, épicentre.
How to Cite this Article
P. Materanya, Dieudonné Wafula Mifundu, M. Yalire, Munyololo Wayemba, and N. Kapapa, “INTOXICATIONS MORTELLES DES GAZ (CO2 et CO) A TCHIGOMA EN CHEFFERIE DE BUNYAKIRI, TERRITOIRE DE KALEHE / SUD KIVU, R.D. CONGO,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 371–379, April 2017.
