[ Indices de pollution des eaux du bassin hydrographique de la rivière Lufira par des métaux lourds (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ni, Pb, Se et Zn) rejetés dans les effluents miniers de la ville de Likasi et ses environs, Haut Katanga (RD Congo) ]
Volume 47, Issue 2, December 2025, Pages 189–208
Boris UNYUMBE YANGA KALALA1, René Gizanga Valu2, Willy LUSASI SWANA3, Thiery TANGOU TABOU4, Camile NSIMANDA IPEY5, and Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné6
1 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
2 Laboratoire d’Ecotoxicologie, Santé des écosystèmes et Microbiologie Environnementale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, RD Congo
3 Laboratoire de Limnologie, Hydrobiologie et Aquaculture, Mention Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
4 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
5 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
6 Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2025 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.
In the province of Haut Katanga, the quality of waterways is particularly threatened by mining activities that do not take into account the environmental protection criteria recently introduced through Congolese mining legislation. The objective of this study is to analyze the level of pollution in the water of rivers and Lake Tshangalele, which is rich in fish consumed by local populations in the upper part of the Lufira River basin, near the city of Likasi in the province of Haut Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to assess the level of risk and exposure faced by these aquatic ecosystems and their resources. The concentrations of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) were measured in river and lake water using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Water pollution indices based on ETM concentrations were calculated using the weighted arithmetic method. The results obtained show that in terms of contamination levels, As (Kapulande ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lake Tshangalele), Cd (Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2), Co (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Lufira), Cr (Lufira ˃ Kapamba ˃ Kapulande), Cu (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele), Mn (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2 ˃ Tshagalele), Ni (Lufira ˃ Buluo), Pb (Kapulande ˃ CLP ˃ Panda), Se (Kapulande ˃ Panda 3 ˃ Kapemba) and Zinc (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele) show very high contamination levels with a very significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) compared to WHO standards for drinking water and good ecological quality. Based on the Pollution Load Index (PLI), it can be seen that the water in the Kapulande River (PLI = 31.9) is highly polluted compared to that of the Kapemba (PLI = 9.2), Lufira 2 (PLI = 5), Buluo, and Lufira 1 rivers, with PLI values of 4.7 respectively, followed by Panda 2 (PLI = 3.4) and Lake Tshangalele (PLI = 13.3), compared to the PLI of other rivers where pollution was considered to be low. Taking into account the ecological, social, and economic roles of the Lufira basin, which has been designated a Ramsar Site since 2017, and in view of the chemical and ecotoxicological risks to the aquatic ecosystems surveyed and their resources, as well as to the population exposed to them, appropriate measures must be taken to combat the degradation of these environments.
Author Keywords: watershed, heavy metals, water pollution index, Lufira river.
Volume 47, Issue 2, December 2025, Pages 189–208
Boris UNYUMBE YANGA KALALA1, René Gizanga Valu2, Willy LUSASI SWANA3, Thiery TANGOU TABOU4, Camile NSIMANDA IPEY5, and Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné6
1 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
2 Laboratoire d’Ecotoxicologie, Santé des écosystèmes et Microbiologie Environnementale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kinshasa, RD Congo
3 Laboratoire de Limnologie, Hydrobiologie et Aquaculture, Mention Sciences de la Vie, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
4 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
5 Mention Sciences et Gestion de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa (UNIKIN), B.P. 190 Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
6 Département des Sciences de l’Environnement, Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Kinshasa, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, RD Congo
Original language: French
Copyright © 2025 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
In the province of Haut Katanga, the quality of waterways is particularly threatened by mining activities that do not take into account the environmental protection criteria recently introduced through Congolese mining legislation. The objective of this study is to analyze the level of pollution in the water of rivers and Lake Tshangalele, which is rich in fish consumed by local populations in the upper part of the Lufira River basin, near the city of Likasi in the province of Haut Katanga in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in order to assess the level of risk and exposure faced by these aquatic ecosystems and their resources. The concentrations of ten heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) were measured in river and lake water using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Water pollution indices based on ETM concentrations were calculated using the weighted arithmetic method. The results obtained show that in terms of contamination levels, As (Kapulande ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lake Tshangalele), Cd (Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2), Co (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Lufira), Cr (Lufira ˃ Kapamba ˃ Kapulande), Cu (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele), Mn (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2 ˃ Tshagalele), Ni (Lufira ˃ Buluo), Pb (Kapulande ˃ CLP ˃ Panda), Se (Kapulande ˃ Panda 3 ˃ Kapemba) and Zinc (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele) show very high contamination levels with a very significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) compared to WHO standards for drinking water and good ecological quality. Based on the Pollution Load Index (PLI), it can be seen that the water in the Kapulande River (PLI = 31.9) is highly polluted compared to that of the Kapemba (PLI = 9.2), Lufira 2 (PLI = 5), Buluo, and Lufira 1 rivers, with PLI values of 4.7 respectively, followed by Panda 2 (PLI = 3.4) and Lake Tshangalele (PLI = 13.3), compared to the PLI of other rivers where pollution was considered to be low. Taking into account the ecological, social, and economic roles of the Lufira basin, which has been designated a Ramsar Site since 2017, and in view of the chemical and ecotoxicological risks to the aquatic ecosystems surveyed and their resources, as well as to the population exposed to them, appropriate measures must be taken to combat the degradation of these environments.
Author Keywords: watershed, heavy metals, water pollution index, Lufira river.
Abstract: (french)
Dans la province du Haut Katanga, la qualité des cours d’eau est particulièrement menacée par les activités minières qui se font sans tenir compte des critères de protection de l’environnement récemment introduits à travers la législation minière congolaise. Cette étude a pour objectif d’analyser le niveau de pollution dans l’eau des rivières et celle du lac Tshangalele, riche en poissons consommés par des populations riveraines dans la partie supérieure du bassin hydrographique de la rivière Lufira, aux environs de la ville de Likasi dans la province du Haut Katanga en République Démocratique du Congo en vue d’évaluer le niveau de risque et d’exposition dont fait face ces écosystèmes aquatiques et leurs ressources. Les concentrations de dix métaux lourds (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se et Zn) ont été dosées dans l’eau des rivières et du lac à l’aide d’un spectrophotomètre d’Emission Optique avec Plasma à Couplage Inductif (ICP-OES). Les indices de pollution de l’eau en fonction des teneurs en ETMs ont été calculés suivant la méthode arithmétique pondérée. Les résultats obtenus montrent qu’en termes du taux de contamination, l’As (Kapulande ˃ Kapemba ˃ lac Tshangalele), le Cd (Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2), le Co (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Lufira), le Cr (Lufira ˃ Kapamba ˃ Kapulande), le Cu (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele), le Mn (Kapulande ˃ Panda 2 ˃ Kapemba ˃ Lufira 2 ˃ Tshagalele), le Ni (Lufira ˃ Buluo), Pb (Kapulande ˃ CLP ˃ Panda), le Se (Kapulande ˃ Panda 3 ˃ Kapemba) et Zinc (Kapulande ˃ Tshangalele) présentent des taux de contaminations très élevés avec une différence statistique très significative (p < 0,05) par rapport aux valeurs normatives de l’OMS pour une eau de boisson et d’une bonne qualité écologique. Sur base de l’indice PLI (Pollution Loard Index), il s’observe que l’eau de la rivière Kapulande (PLI = 31,9) est hautement polluée que celle des rivières Kapemba (PLI = 9,2), Lufira 2 (PLI = 5), Buluo et Lufira 1 avec une valeur de PLI de 4,7 respectivement suivies de Panda 2 (PLI = 3,4) et le lac Tshangalele (PLI = 13,3) par rapport au PLI des autres rivières où la pollution a été jugée légère. Tenant compte des rôles écologiques, sociaux et économiques du bassin de la Lufira déclaré depuis 2017, « Site Ramsar » et au vu des risques chimiques et écotoxicologiques que courent les écosystèmes aquatiques prospectés et leurs ressources, mais aussi la population qui y sont exposées, des mesures appropriées doivent être prises pour lutter contre la dégradation de ces milieux.
Author Keywords: bassin hydrographique, métaux lourds, indice de pollution de l’eau, rivière Lufira.
How to Cite this Article
Boris UNYUMBE YANGA KALALA, René Gizanga Valu, Willy LUSASI SWANA, Thiery TANGOU TABOU, Camile NSIMANDA IPEY, and Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné, “Water pollution indices in the Lufira River basin due to heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) discharged in mining effluents from the city of Likasi and its surroundings, Haut Katanga (DR Congo),” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 189–208, December 2025.
