Evaluation de la contamination de la cha ne trophique par les éléments traces (Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, Cd, U, V et As) dans le bassin de la Lufira supérieure (Katanga/RD Congo)

Evaluation of Contamination of the Food Chain by Trace Elements (Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, Cd, U, V and As) in the Basin of the Upper Lufira (Katanga/DR Congo). Seven trace elements (Cu, Co, Zn, Cd, Pb, U, V and As) were analyzed using a HR ICP-MS in samples of water, plankton, leaves of Phragmites australis, muscle and gills of three fish species (Oreochromis macrochir, Tilapia rendalli, Clarias gariepinus) collected in the basin of the upper Lufira. The results indicate a high copper (70.9 ppm) and cobalt (32.3 ppm) content in the effluent of complex hydrometallurgical Shituru. If contamination of rivers decreases with distance from the pollution source, the values are very high in lake Tshangalele for plankton and leaves of P. australis. For fish, the results indicate that Pb, U, V, Cu, Co and Cd accumulates preferentially in the gills but Zn accumulates more in the muscles. As accumulates in the same order of magnitude in both organs. These results confirm the pollution of the basin by the effluents from Lufira complex hydrometallurgical Shituru.