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Nakata H, Nakayama SMM, Yabe J, Muzandu K, Kataba A, Ikeda-Araki A, Drisse MNB, Onyon LJ, Gorman J, Kritika P, Fukunaga H, Ikenaka Y, Kishi R, Ishizuka M. Narrative review of lead poisoning in humans caused by industrial activities and measures compatible with sustainable industrial activities in Republic of Zambia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 850:157833. [PMID: 35961390 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) pollution and human exposure to Pb, is an important issue for the international community to address being associated with 0.90 million deaths from long-term effects. The Republic of Zambia is a typical mineral resource-rich country, with long-standing mining and smelting activities of metals including Pb in several parts of the country. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of previous papers that have assessed human exposure to Pb and related health effects in Zambia. Environmental remediation methods that should be applied locally, ways to reduce Pb exposure of the population, and issues that need to be addressed by various sectors are discussed. Environmental remediation methods using locally available and affordable materials are needed to ensure both sustainable industrial activities and pollution prevention. In the Zambian mining towns, including Kabwe, various research activities have been conducted, including environmental monitoring, human biomonitoring and health impact assessments. The town of Kabwe, which was one of Zambia's largest Pb mining area in the 20th century, continues to have formal and informal Pb-related industries and is known as one of the most polluted areas in the world. For example, despite the World Health Organization asserting that "For an individual with a blood Pb concentration ≥ 5 μg/dL, appropriate action should be taken to terminate exposure", there are reports of blood Pb levels in Kabwe children exceeding 100 μg/dL. While Pb pollution is a global issue, not many places have such continuous and comprehensive research has been conducted, and there is much to be learned from the knowledge accumulated in these areas. Because the high levels of Pb accumulation in humans and the adverse health effects were clarified, we consider that it is important to combine mining activities, which are a key industry, with measures to prevent environmental pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hokuto Nakata
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan
| | - Shouta M M Nakayama
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; The University of Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - John Yabe
- The University of Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia; University of Namibia, School of Veterinary Medicine, P/B. 13301, Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Kaampwe Muzandu
- The University of Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Andrew Kataba
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; The University of Zambia, School of Veterinary Medicine, P.O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Atsuko Ikeda-Araki
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health and Prevention of Chemical Hazards, Japan.
| | - Marie-Noel Brune Drisse
- Department of Environment, Climate and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lesley Jayne Onyon
- Department of Environment, Climate and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julia Gorman
- Department of Environment, Climate and Health, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Poudel Kritika
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health and Prevention of Chemical Hazards, Japan
| | - Hisanori Fukunaga
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health and Prevention of Chemical Hazards, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Ikenaka
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa; Translational Research Unit, Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan; One Health Research Center, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Reiko Kishi
- Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Kita 12 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan; WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health and Prevention of Chemical Hazards, Japan
| | - Mayumi Ishizuka
- Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
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Impacts of Surface Water on Windborne Lead Dispersion from the Zinc Plant Leach Residue in Kabwe, Zambia. MINERALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/min12050535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Effects of the water content of ground surface on windborne lead (Pb) dispersion from the zinc (Zn) leach residue site at the Kabwe mine, Zambia, were simulated. The Pb-bearing Zn plant leach residue site was selected as the source of the dispersion, and water conditions of the surface of the source were evaluated by the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) under the actual weather conditions in the year 2019. The MNDWI was calculated based on Sentinel-2 datasets, which were acquired in the year 2019. The index was used for monitoring the surface condition of the source necessary for simulating Pb dispersion, because the higher surface water content reduces the intensity of windborne source. The results showed that the wind speeds and directions had huge impacts on Pb dispersion when the MNDWI had negative values, and that the dispersion was inhibited when the MNDWI had positive values. These indicate that the water content of the surface is sensitive to dispersion, and that MNDWI is an effective parameter that expresses the source strength.
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Solid-Phase Partitioning and Leaching Behavior of Pb and Zn from Playground Soils in Kabwe, Zambia. TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9100248. [PMID: 34678944 PMCID: PMC8539481 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9100248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Zambia’s Kabwe mine wastes (KMWs) are responsible for contaminating the surrounding soil and dust in the Kabwe district. Unfortunately, these wastes arise from the historical mining activities of lead (Pb) and Zinc (Zn), which lacked adequate waste management strategies. As a result, potentially toxic elements (PTEs) (Pb and Zn) spread across the Kabwe district. To assess the soil pollution derived from previous mining activities, we studied topsoil samples (n = 8) from the school playground soils (SPs). In this study, the degree of contamination, geochemical partitioning, and leachability, coupled with the release and retention of Pb and Zn, were studied. The SPs were classified as extremely enriched (EF > 40) and contaminated with Pb (Igeo > 5). On average, Pb (up to 89%) and Zn (up to 69%) were bound with exchangeable, weak acid-soluble, reducible and oxidizable phases, which are considered as ’geochemically mobile’ phases in the environment. The leachates from the soils (n = 5) exceeded the Zambian standard (ZS: 190:2010) for Pb in potable drinking water (Pb < 0.01 mg/L). Furthermore, the spatial distribution of Pb and Zn showed a significant reduction in contents of Pb and Zn with the distance from the mine area.
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