Impact assessment of mining and processing of copper and cobalt ores on the environment in the Cooperbelt, Zambia: Results of the Czech project of the development cooperation in 2006

 

Bohdan Kříbek, Vladimír Majer, Petr Bezuško, Jan Pašava, Jiří Adamovič, Imasiku Nyambe, Kennedy Liyungu, Francis Chibesakunda

Geoscience Research Reports 40, 2007 (GRR for 2006), pages 160–162

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Abstract

In 2006, environmental contamination by mining and ore processing was evaluated in the eastern surroundings of the towns of Kitwe and Mufulira in the Copperbelt region. In total, 1090 km2 were surveyed. The results revealed a strong soil contamination in the immediate vicinity of the smelter works in Mufulira and in Nkana. Most of the area is, however, not subjected to contamination. With respect to a weak contamination of the area under survey, contents of heavy metals in a large part of the surveyed area are determined primarily by the geochemical character of soils and parent rocks. The highest metal contents in sediments were found in the rivers of Busakile and Kafue. The performed monitoring of surface water chemistry documented a discharge of strongly contaminated and, in some cases, acid (pH ~ 2) waters from the chemical ore refinery plants.