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Trace metals and persistent organic pollutants in sediments from river-reservoir systems in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Spatial distribution and potential ecotoxicological effects.
Journal article

Trace metals and persistent organic pollutants in sediments from river-reservoir systems in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Spatial distribution and potential ecotoxicological effects.

  • Mwanamoki PM Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales/Kinshasa, Section Nutrition diététique, B.P. 774, Kinshasa XI, People's Republic of Congo.
  • Devarajan N Faculty of Science, Forel Institute and Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland; Postgraduate and Research Department of Zoology, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli 620020, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Thevenon F Faculty of Science, Forel Institute and Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
  • Birane N Faculty of Science, Forel Institute and Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
  • de Alencastro LF Central Environmental Laboratory (GR-CEL), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Grandjean D Central Environmental Laboratory (GR-CEL), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Mpiana PT University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, People's Republic of Congo.
  • Prabakar K Postgraduate and Research Department of Zoology, Jamal Mohamed College, Tiruchirappalli 620020, Tamil Nadu, India.
  • Mubedi JI Université Pédagogique Nationale (UPN), Croisement Route de Matadi et Avenue de la Libération, Quartier Binza/UPN, B.P. 8815, Kinshasa, People's Republic of Congo.
  • Kabele CG University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, People's Republic of Congo.
  • Wildi W Faculty of Science, Forel Institute and Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland.
  • Poté J Faculty of Science, Forel Institute and Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, CP 416, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland; University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry, B.P. 190, Kinshasa XI, People's Republic of Congo; Université Pédagogique Nationale (UPN), Croisement Route de Matadi et Avenue de la Libération, Quartier Binza/UPN, B.P. 8815, Kinshasa, People's Republic of Congo. Electronic address: john.pote@unige.ch.
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  • 2014-07-07
Published in:
  • Chemosphere. - 2014
Congo River basin
PAHs
PCBs
Sediments
Toxic metals
Toxicity test
Cities
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ecotoxicology
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers
Humans
Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated
Lakes
Metals
Pesticides
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Rivers
Trace Elements
Water Pollutants, Chemical
Water Quality
English This paper discusses the occurrence and spatial distribution of metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs: including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments from a river-reservoir system. Surface sediments were sampled from thirteen sites of the Congo River Basin and Lake Ma Vallée, both situated in the vicinity of the capital city Kinshasa (Congo Democratic Republic). Sediment qualities were evaluated using toxicity test based on exposing Ostracods to the sediment samples. The highest metal concentrations were observed in sediments subjected to anthropogenic influences, urban runoff and domestic and industrial wastewaters, discharge into the Congo River basin. Ostracods exposed to the sediments resulted in 100% mortality rates after 6d of incubation, indicating the ultimate toxicity of these sediments as well as potential environmental risks. The POPs and PAHs levels in all sediment samples were low, with maximum concentration found in the sediments (area of pool Malebo): OCP value ranged from 0.02 to 2.50 with ∑OCPs: 3.3μgkg(-1); PCB ranged from 0.07 to 0.99 with Total PCBs (∑7×4.3): 15.31μgkg(-1); PAH value ranged from 0.12 to 9.39 with ∑PAHs: 63.89μgkg(-1). Our results indicate that the deterioration of urban river-reservoir water quality result mainly from urban stormwater runoff, untreated industrial effluents which discharge into the river-reservoirs, human activities and uncontrolled urbanization. This study represents useful tools incorporated to evaluate sediment quality in river-reservoir systems which can be applied to similar aquatic environments.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/222113
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