Comparative determination of human health risks associated with consumption of groundwater contaminated with lead in selected areas surrounding the former lead mine in Kabwe and non-mining areas in Lusaka, Zambia

Authors

  • Tasha Siame Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University Bloomington, IN, USA
  • Kaampwe Muzandu Biomedical Sciences Department, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
  • Andrew Kataba Biomedical Sciences Department, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia
  • Ethel M’Kandawire Disease Control Department, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20233434

Keywords:

Groundwater, Lead, Health risks, Kabwe, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

Background: This study focused on addressing health risks attributed to lead (Pb) contamination in groundwater, prompted by its known connection to negative health outcomes. It investigated the extent of Pb exposure through groundwater consumption near areas surrounding the former lead mine in Kabwe and non-mining areas in Lusaka, Zambia. The study compared the health risks of consuming Pb-contaminated groundwater in Kabwe's mining vicinity and Lusaka's non-mining areas.

Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study collected 61 borehole samples from both areas and analyzed Pb levels using atomic absorption spectrometry. Health risks were evaluated via estimated daily intakes (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and target cancer risk (TCR) assessments. Statistical analysis employed the Mann-Whitney U test due to non-normal data distribution.

Results: Pb concentrations were significantly higher (p<0.05) in mining areas (median=0.131 mg/l) than in non-mining areas (median=0.071 mg/l). Alarmingly, 91% of mining and 74% of non-mining samples exceeded world health organization limits. Particularly, EDIs for adults and children from mining areas exceeded recommended intakes. However, THQs were <1, indicating no immediate adverse health effects. Equally important, TCRs fell within USEPA's acceptable range, suggesting negligible cancer risk associated with Pb exposure.

Conclusions: The elevated EDIs in both mining and certain non-mining areas suggest potentially toxic health effects. Notably, the THQ values below 1 imply no immediate health risks. TCRs within acceptable limits underscore a minimal cancer risk. As a result, addressing elevated Pb levels in groundwater is critical in both study areas to mitigate potential health effects associated with Pb exposure.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Mohammadi AA, Zarei A, Majidi S, Ghaderpoury A, Hashempour Y, Saghi MH et al. Carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of heavy metals in drinking water of Khorramabad, Iran. MethodsX. 2019;6:1642-51.

Liang Y, Yi X, Dang Z, Wang Q, Luo H, Tang J. Heavy metal contamination and health risk assessment in the vicinity of a tailing pond in Guangdong, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017;14(12):1557.

WHO. International Lead Poisoning Prevention Awareness Campaign Week of Action 22-28. 2017. Avaiable at: https://www.who.int/campaigns/ international-lead-poisoning-prevention-week. Accessed on 25 January, 2023.

Ul Haq N, Arain MA, Badar N, Rasheed M, Haque Z. Drinking water: a major source of lead exposure in Karachi, Pakistan. EMHJ-Eastern Mediterr Heal J. 2011;17(11):882-6.

Fewtrell L, Kaufmann R, Prüss-Üstün A. Assessing the environmental burden of disease at national and local levels. Lead. Environ Burd Dis Ser. 2003;(2):73.

WHO. Lead in drinking water. Econ Anal EPA Assess Regul Impact. Availabe at: https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/water-sanitation-and-health/chemical-hazards-in-drinking-water/lead. Accessed on 25 January, 2023.

MWDSEP. Republic of Zambia Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection: 2019 Annual Report. 2019.

Foster S, Morris BL, Chilton PJ. Urban groundwater dependency a scoping study of pro-poor implications. Hydrological Sci J. 2017;(40805):1-28.

Toyoda K, Nakano S, Tanaka S, Banda K, Nyambe IA, Ishikawa T et al. Geochemical identification of particulate lead pollution in shallow groundwater in inhabited areas in Kabwe, Zambia. Appl Geochemistry. 2022;105215.

Louangrath P. Sample size determination for non-finite population sample size determination for non-finite population. Southeast-asian J Sci. 2014;3(2):141-52.

Vail J. Operating Procedure Groundwater sampling. Sci Ecosyst Support Div. 2013;1-33.

Cobbina SJ, Duwiejuah AB, Quansah R, Obiri S, Bakobie N. Comparative assessment of heavy metals in drinking water sources in two small-scale mining communities in Northern Ghana. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2015;12(9):10620-34.

Zyambo G, Yabe J, Muzandu K, M’kandawire E, Choongo K, Kataba A et al. Human Health Risk Assessment from Lead Exposure through Consumption of Raw Cow Milk from Free-Range Cattle Reared in the Vicinity of a Lead-Zinc Mine in Kabwe. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(8).

Haakonde T, Yabe J, Choongo K, Chongwe G, Islam MS. Preliminary Assessment of Uranium Contamination in Drinking Water Sources Near a Uranium Mine in the Siavonga District, Zambia, and Associated Health Risks. Mine Water Environ. 2020;39(4):735-45.

Toyomaki H, Yabe J, Nakayama SMM, Yohannes YB, Muzandu K, Liazambi A et al. Factors associated with lead (Pb) exposure on dogs around a Pb mining area, Kabwe, Zambia. Chemosphere. 2020;247:125884.

USEPA. Framework for Human Health Risk Assessment to Inform Decision Making. Framew Hum Heal Risk Assess to Inf Decis Mak. 2014;1-63.

Walpole SC, Prieto-Merino D, Edwards P, Cleland J, Stevens G, Roberts I. The weight of nations: an estimation of adult human biomass. BMC Public Health. 2012;12(1):1-6.

Hoffman D, Cacciola T, Barrios P, Simon J. Temporal changes and determinants of childhood nutritional status in Kenya and Zambia. J Heal Popul Nutr. 2017;36(1):1-13.

USEPA M. Guidelines for carcinogen risk assessment. In: Risk Assessment Forum US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC EPA/630/P-03 F Vol 1. 2005.

CSO, MOH, TDRC, UNZA, MI Inc. Zambia Demographic and Health Survey. Zambia Demogr Heal Surv Gov Printers, Lusaka. 2019:155-176. Availbe at: https://www.zamstats.gov.zm/portfolio/zambia-demographic-and-health-survey-zdhs/. Accessed on 15 January, 2023.

Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants: seventy-seventh report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). 2013: Rome, Italy. Available at: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/98388. Accessed on 1 August 2023.

USEPA. EPA Region III Risk-Ba sed Concen tration Table. EPA Reg III Risk-Ba sed Concen tration Table. 2015.

Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants: sixty-eighth report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). 2007: Geneva, Switzerland‎. Available at: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/43870. Accessed on 1 August 2023.

Dhakate R, Singh VS. Heavy metal contamination in groundwater due to mining activities in Sukinda valley, Orissa-A case study. J Geogr Reg Plan. 2008;1(4):58-067.

Obasi PN, Akudinobi BB. Potential health risk and levels of heavy metals in water resources of lead–zinc mining communities of Abakaliki, southeast Nigeria. Appl Water Sci. 2020;10(7):1-23.

Masindi V, Muedi KL. Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals. IntechOpen. 2018.

Tesfaye Endale Y, Ambelu A, Sahilu GG, Mees B, Du Laing G. Exposure and health risk assessment from consumption of Pb contaminated water in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Heliyon. 2021;7(9):e07946.

Nambeye. An assessment of heavy metal contamination in soil. Chemosphere. 2021;282:131007.

Giri S, Singh AK. Human health risk assessment via drinking water pathway due to metal contamination in the groundwater of Subarnarekha River Basin, India. Environ Monit Assess. 2015;187(3).

Emmanuel E, Angerville R, Joseph O, Perrodin Y. Human health risk assessment of lead in drinking water: A case study from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Int J Environ Pollut. 2007;31(3-4):280-91.

Yabe J, Nakayama SMM, Ikenaka Y, Yohannes YB, Bortey-Sam N, Oroszlany B et al. Lead poisoning in children from townships in the vicinity of a lead–zinc mine in Kabwe, Zambia. Chemosphere. 2015;119:941-7.

Assi MA, Noor M, Hezmee M, Haron AW, Yusof M, Sabri M et al. The detrimental effects of lead on human and animal health. Vet World. 2016;9(6):660-71.

Aghasi M. Health risk assessment of heavy metals exposure (lead, cadmium, and copper) through drinking water consumption in Kerman city, Iran. Environmental Earth Sci. 2019;78(24).

Zhang S, Liu G, Sun R, Wu D. Health risk assessment of heavy metals in groundwater of coal mining area: A case study in Dingji coal mine, Huainan coalfield, China. Hum Ecol Risk Assess An Int J. 2016;22(7):1469-79.

Downloads

Published

2023-10-31

How to Cite

Siame, T., Muzandu, K., Kataba, A., & M’Kandawire, E. (2023). Comparative determination of human health risks associated with consumption of groundwater contaminated with lead in selected areas surrounding the former lead mine in Kabwe and non-mining areas in Lusaka, Zambia. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 10(11), 4089–4095. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20233434

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles