Open AccessMercury Pollution Linked To Gold Panning In DR Congo: Contamination Of Aquatic Systems And Health Impact On Residents
Author(s) -
Jean-Noël Mputu Kanyinda,
Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal,
Dieudonné E. Musibono
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of medical and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2593-8339
DOI - 10.24018/ejmed.2020.2.3.350
Subject(s) - mercury (programming language) , environmental chemistry , pollution , selenium , fishery , gold mining , shellfish , contamination , mercury contamination , environmental science , aquatic animal , biology , ecology , fish <actinopterygii> , chemistry , organic chemistry , computer science , programming language
The interactions between selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) were assessed on fish, crabs, and molluscs to assess the risks to public health associated with dietary exposure to mercury from their consumption. To this end, mass concentrations of mercury and selenium have been determined in the edible tissues of three species of fish, in crabs and molluscs taken from the rivers of the gold zones of Fizi in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We found values greater than 1 µg/g Hg in all fish samples regardless of the river, but also that the Kimbi River was the most polluted with an average mercury content of about 5 µg/g. Crabs and molluscs also had Hg values greater than 1.