Assessment of water quality and time accumulation of heavy metals in the sediments of tropical urban rivers: Case of Bumbu River and Kokolo Canal, Kinshasa City, Democratic Republic of the Congo

AbstractIn many suburban municipalities of developing countries, the household drinking water comes mainly from groundwater including, wells, streams and springs. These sources are vulnerable because poor hygienic conditions and sanitation prevail causing persistence and recurrent waterborne diseases. In this research, a survey study on water resource use and an epidemiological survey of waterborne diseases were conducted among users of water points and medical institutions in suburban communes of Selembao and Kimbanseke (Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In addition, physicochemical (temperature, pH, O2, electrical conductivity, and soluble ions: Na+, K+, PO43−, SO42−, NO3−, NO2−) and bacteriological (FIB: faecal indicator bacteria) analyses of water from 21 wells and springs were performed according to the seasonal variations. FIB included Escherichia coli (E. coli), Enterococcus and Total Coliforms. The survey results indicate that more than 75% of the patients admitted to local medical institutions between 2016 and 2019 are affected by waterborne diseases, including typhoid fever, amoebic dysentery, diarrhoea, gastroenteritis disorders and cholera. Except for NO3− in some sites, the water physicochemical parameter values are within WHO permissible limits for drinking/domestic water quality. On the contrary, the results revealed high FIB levels in water from unmanaged wells and springs during rainy and dry seasons. The microbiological pollution was significantly higher in the rainy season compared to the dry season. Interestingly, no FIB contamination was observed in water samples from managed/developed wells. The results from this study will guide local government decisions on improving water quality to prevent recurrent waterborne diseases.

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Antibiotic resistance and tolerance to heavy metals demonstrated by environmental pathogenic bacteria isolated from the Kahwa River, Bukavu Town, Democratic Republic of the Congo

International Journal of Environmental Studies ◽

10.1080/00207233.2017.1284461 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 74 (2) ◽

pp. 290-302 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bahati Justin Manegabe ◽

Ntabugi Kikongo Marie-Médiatrice ◽

John Barr Dewar ◽

Sekomo Birame Christian

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Pathogenic Bacteria ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Republic Of The Congo

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Heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants contamination in river, estuary, and marine sediments from Atlantic Coast of Democratic Republic of the Congo

Environmental Science and Pollution Research ◽

10.1007/s11356-020-08179-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (16) ◽

pp. 20000-20013

Author(s):

Robert Bueya Suami ◽

Periyasamy Sivalingam ◽

Dhafer Mohammed Al Salah ◽

Dominique Grandjean ◽

Crispin Kyela Mulaji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Organic Pollutants ◽

Marine Sediments ◽

Persistent Organic Pollutants ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Atlantic Coast ◽

River Estuary ◽

Republic Of The Congo

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Accumulation of toxic metals and organic micro-pollutants in sediments from tropical urban rivers, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Chemosphere ◽

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.03.081 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 179 ◽

pp. 37-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Pitchouna I. Kilunga ◽

Periyasamy Sivalingam ◽

Amandine Laffite ◽

Dominique Grandjean ◽

Crispin K. Mulaji ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Toxic Metals ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Urban Rivers ◽

Republic Of The Congo ◽

Micro Pollutants

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Enrichment of sediments in urban rivers by heavy metals

Global NEST Journal ◽

10.30955/gnj.001992 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 643-651 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Water Quality ◽

Enrichment Factor ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Chemical Elements ◽

River Sediments ◽

Pollution Index ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Emission Spectrometry ◽

Urban Rivers

<div> <p>The heavy metals contained in sediments may be responsible for constant degradation of rivers’ water quality, which circulate in an urban environment. Therefore, this study shows the pollution index and enrichment factor for each of these elements in river sediments. It was used the optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-OES) and total organic carbon (TOC) by dry combustion. The enrichment factor of sediments were normalized by aluminium concentration. From the point of view of toxicology, the elements Ba, Cr, Pb and Zn, and the macro chemical elements Fe, Mg and Na showed to be more significant. When used the references of local background, the enrichment percentages for Ba, Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Mg and Na respectively were 39.3%, 44.3%, 56.3%, 18.6%, 140.2%, 18.4% and 295%. The percentage of TOC did not exceeded the limit of 1% at any of the points of sampling. According to the main worldwide guidelines, the obtained concentrations for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn in the majority of the points of sampling, are rates from which can be expected adverse effects in the aquatic environment. This occur due to theirs capacities to release these elements in the flowing. Therefore, this study are relevant scientific data to indicate the water quality of urban rivers.</p> </div> <p> </p>

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Evaluation of Water Quality from Suburban Shallow Wells Under Tropical Conditions According to the Seasonal Variation, Bumbu, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Exposure and Health ◽

10.1007/s12403-016-0213-y ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 487-496 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Michel L. Kapembo ◽

Amandine Laffite ◽

Mathieu K. Bokolo ◽

Aimé L. Mbanga ◽

Marc M. Maya-Vangua ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Seasonal Variation ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Tropical Conditions ◽

Shallow Wells ◽

Republic Of The Congo

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Seasonal variability of water quality by physicochemical indexes and traceable metals in suburban area in Kikwit, Democratic Republic of the Congo

International Soil and Water Conservation Research ◽

10.1016/j.iswcr.2017.04.004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 158-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Alexis B. Nienie ◽

Periyasamy Sivalingam ◽

Amandine Laffite ◽

Patience Ngelinkoto ◽

Jean-Paul Otamonga ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Seasonal Variability ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Suburban Area ◽

Republic Of The Congo

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Epiphytic diatoms on herbarium material from the Central Forest phytogeographic region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Plant Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.5091/plecevo.2021.1763 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 154 (2) ◽

pp. 245-256

Author(s):

Alain Mosindo Okito ◽

René Woto Oleko ◽

Zoë Madder ◽

Christine Cocquyt

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Aquatic Ecosystems ◽

Democratic Republic ◽

Herbarium Specimens ◽

Running Waters ◽

Herbarium Material ◽

Diatom Index ◽

Epiphytic Diatoms ◽

Diatom Communities ◽

Republic Of The Congo

Background and aims – Epiphytic diatoms are excellent bio-indicators of the present and past ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems. In order to reconstruct the diatom history and to evaluate its diversity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, epiphytic diatoms were sampled from herbarium specimens of aquatic plants deposited at the National Herbarium of the Congo at Yangambi (YBI) and at the herbarium of Meise Botanic Garden (BR).Material and methods – In YBI, nine specimens belonging to the Nymphaeaceae, three to the Ceratophyllaceae, and 12 to the Lentibulariaceae collected in the Central Forest phytogeographic region were sampled for diatom investigation. In addition, nine Nymphaea lotus specimens were sampled in BR. Semi-quantitative analyses were performed by light microscopy on permanent diatom slides.Key results – Analyses of the epiphytic diatom communities on YBI and BR materials showed a large diversity of 132 species belonging to 44 genera. Taxa belonging to the genus Eunotia were relatively the most abundant in all studied samples followed by Frustulia saxonica and a Desmogonium sp. The diatom communities on Nymphaea were as varied as on Ceratophyllum, while on Utricularia, a significant lower diversity was observed. The Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) and Generic Diatom Index (GDI) showed that the water quality in the Central Forest phytogeographic region was overall good during the 20th century. They point to oligotrophic conditions for the running waters with a slight increase towards more mesotrophic conditions from the 1950s onwards. The only sample in the present study indicating mesotrophic condition was from a swamp.Conclusions – The results on the epiphytic diatoms present on herbarium material can serve as a basis for sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems in D.R. Congo. In absence of an in-depth knowledge of the species and their ecological preferences, a genus-based TDI and IDG have proven to be valuable tools for water quality monitoring in tropical Africa.

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