Author(s)

Nsambu Mukondwa Pascal^1,2,3*, Musibono Eyul’Anki Dieudonné¹, Mputu Kanyinda Jean-Noël¹

¹Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Doctoral Cycle, University of Kinshasa, D. R. of Congo.
²Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, Evangelical University in Africa, Bukavu, D. R. of Congo.
³General Agronomy Section, High Institute of Agronomic and Veterinary Studies of Mushweshwe, Bukavu, D. R. of Congo.

The sediments collected respectively from the Etó, Kacumvi, Kimbi, Lubichako, Makungu, Kuwa, Mandje, Misisi and Kimuti Rivers draining the gold panning sites in the Fizi territory were studied during a 16-month cycle (August and December 2016 to August and December 2017) in order to assess their degree of mercury pollution in the dry season as well as in the rainy season. The assessment of the degree of pollution of the said sediments focused on six parameters including the total mercury content (THg) and the indices of mercury pollution such as the mercury enrichment factor (EF), the mercury contamination factor (CF), the mercury geoaccumulation index (I_geo), the mercury potential ecological risk factor (PERF) and the mercury ecological risk index (ERI). Total mercury was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) while the mercury pollution indices were successively calculated using the appropriate formulas. The results thus obtained revealed that all the sediments of the rivers studied are considerably polluted by mercury according to the values relative to their total mercury content and mercury pollution indices, including the mercury enrichment factor (EF), the mercury contamination factor (CF), the mercury geoaccumulation index (I_geo), the mercury potential ecological risk factor (PERF) and the mercury ecological risk index (ERI), which greatly exceed the standards recommended by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. In particular, the sediments of the Kimbi River are highly polluted by mercury compared to those of other rivers studied. This reported pollution is the result of anthropogenic gold panning activities that generate effluents and elemental mercury that pollute the streams.

Mercurial Pollution, Territory of Fizi, Sediments, Sites, Rivers, Gold Panning, DRC

Pascal, N. , Dieudonné, M. and Jean-Noël, M. (2020) Evaluation of the Level of Mercury Pollution in the Sediments of the Rivers Draining the Gold Panning Sites in the Territory of Fizi, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 8, 97-111. doi: 10.4236/gep.2020.82007.