Decades of copper and cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo not only transformed the landscape of the city of Lubumbashi, but also caused widespread concern over the health and safety of the residents.
“High concentrations of toxic metals … cause respiratory disorders and birth defects,” particularly in people living near the mines, said toxicologist Celestin Banza of the University of Lubumbashi.
The damage has spread through acids in untreated waste released into nature, polluting the air, the water, and much of Lubumbashi, a city of more than two million residents in the country’s southeast.
Until recently, Lubumbashi was the capital of Katanga province whose fabulous copper wealth was first tapped by Belgian colonists early in the 20th century.
Last year, Katanga was divided into four new provinces. Mining is prevalent in the two southern ones.
Here’s more on that story.
