Assessment of catchment water resources allocation under climate change in Luwombwa sub-catchment, Zambia.

The uncertainty in climate change and high water demand pose pressure on the natural water resources supply. Not only does this require better understanding but also a call for immediate interventions, mitigation and adaptive measures. This study evaluates catchment water resources in the Luwombwa sub-catchment in Zambia through statistical analysis in the downscaling of past, present and future climatic variables from the CMIP6 climatic model.

Potential cancer risk estimates from trihalomethanes in peri-urban settings of Kawama East of Mufulira, Zambia.

In this study, we report the formation and cancer risk estimation of trihalomethanes (THMs) emanating from 'ex-situ' chlorination of shallow hand-dug well water obtained from a peri-urban area of Mufulira District, Zambia. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential cancer risks for people in this area where chlorine water disinfection at the household level is commonly practiced. Water samples from 13 randomly selected hand-dug wells (4-8 m deep) were collected and analyzed for pH, turbidity, and dissolved organic carbon before chlorination.

Preliminary review of mine air pollution in Zambia.

Zambia is endowed with mineral wealth that includes copper, cobalt, gold, nickel, lead, silver, uranium, zinc, and numerous precious and semi-precious stones. Mining activities are predominantly found on the Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces, although these minerals are dotted all over the country. Copper mining in Zambia dates back to the 1900s and this period witnessed massive investment in mine development with concomitant increase in support facilities including building of new towns, roads and other commercial infrastructure.

Preferential sorption of some natural organic matter fractions to titanium dioxide nanoparticles: influence of pH and ionic strength.

Natural organic matter (NOM) sorption to nanoparticles (NPs) can influence their transport and bioavailability in the aquatic environment. The sorption affinity of NOM to surfaces including NPs is size dependent, and depending on environmental conditions, NOM may enhance or mitigate NPs toxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the preferential sorption of different-sized fractions of NOM to titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs.

The induction of biochemical changes in Daphnia magna by CuO and ZnO nanoparticles.

Whilst a considerable number of studies have been reported on the acute toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) on invertebrates such as Daphnia magna, few studies have been reported on the biochemical change (biomarkers) induction on these species by NPs, especially metal oxide NPs. The aim of this study was to investigate some biomarkers in D. magna induced by copper oxide (CuO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs under controlled laboratory conditions.