Dissolution of Trace Metal Elements in Water by Permeation: The Case of the Drinking Water Network of the City of Bangui in the Central African Republic
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Assessment heavy metal concentrations is particularly important, given their toxicity and capacity to bioaccumulate along food chains. Unlike organic pollutants, metals cannot be biologically or chemically degraded. The aim of this study is to characterize the spatio-temporal variation in contamination by trace metal elements (TMEs), in particular Zn, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg and Ni, in public water supplies in the city of Bangui, Central African Republic. Thirteen sampling points were selected on the production company's distribution network to determine the water's physico-chemical parameters and assess the level of trace metal contamination. The results obtained established the following quantitative order: Pb (0,002 – 0,07 ppm) > Fe (0,03 – 0,597 ppm) > Ni (0,001 – 0,036 ppm) > Cu (0,01 – 0,06 ppm) > Zn (0,001 – 0,438 ppm) > Cd = Cr = Hg = 0 ppm, lead levels are 7 times higher than WHO standards, while iron levels are two to three times normal. Contamination is influenced by the physico-chemical conditions of the environment. Indeed, the alkaline pH of the water and the rise in temperature during the dry season have favored the precipitation of TMEs from the materials used to manufacture the network's pipes, and their release into the water through permeation phenomena.
Institution: University of Bangui
Language: English
Topic: Heavy metals in environment
Subfield: Pollution
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4389918178