Kabwe mine

Kabwe mine or Broken Hill mine is a retired lead smelting and mining operation near Kabwe, Zambia that operated from 1906 to 1994. At its peak, between 1925 and 1974, it was Africa's largest lead producer.[1] The mine produced extremely toxic lead pollution for ninety years and poisoned over 100,000 people including tens of thousands of children.[2][3] Some pollution experts have said that Kabwe may be the world's most polluted town.[4]

In 1921, a “bone cave” that included a fossilised human skull called Kabwe 1 was discovered in the mine. This fossil was the first remains of an extinct human relative to be found in Africa.[5] The skull was studied by Arthur Smith Woodward of the British Museum of Natural History, who published a paper naming the new human precursor Homo rhodesiensis.[6][5] Study of the Kabwe skull has had important implications for understanding of human evolution and pre-history.[6]

The mine was privatised and closed by the Zambian government in 1995. In 2021, there were still about 5 million tons of mine tailings on the site, and the Zambian government had licensed reprocessing of this waste and further mining by the South African company Jubilee Metals.[3] The area is also mined by artisanal miners.[7] All of these activities present ongoing health risks for local communities by releasing additional lead.[3][7]

In July 2021, UN special rapporteurs urged the Zambian government to remediate the toxic site. Human rights and environmental organisations also urged the government to address the pollution and resulting health problems in local communities.[3] A lawsuit against Anglo American plc concerning the pollution was ongoing in South Africa in 2023.

Background

Kabwe is located near the African Copperbelt, 100 km north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. The town has a population of about 220,000.[4] The mine and the area around it were originally called “Broken Hill” after a mine in Australia that possessed similar ores.[5]

Lead poisoning most seriously affects children who are exposed to lead in dust and frequently put their hands in their mouths.[8] This poisoning can affect brain development and cause permanent damage at a young age. Severe exposure can cause death. Lead in the blood above 5 ug/dL are considered elevated, and death is likely when levels are above 150 ug/dL.[8]

Pollution

The mine operated without environmental regulation and poisoned many people, especially between 1925 and 1974.[2]

A 2011 research project funded by the World Bank determined that lead contamination of soils in nearby communities was 10 times levels allowed by the CDC (which is 400ppm) and contamination was as high as 10,000 ppm in some places - including the grounds of a local health clinic.[4]

A 2015 study found that 100% of children tested had blood levels exceeding CDC guidelines.[7]

A 2018 analysis of results from previous studies of lead poisoning around the mine confirmed that local communities had high levels of lead in the blood, especially among children and pregnant mothers. Many of these people required immediate medical intervention.[8]

Conflict

In October 2020, a lawsuit was filed in South Africa against Anglo-American on behalf of lead poisoning victims.[9][10] This lawsuit was ongoing in January 2023.[7][11] In January 2023, the High Court of South Africa heard plaintiffs' request to turn the case into a class action lawsuit for as many as 140,000 women and children affected by the lead poisoning.[12]

Anglo-American had an interest in the mine during its most productive period between 1925 - 1974.[11] According to The Lancet, the mine was "under the ownership of Anglo American South Africa, between 1906 and 1974. The Zambian Government then took over until the mine closed in 1994."[13]

Anglo American has said it never owned or operated the mine.[7]

Cleanup

in 2015 some cleanup was funded by environmental groups, and contaminated soil was removed and replaced for about 120 of the most polluted homes.[4]

By 2021, the Zambian government had taken some actions to provide healthcare for people, but had not taken steps to clean up the toxic waste.[3]

Fossil skull

In 1921, two miners discovered a fossilised skull and some other human remains in the mine. The bones were sent to the London Museum of Natural History, and Arthur Smith Woodward published a paper naming the new human precursor Homo rhodesiensis.[6] The species was later determined to be Homo heidelbergensis.[6]

The skull remains at the London Museum, and the Zambian government has requested that it be returned.[6] It has been difficult to determine the age of the skull, partly because the area where it was found has been destroyed by mining activity. Original estimates dated the skull at 500,000 years old, but studies in 2020 used radioactive uranium isotopes to date the skull at closer to 300,000 years old.[6]

References
  1. "'It's On a Different Dimension': Inside Africa's Most Toxic City". www.vice.com. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  2. "Mining giant and Kabwe locals square off in class-action lawsuit over lead mine". LifeGate. 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  3. "Zambia: Tackle Lead Poisoning at Former Mine". Human Rights Watch. 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  4. Carrington, Damian (2017-05-28). "The world's most toxic town: the terrible legacy of Zambia's lead mines". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  5. "Kabwe: A famous fossil unearthed amid the human costs of mining". John Hawks. 2022-05-24. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  6. "Dating the Broken Hill skull: Homo heidelbergensis was younger than we thought". www.nhm.ac.uk. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  7. Yabe, John; Nakayama, Shouta M. M.; Ikenaka, Yoshinori; Yohannes, Yared B.; Bortey-Sam, Nesta; Oroszlany, Balazs; Muzandu, Kaampwe; Choongo, Kennedy; Kabalo, Abel Nketani; Ntapisha, John; Mweene, Aaron; Umemura, Takashi; Ishizuka, Mayumi (January 2015). "Lead poisoning in children from townships in the vicinity of a lead-zinc mine in Kabwe, Zambia". Chemosphere. 119: 941–947. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.09.028. ISSN 1879-1298. PMID 25303652.
  8. Bose-O’Reilly, Stephan; Yabe, John; Makumba, Joseph; Schutzmeier, Paul; Ericson, Bret; Caravanos, Jack (2018-08-01). "Lead intoxicated children in Kabwe, Zambia". Environmental Research. 165: 420–424. doi:10.1016/j.envres.2017.10.024. ISSN 0013-9351.
  9. "Zambians sue Anglo American mining company over lead poisoning". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  10. "Anglo American's S.Africa unit faces class action over Zambia lead poisoning". Reuters. 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  11. "Lawsuit: Mining giant 'turned blind eye' to Zambia lead poisoning". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-03-26.
  12. "Court Told Anglo Turned Blind Eye to Zambian Lead Poisoning". Bloomberg.com. 2023-01-20. Retrieved 2023-04-15.
  13. Makoni, Munyaradzi (2021-08-07). "UN concern over health at site of former Zambian lead mine". The Lancet. 398 (10299): 478. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(21)01794-3. ISSN 0140-6736. PMID 34364509.

Further reading
  1. Gbadamosi, Nosmot (8 February 2023). "Zambia Takes Anglo American to Court". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
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