An assessment of the concentration levels of toxic chemicals within and around Gweru dumpsite in Zimbabwe

Urban Farm DB summary

A study assessing concentration levels of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and sulphides (SO2) within and around Gweru's sole official waste dumpsite in Zimbabwe. Harsh economic conditions in the city have driven further expansion of urban agriculture on open spaces, with residents growing staple food crops such as maize and sweet potatoes for subsistence on numerous plots surrounding the dumpsite; the study states that ingesting crops grown near the dumpsite is likely to put residents' lives at risk. Soil sampling points along transects on and around the dumpsite were randomly selected using ArcView GIS, with sulphide concentrations measured by Leco machine and lead and cadmium by atomic absorption spectrometer. Independent t-test results showed the concentration levels of the three pollutants were significantly elevated from one sampling point to the next, within and around the dumpsite.