Katanga is nowadays dominated by mining activities, due to the presence of rich deposits of copper ore mainly but also cobalt, zinc, germanium and many others. These deposits left on the Katangan Copperbelt arc attracted investment capital needed to implant metal production plants (Cu, Co,…). These plants are generally hydrometallurgical expected to use large amounts of water and generated waste in the form of large quantities of liquid effluents. Sustainable Environmental Management recommends the use of modern devices to recycle wastewater from hydrometallurgical plants; unfortunately this is not the case of the STL, which discharges into the river Lubumbashi. Its rich effluents discharged minerals in the water have contributed to the change of the physicochemical conditions of the river. contents of the increase is noted in trace metals such as Cu, Co, Pb and Fe in water, soil and plants along the river Lubumbashi, through one of the Kafubu before flowing in the watershed of the Kafubu. This places the river water Lubumbashi on the list of those subject to special treatment before being used for various needs. Unfortunately, the population ignorant and uninformed on the matter is in use in the risk of contracting various diseases.

The lack of modern equipment management and recycling of waste from the enrichment process metals made the Hydrometallurgy Lubumbashi is the cause of high concentrations of metals found today in the waters, soils and that plants, due to liquid effluent discharges untreated out of Copper and Cobalt production sites. Transects were established along rivers (Lubumbashi receiving effluents Society Terril de Lubumbashi (STL), and Oven Electric Lubumbashi (FEL) and Naviundu which it receives Chemical Of Africa (CHEMAF) in the to determine the levels of Cu content, Co, Pb, Fe in the samples of water, soil and Plant to highlight the potential risks of humans living in such an environment. The results of study indicate a critical environmental problem in view of the values obtained after laboratory analysis performed on water samples, soil and plant harvested on the ground.