Kabwe mine

Kabwe is located near the African Copperbelt, north of Zambia's capital, Lusaka. The town had a population of about 220,000 in 2017. The area was renamed "Kabwe" after Zambian independence in 1964. Mining in Zambia continues to provide over 40% of government revenue, although it has provided few benefits to local communities who frequently live in poverty. Lead poisoning most seriously affects children who are exposed to lead in dust and frequently put their hands in their mouths. 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 μg/dL is considered elevated, and death is likely when levels are above 150 μg/dL. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) has set 3.5 μg/dL as the allowable level of lead in the blood. == History ==

During its life, the mine produced over 1.8 million tons (mt) of zinc, 0.8 mt of lead metal; 7,816 tonnes of vanadium oxide; 80,000 kilograms of silver; and 235,000 kilograms of cadmium. Anglo American is one of the largest mining companies in the world. Many aesthetic mineral specimens were produced at Kabwe, some of which were acquired by the British royal family. Many of these specimens were also donated to the British Museum of Natural History. == Pollution ==

The mine operated without environmental regulation and poisoned hundreds of thousands of people, and Kabwe remains one of the world's most polluted towns. A 2011 research project funded by the World Bank determined that lead contamination of soils in nearby communities was 10 times the level allowed by the CDC (which is 400 ppm), and contamination was as high as 10,000 ppm in some places—including the grounds of a local health clinic. Conflict In October 2020, a lawsuit was filed in South Africa against Anglo American on behalf of lead poisoning victims. This lawsuit was ongoing in January 2023 when 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. The lawsuit could set an important precedent for holding corporations accountable for local impacts in African courts. Anglo American says that it provided technical services at the mine and that the state-owned Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines has accepted liability for the poisoning. 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. 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. == 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. This fossil was the first remains of an extinct human relative to be found in Africa. The species was later determined to be Homo heidelbergensis.'' The skull remains at the London Museum, and the Zambian government has requested that it be returned. 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. == References ==