Environmental Pollution through Multiple Integrated Hazard Sources in their Shared Environment: A Case Study of Muvumba Community, Rwanda

Abstract

A community-based One Environmental Health Toxicology (OEHT) study is a holistic approach to examine environmental toxicant exposure in vulnerable communities. It is a novel approach evaluating health effects of environmental toxicant exposure on individuals and/or whole communities, in concert with addressing the health of animals, and of the ecosystem. This approach is novel in Africa. This study first identified a vulnerable community in Rwanda and investigated environmental pollutants impacting the health of the community. The objective of the study was to determine environmental contaminants impacting the Muvumba community, a vulnerable agricultural community in Rwanda. The study was conducted in a vulnerable agricultural community with significant pesticide and fertilizer use and linked to the Akagera-Nile water ecosystem. The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) campus employing conservation agriculture and One Health (OH) principles was selected as a control site. Environmental water was passively sampled for pesticides and harmful algal blooms. Grab drinking water samples were collected from both sites and analyzed for pesticides, organic contaminants, and heavy metals. Rice from Muvumba was analyzed for pesticides and metallic elements.  Environmental water samples from Muvumba river tested positive for three organophosphorus pesticides (diazinon, malathion, and profenofos), while imidacloprid was detected in water samples from RICA. Microcystins were not detected in any of the water bodies. Environmental and drinking water samples tested positive for diisononyl phthalate, bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, and ricinine. Lead and arsenic were detected in rice samples from the Muvumba site. The findings of this community based OEHT indicate a significant public health and environmental concern and are vital in advancing a holistic integrated one-health research approach to safeguard human, animal and ecosystem health and ensure sustainable development in Africa.