Environmental Conditions of Aquatic Mining Sites in the Tshopo Province: a Descriptive Study in the Banalia Territory

Introduction: Small-scale mining represents a significant portion of global mining activity and is carried out under diverse conditions.This study was conducted to describe the environmental conditions of mining areas in the Banalia region of Tshopo province.Methods: a descriptive study was conducted among 422 people living in two mining households in the territory of Banalia, selected by the systematic sampling technique, during the period from March 18 to June 14, 2024.Descriptive statistics were carried out using proportion and mean SD.Results: the average age of the respondents was 38.2 6.9 years; secondary education level (65%), married marital status (46%) and seniority of 10 years or more (81%) were dominant; 89% of the dwellings were tents, the evacuation of fecal matter was done by ordinary pit toilets (55%) and defecation in the watercourse (40%); the most represented sources of drinking water were surface water (50%) and natural springs (39%), 80% of the population did not treat water.The vast majority of miners drank alcoholic beverages (84%) and 63% were smokers, unprotected sexual intercourse was dominant (91%). Conclusion:Mining homes are characterized by an unsanitary and polluted physical environment and depraved behavior of the occupants, which constitute health risk factors.Specific preventive measures are necessary in mining homes.