Abstract
The Kafue River is the major source of drinking water and commercial fish for most towns in Zambia although few reports exist concerning toxic effects of pollutants on organisms dependent on the River. The objective of this study was to determine the coefficient of condition (CC) relative to copper levels in fish muscle and sediment collected during the dry and rainy seasons, from sites upstream, within and downstream to the copper mining area along the river. The CC of fish was calculated to determine plumpness and robustness while copper levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Copper levels in water from all sites during the dry and rainy seasons were below the detection limit of 0.001 mg/L thus lower than the average for lakes and rivers of 0.004 mg/L. Rainy season levels in sediment were not significantly different among all sites (p > 0.05). However, dry season levels in sediment were significantly higher (p<0.001) at Chipata (23.4 mg/kg) and Kumasamba (91.93 mg/kg), within the mining area, compared to other sites.
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