Air pollution in Fungurume: Consortium Mazingira Pour Tous exposes dangerous SO₂ levels and severe health effects in Manomapia

Kinshasa, September 21, 2026

The report “Air Pollution in Fungurume: Is Manomapia Suffocating Under the 30K Plant?”, a scientific and qualitative investigation conducted by the Consortium Mazingira Pour Tous, with technical support from Resource Matters, documents the health and environmental impacts of atmospheric pollution generated by Tenke Fungurume Mining’s (TFM) 30K plant on communities living near Fungurume. The results are alarming: sulfur dioxide (SO₂) concentrations 3.7 times higher than WHO thresholds, and respiratory and eye symptoms 90 times more prevalent in the exposed zone than in control zones.

Unequivocal scientific evidence

The study combines three complementary components: air quality measurements conducted between November 2025 and July 2026, longitudinal monitoring of 209 participants, and 47 in-depth interviews with riverside communities.

SO₂ was detected exclusively during the rainy season due to meteorological conditions unfavorable to pollutant dispersion. Even more concerning, reported nuisances extend beyond 4 kilometers from the plant, revealing massive pollutant dispersal throughout the region.

Measurements conducted in Manomapia revealed intermittent episodes of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) presence, particularly during the rainy season. During the initial investigation phase, a maximum concentration of 0.7 ppm, approximately 1,834 µg/m³, was recorded as a 10-minute moving average.

This value exceeds the World Health Organization’s (WHO) guideline of 500 µg/m³ over 10 minutes for SO₂. The report notes, however, that these measurements alone do not establish direct causality between plant emissions and each health problem reported by residents.

These results confirm initial data from EIA and Premicongo and provide evidence that the problem persists despite CMOC’s denials.

Serious and measurable health impacts

Clinical data confirm significant pollutant exposure. Compared to the control zone of Mutende, Manomapia residents report alarming symptom levels: 90.3% irritant odor versus 0% in the control zone, 88.3% nasal tickling versus 30.8% in the control zone, 40.7% eye tickling versus 0% in the control zone, and 17.5% epistaxis (nosebleeds) versus 0% in the control zone.

These symptoms constitute the clinical signature of exposure to acidic gases like SO₂. Weekly monitoring confirms the consistency and magnitude of the phenomenon, with up to 38 cases of irritant odor per week in Manomapia, compared to zero in Mutende. This drastic difference leaves no doubt about the pollutant origin of observed symptoms.

Urgent call to Congolese authorities and Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM)

The Consortium Mazingira Pour Tous calls on national and provincial authorities to conduct a joint inspection involving independent experts, relevant ministries, and TFM representatives, with results that must be made public. Authorities must ensure comprehensive medical care for affected populations for documented symptoms and establish a transparent compensation fund for victims and families. The development of a national air quality standard for SO₂, aligned with WHO recommendations, is also imperative.

TFM must urgently install adequate filtration systems and smokestacks to significantly reduce pollutant emissions and publish real-time atmospheric monitoring data. The company must establish genuine dialogue with communities and document its responses to raised concerns. It must also establish a fund for medical care and compensation of affected populations, thereby acknowledging its responsibility in this health crisis.

Beyond pollution: The question of information and trust

The investigation also documents a severely deteriorated relationship between certain communities, the company, and local authorities. Interviewed inpiduals cite difficulties in being heard regarding their concerns, as well as lack of confidence in existing dialogue and complaint management mechanisms.

For Resource Matters, environmental monitoring cannot be effective without transparency, data access, and participation from affected communities.

The report’s publication follows a contradictory procedure. Right of response requests were addressed to the National Minister of Mines, the Lualaba Provincial Government, the Mayor of Fungurume, and TFM. According to the report, TFM is the only one of the four parties contacted that submitted a response, dated September 5, 2026. This response was examined and integrated into the Consortium’s final report.

Resource Matters also calls on relevant authorities to strengthen the regulatory framework regarding air quality and ensure effective enforcement of standards designed to protect populations.

“The data collected should not be considered the end of the debate, but as a call for independent and transparent verification. When a population reports pollution episodes and instrumental measurements detect concerning SO₂ concentrations, the appropriate response is to measure further, make the data public, and protect potentially exposed persons,” states Resource Matters.

Resource Matters will continue to support efforts aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability of mining actors, and communities’ access to environmental information in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

About Resource Matters

Resource Matters is an organization working on natural resource governance, transparency, and accountability of the extractive sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Africa. It collaborates with civil society organizations, researchers, communities, and other partners to promote natural resource exploitation that respects human rights and the environment.

About the Consortium Mazingira Pour Tous

The Consortium “Mazingira Pour Tous” is a coalition of Congolese civil society organizations, media professionals, and researchers working to protect the environment and defend the rights of local communities affected by mining activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

For more information:

Consortium Mazingira Pour Tous
E: mazingirapourtous@gmail.com | ipdhor.asbl@gmail.com | T: +243 974 766 844

For Resource Matters:
E: Philippe.masudi@resourcematters.org | Info@resourcematters.org | T: +243 812 338 235