Dataset on Heavy Metal Contamination of Vegetables and Consumer Perceptions in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

In the mining city of Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, intensive mining activities have led to heavy metal contamination of vegetables, posing serious risks to public health. This dataset contains chemical analysis data on heavy metals extracted from vegetables using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), combined with household survey data collected from 353 urban households. The raw chemical dataset quantifies concentrations of key heavy metals in the six most commonly consumed vegetables, while the survey dataset documents consumer exposure, health risk indicators, and perceptions of heavy metal contamination along the food chain. By integrating environmental chemistry and social data, the dataset addresses a critical knowledge gap by enabling the assessment of contamination levels, associated health risks, and consumer awareness in a mining-impacted urban context. This dataset provides a valuable resource for researchers, public health and environmental practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand the disconnect between contamination levels, consumer behavior, and risk awareness, and to support the design of integrated food safety and environmental policy interventions in mining-affected cities.