Dr I Kamika

• MSc (Life Science), Unisa
• MTech (Water Care: Water Science and Technology), Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
• DTech (Water Care: Water Science and Technology), TUT

Research interests:

• Microbial diversity and environmental microbiology of extreme ecosystems (e.g. mine water, sub-soil brine, highly saline soil and water).
• Protozoan and bacterial expression analysis of metal resistance key genes (e.g. cop, cnr, mer, chr, czc, ncc).
• Analyses of key genes (cbbL, nifH, amoA, apsA, dsrAB) involved in biogeochemical cycling of nutrients and their role in Enhanced Biological Phosphate Removal process (EBPR).
• Biotechnology: Bioremediation- inorganic pollutants, persistant organic pollutants and emerging organic pollutants.
• Functional metagenomic analyses.
• Microbial enzyme production, organic degradation pathway.
• Enteropathogenic microbes in both water and food, and their related public health concerns.

Environmental Microbiology, Biotechnology, Mycology

• Momba, M.N.B., Coetzee, M.A.A., Kamika I., Msagati, T. and Mamba, B.B. 2013. Guide Manual for the Operation of Biological Nutrient Removal for Unit 3 and Unit 5 of Northern Wastewater Treatment Works. Johannesburg Water, Johannesburg, South Africa.
• Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2013. Effect of nickel to nutrient removal by selected indigenous protozoan species in wastewater system. In: Brown, A., Figueroa, L. and Wolkersdorfer, Ch. (Eds.). Reliable Mine Water Technology, 1, 619-625. Denver, Colorado, USA (publication printers). ISBN: 978-0-615-79385-6.
• Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2013. Bioremediation of V5+ and Ni2+ by indigenous Marinobacter goseongensis isolated from South African vanadium mine waste. In: Brown, A., Figueroa, L. and Wolkersdorfer, Ch. (Eds.). Reliable Mine Water Technology, 1, 613-618. Denver, Colorado, USA (publication printers). ISBN: 978-0-615-79385-6.

Selected articles in accredited publications

• Teklehaimanot, G.Z., Kamika, I., Coetzee, M.A.A. and Momba, M.N.B. 2015. Seasonal variation of nutrient loads in treated wastewater effluents and receiving water bodies in Sedibeng and Soshanguve, South Africa. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187(9), 4795. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-015-4795-9.
• Teklehaimanot, G.Z., Kamika, I., Coetzee, M.A.A. and Momba, M.N.B. 2015. Population growth and its impact on the design capacity and performance of the wastewater treatment plants in Sedibeng and Soshanguve, South Africa. Environmental Management. DOI: 10.1007/s00267-015-0564-3.
• Teklehaimanot, G.Z., Kamika, I., Coetzee, M.A.A. and Momba, M.N.B. 2015. Prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria in treated effluents and receiving water bodies and their potential health risks. Science of the Total Environment, 518, 441-449.
• Adeyemo, F.E., Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2014. Comparing the effectiveness of five low-cost home water treatment devices for Cryptosporidium and Giardia removal from water sources. Desalination and Water Treatment. DOI: 10.1080/19443994.2014.960457.
• Sekar, S., Zintchem, A.A.E.A., Keshri, J., Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2014. Bacterial profiling in brine samples of Emalahleni Water Reclamation Plant, South Africa, using 454-pyrosequencing method. FEMS Microbiology Letters, 359(1), 55–63. DOI: 10.1111/1574-6968.12557.
• Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2014. Effect of vanadium toxicity at its different oxidation states on selected bacterial and protozoan isolates in wastewater. Environmental Technology, 35(16), 2075-2085. DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2014.893023
• Kamika, I., Coetzee M., Mamba, B.B., Msagati T. and Momba, M.N.B. 2014. The Impact of Microbial Ecology and Chemical Profile on the Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) Process: A Case Study of Northern Wastewater Treatment Works, Johannesburg. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 11, 2876-2898. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph110302876.
• Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2014. Microbial diversity of Emalahleni mine water in South Africa and tolerance ability of the predominant organism to vanadium and nickel. PLoS ONE, 9(1), e86189. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086189.
• Kamika, I., Katerere, D.R., Mngqawa, P., Rheeder, J.P. and Teffo, S.L. 2013. Mycological and aflatoxin contamination of peanuts sold at markets in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Pretoria, South Africa. Journal of Food additives and Contaminants, Part B, 7(2), 120-126. DOI: 10.1080/19393210.2013.858187.
• Kamika, I. and Momba, M.N.B. 2013. Assessing the tolerance and bioremediation ability of selected bacterial and protozoan species in a metal-rich wastewater. BMC Microbiology, 13, 28. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2180-13-28.

Prizes and awards

• Best Young Water Scientist Award, WaterNet/Water Research Fund for Southern Africa/Global Water Partnership Southern Africa (2012).
• Best Presenter during the National Showcase in Water Quality, Wits University, South Africa (2012).
• Best Honours student, Department Biology, University of Kinshasa, DRC (2006).

• Fungal occurrence in treated drinking water in Johannesburg West and the implications to public health, WRC (2016- 2018).
• Microbial diversity in acid mine water, West-rand Goldfields, South Africa, Unisa (2015-2018).
• Genetic mechanisms regulating the gene expression in resistant microorganisms to nanomaterials in a highly polluted environment, NRF (2014-2018).
• Solar radiation – ozonation-coupled system for disinfection and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from water sources using nanoparticles, NRF and the National Research Centre, Egypt (2013-2017).
• Micro- and macro-nutrient analysis of mopane worms (Imbrasia belina) and formulation of a protein-based feed for animals, NRF (2013-2015).
• Tolerance limits of selected protozoan and bacterial isolates to vanadium and nickel in wastewater systems, NRF (2010-2013).
• Surveillance and mapping of mycotoxin contamination of maize and peanuts produced on rural and commercial farms in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) (2009-2011).
• Surveillance and mapping of aflatoxin contamination of maize and peanuts produced on rural farms, Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, DRC (2008-2010).

Short profile

Dr Ilunga Kamika is a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y2-rated researcher in Applied Microbiology at Unisa. A Natural Scientist with expertise in Food and Consumer Sciences and Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, he is a member of several organisations, including the Water Institute of South Africa (WISA), International Water Association (IWA), Young Water Professional (YWP), American Society of Microbiology (ASM), South African Society for Microbiology (SASM), International Mine Water Association (IMWA) and MycoRed. He has participated in numerous international and national conferences and workshops and collaborated in several projects including foodborne and waterborne diseases, food safety and security and water quality and management funded by the NRF, Water Research Council (WRC) and South Africa-Netherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPD).