Transplacental transfer of cobalt: Evidence from a study of mothers and their neonates in the African Copperbelt.

Background: Transfer of the trace metal cobalt (Co) from mother to foetus has not been documented in populations with high environmental exposure to Co, as is the case in the African Copperbelt mining region. We analysed data obtained from 246 mother-infant pairs included (at delivery) in a previously published case-control study on birth defects, done in Lubumbashi (Democratic Republic of Congo) between March 1, 2013, and Feb 28, 2015.

Methods: Co was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry in maternal blood, maternal urine, umbilical cord blood and placental tissue, as available.

Occupational rhinitis and asthma in bakers: a cross-sectional study in the former Katanga province of DR Congo.

Objective: Bakers are at high risk of rhinitis and asthma, but the prevalence of these occupational diseases is not well known in Sub-Saharan Africa. We investigated the prevalence of occupational rhinitis and asthma among industrial bakers in the former province of Katanga.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study conducted in eight towns from October 2018 to September 2019, we included 276 male workers from 18 industrial bakeries and 113 male controls (35 butchers and 78 bread sellers), all nonsmokers.

Respiratory Health and Urinary Trace Metals among Artisanal Stone-Crushers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lubumbashi, DR Congo.

Background: Thousands of artisanal workers are exposed to mineral dusts from various origins in the African Copperbelt. We determined the prevalence of respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function, and urinary metals among artisanal stone-crushers in Lubumbashi.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 48 male artisanal stone-crushers and 50 male taxi-drivers using a standardized questionnaire and spirometry.