Pollution causing birth defects in children of DRC cobalt miners – study

Researchers link exposure to mining pollutants to greatly increased risk of conditions such as spina bifida and limb abnormalities Thousands of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are being exposed to dangerous levels of toxic pollution that is causing birth defects in their children as they mine for cobalt used to make rechargeable batteries for smartphones, laptops and electric cars, a new medical study has found. Research published in the Lancet last week found that local people working in mines in the African “copperbelt”, a mining region stretching across Zambia and the DRC, are at significantly higher risk of having children born with serious birth defects. Continue reading...
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