High human exposure to cobalt and other metals in Katanga, a mining area of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Banza, C.; Nawrot, Tim S.; Haufroid, Vincent; Decrée, Sophie; Putter, Thierry De; Smolders, Erik; Kabyla, Benjamin Ilunga; Luboya, Oscar Numbi; Ilunga, A.; Mutombo, Alain Mwanza; Nemery, Benoît

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2009.04.012

Cited by 235 publications

(175 citation statements)

References 39 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

134

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…(20) Recent biomonitoring in a population living close to mining sites of Katanga revealed urinary cadmium values of 0.75 mg/g of creatinine. (21) In conclusion, we showed that exposure to cadmium at the workplace is still possible in the twenty-first century and in an affluent society. Our results add to the evidence that even in the absence of cadmium-induced renal tubular dysfunction, cadmium is an osteotoxic metal associated with increased Cd-U, µg/g creatinine OR for osteoporosis Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational cadmium exposure and calcium excretion, bone density, and osteoporosis in men

Nawrot

Geusens

Nulens³

et al. 2010

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Exposure to cadmium has been associated with osteoporosis and fracture risk in women and the elderly, but studies in middle-aged men are lacking. In 83 male (ex)workers (mean age 45 years; range 24 to 64 years) in a radiator factory using cadmium-containing solder, we investigated the association between urinary cadmium excretion (as an index of lifetime body burden); bone mineral density (BMD) in the distal forearm, hip, and lumbar spine (by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry); and urinary calcium excretion. Geometric mean urinary cadmium concentration was 1.02 mg/g of creatinine (5th to 95th percentile 0.17 to 5.51 mg/g). BMD was negatively correlated with urinary exposure to cadmium. The partial correlation coefficients (r) adjusted for age, body-mass index, and current smoking were À0.30 ( p ¼ .008) for BMD in the forearm, À0.27 ( p ¼ .017) in the hip, and À0.17 ( p ¼ .15) in the spine. Urinary calcium correlated positively (r ¼ 0.23, p ¼ .044) with the urinary cadmium excretion. Adjusted for the same covariates, the risk of osteoporosis (defined as a T-score below À2.5 in at least one measured bone site) increased dose dependently. Compared with the lowest tertile of urinary cadmium, the risks were 4.8-and 9.9-fold higher in the middle and highest tertiles, respectively. Only four (5%) men had evidence of renal tubular dysfunction (b 2 -microglobulin > 300 mg/g of creatinine). Even in the absence of renal tubular dysfunction, occupational exposure to cadmium is associated in men with lower BMD values, a higher risk of having osteoporosis, and a higher urinary calcium excretion, suggesting a direct osteotoxic effect of cadmium. ß

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational cadmium exposure and calcium excretion, bone density, and osteoporosis in men

Nawrot

Geusens

Nulens³

et al. 2010

Journal of Bone and Mineral Research

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Japanese women living in non-polluted areas had urinary Cd concentrations that were considerably higher and ranged from 0.25 to 11.4 lg/g creatinine (with a geometric mean of 2.87 lg/g creatinine) (Ezaki et al 2003). Recent biomonitoring in a population living close to mining sites of Katanga (Congo) revealed urinary Cd values of 0.75 lg/g creatinine (Banza et al 2009). …”

Section: External and Internal Exposure To CDmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cadmium exposure in the population: from health risks to strategies of prevention

et al. 2010

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We focus on the recent evidence that elucidates our understanding about the effects of cadmium (Cd) on human health and their prevention. Recently, there has been substantial progress in the exploration of the shape of the Cd concentrationresponse function on osteoporosis and mortality. Environmental exposure to Cd increases total mortality in a continuous fashion without evidence of a threshold, independently of kidney function and other classical factors associated with mortality including age, gender, smoking and social economic status. Pooled hazard rates of two recent environmental population based cohort studies revealed that for each doubling of urinary Cd concentration, the relative risk for mortality increases with 17% (95% CI 4.2-33.1%; P \ 0.0001). Tubular kidney damage starts at urinary Cd concentrations ranging between 0.5 and 2 lg urinary Cd/g creatinine, and recent studies focusing on bone effects show increased risk of osteoporosis even at urinary Cd below 1 lg Cd/g creatinine. The non-smoking adult population has urinary Cd concentrations close to or higher than 0.5 lg Cd/g creatinine. To diminish the transfer of Cd from soil to plants for human consumption, the bioavailability of soil Cd for the plants should be reduced (external bioavailability) by maintaining agricultural and garden soils pH close to neutral (pH-H 2 O of 7.5; pH-KCL of 6.5). Reducing the systemic bioavailability of intestinal Cd can be best achieved by preserving a balanced iron status. The latter might especially be relevant in groups with a lower intake of iron, such as vegetarians, and women in reproductive phase of life. In exposed populations, house dust loaded with Cd is an additional relevant exposure route. In view of the insidious etiology of health effects associated with low dose exposure to Cd and the current European Cd intake which is close to the tolerable weekly intake, one should not underestimate the importance of the recent epidemiological evidence on Cd toxicity as to its medical and public health implications.

show abstract

“…In addition to industrial emissions from fossil fuel combustion, other anthropogenic activities, including mining and smelting operations, have resulted in elevated trace element deposition in some parts of Africa on both local and regional scales (Banza et al, 2009;Nakayama et al, 2011). Unfortunately, these activities are particularly deleterious in developing countries, where environmental regulations are sometimes inadequate and/or poorly enforced.…”

Section: Trace Element Contamination In Central Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Using lead isotopes and trace element records from two contrasting Lake Tanganyika sediment cores to assess watershed – Lake exchange

Odigie

Cohen

Swarzenski

et al. 2014

Applied Geochemistry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Editorial handling by M. Kersten a b s t r a c tLead isotopic and trace element records of two contrasting sediment cores were examined to reconstruct historic, industrial contaminant inputs to Lake Tanganyika, Africa. Observed fluxes of Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in age-dated sediments collected from the lake varied both spatially and temporally over the past two to four centuries. The fluxes of trace elements were lower (up to 10-fold) at a mid-lake site (MC1) than at a nearshore site (LT-98-58), which is directly downstream from the Kahama and Nyasanga River watersheds and adjacent to the relatively pristine Gombe Stream National Park. Trace element fluxes at that nearshore site did not measurably change over the last two centuries (1815-1998), while the distal, mid-lake site exhibited substantial changes in the fluxes of trace elements -likely caused by changes in land use -over that period. For example, the flux of Pb increased by $300% from 1871 to 1991. That apparent accelerated weathering and detrital mobilization of lithogenic trace elements was further evidenced by (i) positive correlations (r = 0.77-0.99, p < 0.05) between the fluxes of Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn and those of iron (Fe) at both sites, (ii) positive correlations (r = 0.82-0.98, p < 0.01, n = 9) between the fluxes of elements (Al, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and the mass accumulation rates at the offshore site, (iii) the low enrichment factors (EF < 5) of those trace elements, and (iv) the temporal consistencies of the isotopic composition of Pb in the sediment. These measurements indicate that accelerated weathering, rather than industrialization, accounts for most of the increases in trace element fluxes to Lake Tanganyika in spite of the development of mining and smelting operations within the lake's watershed over the past century. The data also indicate that the mid-lake site is a much more sensitive and useful recorder of environmental changes than the nearshore site. Furthermore, the lead isotopic compositions of sediment at the sites differed spatially, indicating that the Pb (and other trace elements by association) originated from different natural sources at the two locations.

show abstract

High human exposure to cobalt and other metals in Katanga, a mining area of the Democratic Republic of Congo

Cited by 235 publications

References 39 publications

Occupational cadmium exposure and calcium excretion, bone density, and osteoporosis in men

Occupational cadmium exposure and calcium excretion, bone density, and osteoporosis in men

Cadmium exposure in the population: from health risks to strategies of prevention

Using lead isotopes and trace element records from two contrasting Lake Tanganyika sediment cores to assess watershed – Lake exchange

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About