{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T09:57:27Z","timestamp":1789898247520,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"24","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,15]],"date-time":"2020-12-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1607990400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>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. Concentrations of trace metals were measured by Inductively Coupled - Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) in urine spot samples. Results: Urinary Co, Ni, As, and Se were higher in stone-crushers than in control participants. Wheezing was more prevalent (p = 0.021) among stone-crushers (23%) than among taxi-drivers (6%). In multiple logistic regression analysis, the job of a stone-crusher was associated to wheezing (adjusted Odds Ratio 4.45, 95% Confidence Interval 1.09\u201318.24). Stone-crushers had higher values (% predicted) than taxi-drivers for Forced Vital Capacity (105.4 \u00b1 15.9 vs. 92.2 \u00b1 17.8, p = 0.048), Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 Second (104.4 \u00b1 13.7 vs. 88.0 \u00b1 19.6, p = 0.052), and Maximum Expiratory Flow at 25% of the Forced Vital Capacity (79.0.1 \u00b1 20.7 vs. 55.7 \u00b1 30.1, p = 0.078). Conclusion: Stone-crushers were more heavily exposed to mineral dust and various trace elements than taxi-drivers, and they had a fourfold increased risk of reporting wheezing, but they did not have evidence of more respiratory impairment than taxi-drivers.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph17249384","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,15]],"date-time":"2020-12-15T21:11:02Z","timestamp":1608066662000},"page":"9384","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Respiratory Health and Urinary Trace Metals among Artisanal Stone-Crushers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Lubumbashi, DR Congo"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8059-6665","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tony","family":"Kayembe-Kitenge","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malemba-Nkulu, Malemba, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Irene","family":"Kabange Umba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8160-2729","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paul","family":"Musa Obadia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malemba-Nkulu, Malemba, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2772-9363","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sebastien","family":"Mbuyi-Musanzayi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patient","family":"Nkulu Banza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patrick D. M. C.","family":"Katoto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine and Prof Lurhuma Biomedical Research Laboratory, Mycobacterium Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Catholic University of Bukavu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cyrille","family":"Katshiez Nawej","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kolwezi, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Georges","family":"Kalenga Ilunga","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malemba-Nkulu, Malemba, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5040-9806","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vincent","family":"Haufroid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Louvain Center for Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Universit\u00e9 Catholique de Louvain, 1200 Brussels, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"C\u00e9lestin","family":"Banza Lubaba Nkulu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malemba-Nkulu, Malemba, Democratic Republic of the Congo"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tim","family":"Nawrot","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0571-4689","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Benoit","family":"Nemery","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1002\/ajim.4700270503","article-title":"Occupational Exposures to Fibers and Quartz at 19 Crushed Stone Mining and Milling Operations","volume":"27","author":"Kullman","year":"1995","journal-title":"Am. 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