A Chinese cobalt-processing facility in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been linked to a public health crisis in a nearby town, according to a new investigation. The CMOC Group plant, which produces cobalt for electric-vehicle batteries, saw emissions surge after ramping up production. Local health workers reported residents coughing up blood, suffering nosebleeds, and experiencing severe respiratory symptoms.

Toxicology experts connected these health issues to sulfur-dioxide exposure, with symptoms most severe among those living closest to the facility. The environmental group's findings raise serious questions about the human cost of the global transition to electric vehicles. Congo supplies roughly 70% of the world's cobalt, making it central to the battery supply chain.

The investigation highlights the tension between clean energy ambitions and environmental justice in resource-rich developing nations. As demand for electric vehicles grows, so does pressure on cobalt-producing regions to expand mining and processing operations. The health impacts documented in this Congo town underscore the need for stricter environmental oversight in the critical minerals sector.