Study Reveals Massive Undeclared Uranium Exports and Environmental Risks from DRC Cobalt Mining

New research published in Nature Communications on July 30, 2026, has uncovered that between 2,000 and 5,000 tonnes of uranium are being exported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) annually without being declared. The study, led by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also highlights significant environmental and health risks to miners and surrounding communities due to discarded uranium in mining waste streams. The findings were based on country-wide mineralization and geochemical data, mine-level trade records, and a chemical model of cobalt processing.