GETTING TO
MARKET: Miners
transport sacks
of cobalt ore by
bicycle.
EUROPE
ASIA
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
damage the kidneys, and arsenic can cause cancer.
metals—even if they don’t work in the mines,” says Nemery. Not only is cobalt toxic at high levels, but to make matters
THECONGO
AFRICA
CORE QUESTION
INDIAN
OCEAN
ATLANTIC
NO EASY FIX The DRC is one of the poorest
OCEAN
worse, it’s almost always found with uranium (U) and often with arsenic (As). “So these communities are being exposed to a whole cocktail of toxic metals,” says Nemery. People who live near mines or ore-processing areas are exposed to these elements through foods they eat, like fruits and vegetables. These crops take up pollutants when dust from the mines or from trucks transporting ore settles on the soil. Dust also makes its way into yards and homes, and children who play there get it in their mouths. Cobalt can cause problems affecting the heart, blood, and thyroid gland , which helps regulate growth and development. Uranium can
Imagine you
are explaining
countries in the world, so the problems of its mining industry aren’t easy to address. The country already has some environmental regulations and laws protecting children, for example, but they often aren’t enforced, says Nemery. Following an investigative report by The Washington Post in September 2017 , some companies that produce or use lithium-ion batteries promised to do a better job of making sure their cobalt is mined safely. In the meantime, says Nemery, it’s important to understand that “our smartphones and computers, and many other products we use every day, come at a very high human cost.” 9 —Jennifer Barone
the human
toll of making
rechargeable
batteries to
your friends.
What would
you tell them?
BOOMING COBALT DEMAND
As electronic devices continue to grow in popularity, more cobalt is needed to make the batteries that power them.
This graph shows the amount of cobalt used for batteries since 2000 (with future projections through 2025).
2015
2000
2005
2010
2020
2025
YEAR
SOURCE: CHRISTOPHE PILLOT/AVICENNE ENERGY AND
THE WASHINGTON POST
SCHOLASTIC.COM/SCIENCEWORLD
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