Rivers Near Congo Copper and Cobalt Mines are Toxic, Report Says
- Pollution from mines may be causing widespread health problems
- Companies say historic and artisanal mining are responsible
Structures used for processing raw cobalt at a mine in Katanga province near Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Photographer: Lucien Kahozi/BloombergRiver water near some of Democratic Republic of Congo’s biggest copper and cobalt mines is toxic and may be causing widespread health problems.
Scientists from Congo’s University of Lubumbashi tested water in four rivers this month near some of the country’s largest mines and found them to be “hyper-acidic” or “very acidic,” according to a report Wednesday by UK-based corporate watchdog RAID and Congo’s African Resources Watch, which both commissioned the research.