Some of the children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo resort
to working in the dangerous mines. These children, as young as eight
years old, are exposed to harsh conditions while extracting copper, gold
and cobalt metals. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to
trillions of dollars worth of minerals, and children are often used
because they are able to fit into tight spaces. These children also
provide for their families who might otherwise starve. The children earn
as much as $1-10 per day. This is a significant amount of money in this
area of the world.
These children are exposed to mercury, lead and uranium on a regular
basis. Mercury is used to extract gold from the ore. Lead constitutes
much of the rock that is crushed in search of gold. They also face the
risk of being crushed to death in a collapsed tunnel or falling to their
deaths. Several of them become sick from working in such polluted
conditions. These young and still-developing children can be
contaminated with toxic heavy metals as well.
http://jeffblazar.wordpress.com/2013/08/07/congolese-children/
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