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Understanding cobalt’s human cost

Social consequences of green energy must be assessed in addition to environmental impacts, researchers say

  • There is little data on the impact of emerging green technologies on human health and well-being
  • To identify barriers to and opportunities for understanding social and public health consequences of cobalt, researchers conducted exploratory fieldwork on cobalt mining in Africa
  • Local miners and community members reported experiencing violence, substance abuse, food and water insecurity, and physical and mental health challenges
  • The research team identified five ways to advance data collection for the social life-cycle assessments

EVANSTON, Ill. — While driving an electric car has fewer environmental impacts than gasoline-powered cars, the production of the parts necessary for these green technologies can have dire effects on human well-being.

 After studying the impacts of mining cobalt — a common ingredient in lithium-ion batteries — on communities in Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Northwestern University is calling for more data into how emerging technologies affect human health and livelihoods.

Such data can inform policymakers, industry leaders and consumers to make more socially and ethically responsible decisions when developing, funding and using green technologies.

The case study and perspective paper were published today (Dec. 17) in the journal One Earth.

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Fieldwork images

Please credit photos to Northwestern University

A recently dug artisanal mining hole in Musonoyi.
A recently dug artisanal mining hole in Musonoyi.
Miners at a cobalt cleaning site in Lualaba Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Miners at a cobalt cleaning site in Lualaba Province, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Interview the Experts

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Jennifer Dunn

Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
Director, Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience
Senior Fellow, Northwestern-Argonne Institute of Science and Engineering