Coltan Mining and Child Labor

Coltan Mining and Child Labor or Child Labor and the Electronics Industry Did you know that you have child labor right up next to your ears? Did you know that you are using devices everyday that were produced as a result of the labor of children? You... More

Coltan Mining and Child Labor or Child Labor and the Electronics Industry Did you know that you have child labor right up next to your ears? Did you know that you are using devices everyday that were produced as a result of the labor of children? You may not have heard of coltan, but you have it in your cell phones, laptops, pagers and other electronic devices. It is important to everyday communication in the United States, but it is making the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo more complicated and it includes child labor. What Is Coltan? Columbite-tantalite, coltan for short, is a dull metallic ore found in major quantities in the eastern areas of Congo and other parts of east Africa. When refined, coltan becomes metallic tantalum, a heat-resistant powder that can hold a high electrical charge. These properties make it a vital element in creating capacitors, the electronic elements that control current flow inside miniature circuit boards. Tantalum ca Less