Congo probes uranium in cobalt exports

THE Democratic Republic of Congo has opened an investigation into uranium contamination found in cobalt shipments amid mounting pressure over the amount of the radioactive material leaving the country with the battery metal, said the Financial Times.Authorities will screen cobalt hydroxide bound for China for uranium content and set up a working group to examine recent academic research and journalism on the issue, the government said in a statement quoted by the newspaper.The Congo government added it had “taken careful note” of the findings. It also plans to consult the International Atomic Energy Agency about a possible technical support mission, said the FT.The move follows a joint investigation by the Financial Times and Lighthouse Reports that documented widespread uranium contamination at DR Congo’s major copper-cobalt mines over roughly twenty years.The findings raise concerns about worker safety, cargo rejections and the tracking of nuclear material.Uranium is found naturally alongside copper and cobalt in the country’s mineral-rich “copper belt,” though its production is now outlawed domestically.Separate research in Nature Communications estimated that more than 2,000 tons of natural uranium was embedded in cobalt exports between 2000 and 2024.Congolese officials disputed the study’s methodology but said they would spend the next two months assessing health and environmental risks, publish their conclusions, and roll out radiation detectors at border crossings. Two national nuclear bodies, alongside outside laboratories, will lead the review.The post Congo probes uranium in cobalt exports appeared first on Miningmx.Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Mining.com