These are children working barefoot & without protective equipment in an aluminum cookware factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Manufacturers hire scientists to sing for their supper & pompously claim there are no proven health concerns from aluminum exposure–though there is no biological need for even trace amounts. That’s to justify it as the most widely distributed metal on the planet. It’s in cookware & utensils, antiperspirants, dyes, food additives, soda cans, vaccines, aspirins, antacids, thyroid medicine (Synthroid), flour, building materials.
Numerous studies from reputable scientists show that aluminum is toxic, that it accumulates in the kidneys, brain, lungs, liver, & thyroid where it competes with calcium for absorption & can affect bone mineralization. The primary health concern is that it attacks the central nervous system & is linked to degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s.
So to place children or even adult workers in such a work environment is nothing short of criminal negligence. But that’s the way with neoliberalism, the barbaric phase of capitalism: a reckless disregard for human health & safety, a mentality that puts profits over the sacred duty of protecting children from violence & exploitation.
(Photo by Zakir Hossain Chowdhury/Barcroft)