One of the biggest problems is mercury. Many miners use the toxic metal to separate the gold from the ore in which it’s found. But exposure to mercury can cause serious and permanent health problems, including brain damage and birth defects. And Colombians are exposed to huge amounts of it. A recent UN report found that Colombia is the world’s largest mercury polluter per capita from mining.
But these days the country is also ground zero for a new movement to clean up small-scale mining. It’s called Oro Verde, or Green Gold
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