Health problems from asthma and emphysema to thyroid problems and diabetes have been on the rise on the reservation in the past 25 years, especially among children. Other health impacts possibly due to the mining, such as lead poisoning and chemical burns from swimming in the water that flows out of the mining area, have also been reported (A Mountain of Unanswered Questions: Are Health Problems of Reservation Residents Related to the Mines? (more info) ).
Cyanide is known to be lethal to humans in very small quantities, with only a teaspoon of 2% cyanide solution causing death. Because of the number of cyanide spills and accidents, cyanide leach gold mining using large quantities of cyanide to remove gold from ore or crushed rock is creating more and more controversy. There is growing concern about both the environmental impacts and human health risks of using cyanide as a processing agent (More Cyanide Uncertianties: Lessons from the Baia Mare, Romania Spill-Water Quality and Politics).
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