About 20% of the world's gold is produced by the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. This sector is also responsible for the largest releases of mercury to the environment of any sector globally. A major source of air pollution from mercury, artisanal and small-scale gold mining releases approximately400 metric tons of airborne elemental mercuryeach year.
Located in over 55 countries, small scale gold buying and refining facilities (commonly referred to as“Gold Shops”) are an important part of this production process, and are a major cause of air pollution from mercury.
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