Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that persists in the environment once it is released. Studies show that there are no safe levels of exposure to mercury. According to The Journal of Pediatrics, even at minute amounts, it has been shown to adversely affect development and IQ levels of children exposed to mercury in the womb.
A 2007 study entitled Training of Small Scale Miners and their Families in Safe Handling of Mercury During Extraction of Gold in the Philippines by the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland revealed that mining communities in Camarines Norte use 10 to 25 times more mercury than other communities in other parts of the globe dealing with the same type of gold ore.The study also showed that approximately 4,500 kilograms of mercury is released from Camarines Norte into the environment every year.
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