Exposure to mercury by inhalation damages the nervous, digestive, and immune systems. It can also contaminate bodies of water where it can be transformed into methyl-mercury and subsequently accumulate in fish and shellfish. When ingested, methyl-mercury can cause serious damage to the nervous system.
Despite the dangers mercury poses to human health, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) remains an important source of livelihood for millions of miners in developing countries who have few other income-generating alternatives. However, the rights and health of children engaged in and affected by artisanal gold mining are an issue of growing international concern. The International Labour Organization estimates that about one million children aged five to 17 are engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining, including gold mining.
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