The culprits are quaintly named “artisanal small-scale gold mines,” less-industrialized facilities mostly located in developing countries. Over the last decade, Keane has seen how these miners use mercury up close at various sites in Asia, Africa, and South America. The process varies, but its essence is this: pour a puddle of mercury into a pan of crushed rock. Mix it in, and any gold bits in the crumbs will stick to the mercury to form a silvery blob known as an amalgam. Roast the blob with a blowtorch, and the mercury evaporates to leave the gold behind.
read more... https://www.wired.com/story/mercury-poisoning-gold-mines/
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