.... by using mercury to separate gold from other minerals, miners may contaminate the water supply, and people poisoned with mercury are less able to fend off malaria.
read more... https://e360.yale.edu/digest/yanomami-gold-mining-malaria-study
.... by using mercury to separate gold from other minerals, miners may contaminate the water supply, and people poisoned with mercury are less able to fend off malaria.
read more... https://e360.yale.edu/digest/yanomami-gold-mining-malaria-study
Much of the country’s artisanal gold mining also still depends on mercury, a toxic metal widely used to extract gold. Since November 2024, the planetGOLD initiative — funded by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations Environment Program — has worked with more than 11,000 miners in Zambia to reduce mercury use and support formalization efforts.
“Previously, town residents received piped water sourced from the Mali Kha River, and only a small number of people purchased municipal water. However, over the past two years, the number of residents relying on paid municipal water has increased significantly. Due to gold mining activities, the river water has become heavily polluted and is no longer safe for drinking,” he said.