These miners work in the most basic conditions: men, women, often children. It’s an economic challenge. A developmental opportunity. A global embarrassment. Health and environment? “It is one of the largest environmental issues that the world faces today,” Telmer asserts.
Gold is extracted by hand using mercury. “Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the world’s largest demand for mercury right now,” Telmer says of the toxic heavy liquid. “And the second-largest emitter to the atmosphere after coal.”
Artisanal mercury use for the year, globally, is expected to reach 1,500 tonnes. Peru is the world’s fifth-largest consumer, after China, Indonesia, Colombia and the Philippines.
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