Lethal Lust For Gold In Zamfara

Several tonnes of rock are reduced to about 20 kilograms at this stage. Mercury, bought in 200-gram glass bottles at N8, 000 each, is now added to the concentrate to create an amalgam. This is heated over small fires to evaporate the mercury, creating “sponge gold,” so named because the vaporising chemical leaves sponge-like holes in the hard, glittering material. This stage of extraction raises more health concerns, doctors noted, as workers inhale toxic mercury vapours that, through prolonged exposure, can cause brain, kidney and lung damage as well as tremors and impaired vision. 
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