Artisanal and small-scale mining in Peru: a blessing or a curse?

The widespread use of mercury in gold processing (see box below) represents a serious
public health risk as prolonged exposure to
this substance can cause permanent brain
damage and may induce vomiting, diarrhoea and/or sensory impairment. Due to its highly toxic nature, mercury needs to be
handled and disposed of very carefully to
avoid contaminating the surrounding area.
Yet non-formal operations do not always
have the capacity (and, in the case of
many illegal operations, neither do they particularly have the inclination) to ensure that
this does not happen.
http://www.perusupportgroup.org.uk/files/fckUserFiles/file/Artisanal%20and%20Small-scale%20Gold%20Mining%20in%20Peru.pdf