Artisanal Gold Mining

Artisanal mining is a source of income for people that frequently have few alternative options to earn a comparable wage. In addition to the local and global dangers posed by mercury exposure, many artisanal mines are also very poorly constructed and unstable, and the miners face potential shaft collapses and a high risk of injury. Despite the severe health hazards, artisanal gold mining is widespread, and its practice continues to increase as the price for gold rises. Between the summer of 2009 and the summer of 2011, the price of an ounce of gold approximately doubled. To date, Blacksmith has identified over 130 sites in low- and middle-income countries where artisanal mining has caused mercury contamination, with the majority of these activities taking place in Africa and Southeast Asia, with a concentration of sites in Ghana, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
http://www.worstpolluted.org/projects_reports/display/87