"The main source of this pollution today is small-scale gold mining,"
says Inoue, who is an expert on water environmental engineering. "Gold
mining is easy to learn and simple to operate, so for people living on
the poverty line, it offers hope for the future."
When there is no sophisticated technology available, gold mining
involves simply mixing mercury and water with gold ore to form an
amalgam. The mixture is then heated to remove the mercury by evaporation
-- most likely without any filtering -- leaving behind the gold, while
the water containing mercury residue is usually discarded directly into
rivers.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130926102059.htm
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