Sickest places in the world

In Kalimantan, Indonesia, local people extract gold using mercury, which is both poisonous and a potent neurotoxin.

“They do this processing inside their homes, not realizing the danger,” said Bret Ericson, senior project director of the Blacksmith Institute.

Blacksmith has gone into those homes and measured mercury levels 350 times higher than what is considered safe, Ericson told Inter Press Service (IPS).

This directly affects the health of 10 million to 15 million people, Ericson said. “It is also a huge source of mercury pollution worldwide.”

http://businessmirror.com.ph/index.php/en/features/biodiversity/22559-sickest-places-in-the-world