Toxic towns and poisoned rivers: a byproduct of industry for the rich

In Kalimantan, Indonesia, local people extract gold using mercury, which is a poisonous, potent neurotoxin. "They do this processing inside their homes, not realising the danger," says 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, he told IPS. This directly affects the health of 10-15 million people, Ericson says. "It is also a huge source of mercury pollution worldwide."
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/nov/08/toxic-towns-poisoned-rivers-byproduct-industry