Worldwide, an estimated 10-15 million small-scale miners dig, dredge,
sluice and pan for gold, and many use mercury to separate the pure metal
from the silt.
The problem comes when they boil off the mercury to release the pure gold, or when they dump the mercury-contaminated tailings.
In water, mercury transforms into a highly toxic organic
molecule - methyl mercury - which is readily absorbed into the bodies of
algae and plankton.
Those algae and plankton are eaten by larger animals, which are in turn
eaten by larger creatures, which in turn are often eaten by us (and
seals).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25130770
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