Fashion Is Destroying the Earth

In its natural state, gold is often mixed together with crap like silt and nonprecious ores, so it has to be isolated. One method of isolation often used in small-scale (artisanal) gold mining is mercury amalgamation, which consists of getting gold particles to stick to liquid mercury, then heating the mixture until the mercury vaporizes, leaving only the pay dirt behind. Problem is, mercury is extremely poisonous and if ingested can wreak havoc on your kidneys, heart, and nervous and respiratory systems. Not only is this bad news for workers who inhale the fumes when they’re pumping it into the ground, mercury can also build up in the earth, where it contaminates the entire food chain.
http://www.vice.com/en_ca/print/fashion-is-destroying-the-earth