Hunt for gold in Southeast Asia poisons child workers, environment

About 1 million children work in the dangerous job of mining, and many are exposed to mercury while their growing brains are most vulnerable.
Mercury has been known to be hazardous since the time of the ancient Greeks. The liquid metal can cause tremors, memory loss, brain damage and a host of other problems. Mercury accumulates in the body over time, and its effects are irreversible. It can be absorbed through the skin, ingested in food or inhaled as a vapor.
Today, small-scale gold mining is the largest source of mercury emissions caused by humans, accounting for more than 35 percent of the worldwide total, according to the U.N. Environmental Program.
Mercury use is widespread in the Philippines and Indonesia, where child labor is common and small-scale gold miners operate freely, even in ecologically sensitive areas.
http://insomniadiary.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/hunt-for-gold-in-southeast-asia-poisons-child-workers-environment/