OES Mercury Program

ASGM refers to gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production. Miners ofter resort to using mercury to extract gold from ore because it is relatively inexpensive and easy to use. But there are alternative methods to extract gold, often with higher yields. Due to the rise of gold prices over the past decade, the ASGM sector now provides the main source of income for 10 million to 20 million miners in more than 70 countries, primarily developing nations. The secondary economy surrounding ASGM supports 50 million to 100 million people around the globe. The World Bank and other agencies consider ASGM to be a potential source of economic development and poverty relief: Mining incomes are often two to four times higher than incomes from typical agricultural activities in the same region. Even if the price of gold were to drop by 25 percent, ASGM will remain an attractive activity for the rural poor.
http://www.state.gov/e/oes/eqt/chemicalpollution/mercury/index.htm