Mining is among the most perilous forms of child labor.
The health threats faced by children working in gold mines are numerous
including musculoskeletal injuries from carrying heavy loads, injuries
due to a lack of safety equipment, working in mine shafts which can
collapse suddenly, and exposure to toxic chemicals such as mercury.
Among child gold miners, exposure to mercury can occur in a number of different ways and carries with it a range of health risks,
both short and long-term. Initially, elemental mercury is used to
extract gold from the ore in which it is embedded. The next step in the
gold extraction process requires the burning of the mercury-gold amalgam
in order to purify the gold, which is then washed off with water.
http://globalhealthafrica.org/2014/04/05/tanzanias-child-gold-miners-face-a-multitude-of-health-hazards/
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