Fool’s Gold – Ten Problems with gold mining by Project Underground

For centuries, mercury has been used to chemically separate gold from ore, leading to major public-health problems for miners and communities around mining districts. During the California Gold Rush, 7,600 tons of mercury were released into local rivers and lakes, resulting in neurological disorders and deaths amongst people exposed to this deadly toxin. More than 50% of mercury exposure today in the San Francisco Bay area is an historic legacy of the 1849 gold rush. Furthermore, millions of small-scale miners use mercury, from the Amazon – where they have invaded indigenous reservations – to the Philippines, resulting in the worst recent outbreaks of Minamata (or “Mad Hatter’.s”) disease. Of 500,000 gold miners tested in Brazil, more than 30% showed mercury levels above the World Health Organization’s tolerable limits.
http://commonwealthmine.org/2014/08/24/fools-gold-ten-problems-with-gold-mining-by-project-underground/