The miners sweat through 28-hour shifts in the malarial jungle of the
Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru, braving the perils of
collapsing earth and limb-crushing machinery to come up with a few grams
of gold. Most hail from impoverished highlands communities and chew
coca leaf, a mild stimulant, to ward off the fatigue that can lead to
fatal accidents. Deaths go unrecorded and the mercury they use to bind
the gold compounds the risks. Tons of mercury dumped into the
environment poisons the food chain for society at large, starting with
the miners and their families.
http://www.sfgate.com/world/article/Peruvian-miners-hard-life-tinged-with-fear-5486732.php?cmpid=hp-hc-nationworld
No comments:
Post a Comment