In Colombia, it is estimated that illegal or informal miners are responsible for mining more than 80 percent of the gold produced in the country. Local sources believe that about 300,000 miners and their families are at high risk because of the dangerous conditions in which they work. For example, artisanal and small-scale miners can only purchase explosives from the military. “So they have to buy on the black market, or they build an explosive that is called ‘polvo loco.’ (That means crazy dust in English),” said Duque. The miners use mercury to capture the gold from the ore with their hands. Needless to say, mercury is highly toxic. Whole families are often involved, and child labor is not uncommon in many operations. Workers who are injured and unable to work lose their income entirely, leaving their families without money to buy food and other basic necessities.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/03/artisanal-mining-many-stakeholders-no-winners/
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