Over 30 tons of mercury, a common tool used to separate gold, is being dumped into nearby waterways, contaminating the water, getting into the fish, and poisoning those who eat the fish— mostly the illegal miners and their families.
The area where these mines are run is also a hotbed for prostitution. Thousands of girls under the age of 18 are being brought in to work as prostitutes.
Most of the miners are working in these mines because they can't find jobs elsewhere, but they're paid a pittance, the equivalent of $35 dollars for a 24 hour shift, in dangerous and often unsafe mines.
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