Small and medium-scale gold mining is the main source of direct exposure to mercury, and discharge to the environment through direct usage in the amalgamation process; and forest clearing for gold mining releases mercury stored in soils into the aquatic food chain.
Already, levels higher than World Health Organization (WHO) safe limits have been found in indigenous and hinterland populations, as well as in workers in the industry. The artisanal and small scale miners are least equipped to understand and adopt the policies, technologies, and environmentally-friendly practices that are critical to a responsible gold mining sector. The high startup costs required to employ new technology have also been identified as a barrier.
http://guyanachronicle.com/2016/10/30/us3m-grant-to-help-in-mercury-free-gold-mining/
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