Human Rights Watch submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women concerning Nigeria

Human Rights Watch has also documented the harmful effects on humans from using mercury in small-scale gold mining in Nigeria.[33] Mercury attacks the central nervous system and can cause lifelong disability, including brain damage, and even death. In utero exposure can occur when pregnant women are exposed to mercury and can present immediate and life-long negative health consequences. Mercury is particularly harmful to children, as their systems are still developing, and its damage is irreversible.[34] The 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury requires treaty parties to draw up national action plans on artisanal and small-scale gold mining that include strategies to prevent mercury exposure of children and women of child-bearing age.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/11/01/human-rights-watch-submission-committee-elimination-discrimination-against-women