Studies have revealed high traces of mercury metal in women’s breast milk and fish in the gold mining areas of Kadoma and Chakari, exposing to risk the lives of children and people in surrounding communities.
Mercury exposure affects foetal neurological development and is linked to lower fertility, brain and nerve damage and heart diseases, studies show.
Mercury is a toxic silver-like metal used extensively in gold mining.
People have been found to shake uncontrollably as a result of the neurological effects.
The recent study is a microcosmic view of the health status of people in the gold mining sector, where an estimated 1,5 million people depend on artisanal mining for survival.
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