Artisanal Mines Yield Gold in the Philippines at High Cost to Miners’ Health

Most of the miners work at unregulated and illegal mining sites that rely heavily on mercury to extract gold. Miners work without proper protective gear and handle this toxic liquid metal with their bare hands, which can cause serious damage to their health, the community and the environment.

Some miners purchase bottles of mercury from vendors who reportedly sell it cheaply.

Mercury is used to attract and bind gold, usually mixed by hand in a pan to form a clay-like amalgam, which is squeezed to let out the excess liquid.

The amalgam is then heated using a blowtorch to burn off the mercury, leaving behind the gold, but also releasing poisonous mercury vapor into the air.

Mercury attacks the central nervous system causing headaches, brain damage and, in some cases, death.
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