During the gold production process, they make an amalgam of gold-containing silt and metallic mercury to extract the gold, and then heat the amalgam to recover the gold. This process releases toxic mercury vapor into the air. This mercury vapor is not only directly inhaled by miners and others nearby, but it can also travel for miles before being deposited on plants, soil, and water. Converted into methylmercury by bacteria, it then enters the food chain, especially through aquatic environments. This methylmercury bioaccumulates as it moves higher up the food chain, making predatory fish especially toxic if eaten by humans.
read more... https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/geh_newsletter/2018/6/spotlight/new_insights_on_mercury_exposure_from_artisanal_gold_mining.cfm
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