Uganda’s mining sector is dominated by artisan and small scale miners whose activities are largely unmonitored and unregulated. In gold mines, mercury is used to recover pieces of gold mixed in soil and sediments. Mercury and gold are combined together to form a gold-mercury amalgam. Gold is then extracted by vaporizing the mercury. The remnants of this amalgam then percolate into the soil or flow to the nearby environment, eventually finding their way into water streams. This poses a great danger to local communities and the environment in gold mining areas.
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