Stopping mercury and cyanide use is vital, but so is preserving the country’s soil, rivers and trees.

 However gold panning in Kédougou has contributed to deforestation, soil degradation and water, air and ground pollution from the chemicals used for gold processing. Artisanal and small-scale mining is one of the sectors with the highest mercury emissions in Senegal. Around 5.2 tonnes of mercury are used yearly – 3.9 tonnes in the Kédougou and 1.3 tonnes in the Tambacounda region.

read more... https://issafrica.org/iss-today/going-for-gold-leaves-senegals-artisanal-mining-communities-poorer