Illegal gold mining is fueling a ‘mercury boom’ in Mexico, poisoning people and the environment

 Soaring international gold prices are driving up the price of mercury, a toxic metal key in illegal gold mining, to all-time highs. While the demand triggers a mining rush in central Mexico, sustaining thousands of miners and their families, it also exposes them and the fragile environment to mercury poisoning. 

read more... https://wtop.com/world/2025/09/illegal-gold-mining-is-fueling-a-mercury-boom-in-mexico-poisoning-people-and-the-environment/