Despite knowing
full well the dangers of mercury, millions of small-scale gold miners across
the globe continue to use the metal to separate gold from ore - usually because
they have little other choice.
The mercury is mixed into ore and combines with the gold in a compound that
can easily be scooped out and squeezed into a small bar of amalgam. This is
then burned so that the mercury evaporates, leaving behind the gold. The
dangerously toxic mercury vapour is often inhaled by the miners and their
families, since these activities are usually conducted in their homes, or by
the owners of gold shops who will process the amalgam for the miners before
buying.