‘Mercury boom’ from illegal gold mining in Mexico is poisoning people and the environment


By AGENCY
A miner pulls sacks of mercury ore in San Joaquin, Mexico. — Photos: FERNANDO LLANO/AFP

A drill echoes through narrow tunnels deep within the mountain where miner Hugo Flores bores into rock in search of one of Earth’s most toxic elements.

Buried in red stripes of minerals illuminated by his headlamp is mercury.

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pollution , mercury

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