Recent reports indicate that there are some people engaged in small-scale gold mining is some areas of Negros Oriental.
The whisper and romance of gold stimulates the inner human motivation to obtain gold, at whatever means.
Small independent gold-mining operation workers are at higher risk of mercury poisoning because of crude processing methods.
Whether or not the news reports are true, it is important to inform the public about the dangers of the use of mercury. This is why there is a need to publicize all the information about mercury from internet research and related sources.
Maybe with a better understanding of the dangers of mercury, our government officials will do their duty to protect the life of their constituents. Remember: “What will you gain if you obtain all the gold but lose your soul?”
Mercury (chemical symbol Hg) is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses. It may exist as vapor, liquid or inorganic salts, with varying toxic effects. Effects include damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs. Mercury poisoning can result in several diseases, including acrodynia (pink disease), Hunter-Russell syndrome, and Minamata disease. Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination. The type and degree of symptoms exhibited depend upon the individual toxin, the dose, and the method and duration of exposure. Symptoms typically include sensory impairment (vision, hearing, speech), disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination. The type and degree of symptoms exhibited depend upon the individual toxin, the dose, and the method.
A person suffering from mercury poisoning may experience profuse sweating, tachycardia (persistently faster-than-normal heart beat), increased salivation, and hypertension (high blood pressure) .Affected children may show red cheeks, nose and lips, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, transient rashes, hypotonia (muscle weakness), and increased sensitivity to light. Other symptoms may include kidneydysfunction,neuropsychiatric symptoms such as emotional lability, memory impairment, and/ or insomnia. Mercury in its various forms is particularly harmful to fetuses as an environmental toxin in pregnancy, as well as to infants. Women who have been exposed to mercury in substantial excess of dietary selenium intakes during pregnancy are at risk of giving birth to children with serious birth defects.
The consumption of fish is by far the most significant source of ingestion-related mercury exposure in humans and animals, although plants and livestock also contain mercury due to bioconcentration of mercury from seawater, freshwater, marine and lacustrine sediments, soils, and atmosphere, and due to biomagnification by ingesting other mercury-containing organisms. Exposure to mercury can occur from breathing contaminated air, from eating foods that have acquired mercury residues during processing, from exposure to mercury vapor in mercury amalgam dental restorations, and from improper use or disposal of mercury and mercury-containing objects, for example, after spills of elemental mercury or improper disposal of fluorescent lamps.
Stop illegal gold mining now!
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
