The Human Cost of Gold

Gold is a precious metal highly sought after for jewelry, money and glamorous spa treatments. Women in some cultures adorn themselves with it for weddings while workers move tons of rock to find it in Africa and Indonesia. It is guarded in secrecy in the New York Federal Reserve and yet, artistanal workers shape it into decorative forms in sweatshops in India. Extraction of gold leads to environmental and health hazards with exposure to mercury.

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Created 1 May 2009 | Last updated 7 Jan 2010

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