Alex Masi

Boys are taking a break from washing ore dust, separating gold sediments from other metals, to later collect it by mixing it with mercury, in an artisanal processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The mercury recovered is then burned, revealing unpolished pieces of solid gold. It will be purified in Gusau, where goldsmiths will add sulphuric acid to refine the gold and remove all the impurities. The contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.