Artisanal miners exposed to many dangers Mining Zimbabwe
GEF says the artisanal and smallscale gold mining (ASGM) sector is the single largest source of manmade mercury emissions, responsible for the release of as much as 1,000 tonnes of mercury to the atmosphere annually. Globally, as many as 15 million people work in the ASGM sector globally – including 4,5 million women and over 600,000 children.