Mercury Rising: Gold mining takes a toxic toll on Kenyan women

For many residents of Nyatike, within Migori county, life has always been the irony of living in extreme poverty despite sitting on one of the country's largest gold deposits PHOTO:STANDARD

NAIROBI, KENYA: Scorching sun beats down on half a dozen women as they carry large sacks of crushed ore on their backs at the Osiri-Matanda gold mine near Kenya’s border with Tanzania.

On wooden tables, they sieve the powdered ore into metal pans, add mercury, and heat the mixture over a charcoal fire. The air fills with fumes as the liquid metal evaporates - leaving behind a lump of gold.