Artisanal Gold Mining A Dangerous Pollution Problem by Blacksmith Institute Mercury attacks the central nervous system, affects brain functioning and, in extreme cases, exposure will lead to death. Despite being commonly overlooked, industrial pollution still poses a significant threat to human health, particularly in the case of artisanal gold mining. Global Toxic Pollution – Under [ ].Oct 30, 2015 The Gravity-Borax Method GBM is still unknown to most Artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGMs) worldwide as most still use mercury to extract gold. “Whole-ore amalgamation” is a technique that requires the use of 10–25 g of mercury to produce 1 g of gold.Within the last eight years, it has become evident that this technique is widely used than earlier anticipated, and artisanal.