Child slavery in the artisanal mining and quarrying sector 2011, para. 60
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Lead, the mineral, is also used in the extraction of gold and impacts on the neurological development of children. In 2010, the World Health Organization found lead poisoning in Nigerian children (some younger than 5 years) as a result of working directly in the extraction of gold and environmental lead contamination. Local villagers had noticed a high number of deaths and convulsions in young children, which is believed to be associated with the use of lead in gold-mining.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences