Conakry, Guinea. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

DDT Agrotoxin barrels. Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Unloading DDT. Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

The dangers of small scale gold mining are often unrecognized, puttig the lives of miners and their families at risk. Thailand. Photo by Tom Murphy and Blacksmith Institute.

Mercury amalgam plays a large and dangerous role in small scale gold mining. Senegal. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Mercury in an artisanal gold miner's palm. Senegal. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

A bucket of water drawn from a contaminated ground source.  India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Polluted ground water especially affects poor communities without the resources to use other sources.  Bicchadi, India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Man holds a cup of water drawn from a polluted groundwater source. India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Surface water pollution in Dar es Saalam, Tanzania. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Untreated sewage. Shillong Dump, India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Sewage and surface water pollution. Guinea. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Discolored water as a result of tannery pollution. India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

After effects of chromium, a carcinogenic commonly used in the tanning industry. Noraiakheda, Kanpur India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Children of dump scavengers. Maputo, Mozambique. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Africa. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Calculating the level of radiation. Muslyumova, Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Radioactive Slag. Russia.  Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Assessing radiation in Magadan, Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Geiger counter. Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Metal processing. Bhiwadi, India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Lax regulation has contributed to the severe pollution of adjescent communites.  La Oroya, Peru. Photo by Blackmith Insitute.

Zambia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Scavenging the mines. Kabwe, Zambia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Mining iron ore. China. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Huaning, China. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

The after effects of industrial activity. China. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

These children are developmentally impaired as a result of lead poisoning.  Haina, Dominican Republic. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

A worker sorts through used lead acid batteries.  Kenya. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Empty car battery casings. India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Indoor Air Pollution is a widespread problem in poor communities like this one worldwide. Kolkata, India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Preparing meals in poorly ventilated spaces.  Latin America. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Howrah Calcutta, India.  Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Skyline demonstrating the extent of urban air pollution. Magnitogorosk, Russia. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh India. Photo by Blacksmith Institute.