In Kenya's southwestern Migori county, near the border with Tanzania, artisanal gold mining operations reveal a devastating pattern of mercury poisoning among female miners at the Osiri-Matanda gold mine. Despite Kenya's 2016 mining act outlawing mercury use, over 250,000 small-scale gold miners – predominantly in western Kenya around Lake Victoria – continue to employ this toxic method due to its low cost and simplicity. A study by IPEN, a Stockholm-based network of environmental health organisations, found that more than 40% of women miners tested had mercury levels exceeding 1 part per million, surpassing the US Environmental Protection Agency's safe exposure threshold. The health consequences are severe: miners report weight loss, body weakness, speech impediments, difficulty walking and trembling hands. Mine owners often acknowledge the dangers but cite lack of viable alternatives, the only other available method uses sodium cyanide, which can be instantly fatal.