Guatemalans risk lives to “mine” metals from garbage dump
It seems that Guatemala's poor will go to extreme lengths for the chance to find valuable precious metals.
The Associated Press reports that hundreds of people regularly search for jewelry and scraps of metal among the trash that spills from a drainage tunnel into Guatemala City's main landfill:
Every day, about 300 hike to the bottom of the ravine and wade into the water in search of rings and bracelets made of silver or gold. The water sifts and carries away the lighter garbage, leaving heavy metals on the stream bed.