Indonesia
Deadly heavy metals are found in Bald Mountain in Indonesia. These metals came from vast quantities of mercury used to separate gold from the land. Unfortunately, so much mercury was used turned the island into a toxic wasteland. This threatened marine life, public health, agriculture, and the people in the area.
What initially seemed like a great income source for locals quickly became a source of toxins. Another negative impact included destroying a sacred mountain with irreversible damage. Indonesia is today the world’s twentieth most polluted country. Air pollution shortens the average Indonesian’s life expectancy by 2 years, relative to what it would be if the World Health Organization (WHO) guideline was permanently met. (Asia Times).