INFOGRAPHIC: The true costs of artisanal mining

Rising mineral prices and the increasing difficulties to earn a living from agriculture, have led to an explosive growth in global artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in the last few years.

The activity is emerging as an significant socio-economic sector in a number of developing nations, to the point it has become a major of revenue for millions of people in about 80 countries worldwide - mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Oceania, Central and South America - with more than 100 million people currently depending on ASM for their livelihoods.

But what are the exact costs of this activity? The folks at Moneypod have put together this infographic that reveals just that.