video-format-risky-business

Millions of sandstone quarry workers in India breathe toxic dust that causes a terminal lung disease called silicosis.

Known for its colorful pink hues and rich salt deposits, Lake Retba, or Lac Rose, is a driving force of Senegal's economy. But extracting salt from a hypersaline lake comes with its fair share of risks for local miners.

The US keeps sending millions of pounds of plastic to Indonesia, even after the country banned plastic waste imports. Villagers burn it to cook tofu, contaminating a beloved staple with deadly toxins.

Shellfish collectors in Peru make a living harvesting a special mollusk called the barquillo, a primary ingredient in a world-famous ceviche dish. But hunting the elusive seafood comes at a deadly cost.

Truck drivers in India provide an essential service to villagers in the Himalayas when they transport food, water, and medicine to remote regions. But the crucial work comes at a deadly cost.

Oil wells from the Dutch colonial era lie scattered across Indonesia, polluting the earth and destroying locals' chances at making a living off anything but oil. We visited the workers who risk their lives daily to survive off the little oil that's left.

Myanmar's Kachin State is believed to hold up to 90% of the world's most valuable jade. Demand for it is growing in China, where the stone is considered sacred.

Underwater welders have one of the world's riskiest jobs. We followed welders in Indonesia who dive with minimal protection in polluted waters to build piers for petrochemical plants that are booming across the country.

Sand is the most mined resource in the world. But extracting it from lakes and rivers comes at a deadly cost — and could have dire consequences for the environment.

In northwestern Syria, families make a living scouring through dangerous dumps for treasures they can sell. The job could make them sick — or even kill them — but in a country that's suffering a major economic crisis, it's often the only choice they have.