Xiang Lisheng (alias), 48-year-old, from Laowangzhai village, suffering advanced liver cancer. Laowangzhai village is located in an area with lead and zinc mines, causing dangerously high levels of soil and water pollution. The population has experienced severe health impacts as a result of heavy metal exposure, like Xiang Lisheng with his liver.
Xiang Lisheng said “In the past few years, the medical treatments have cost more than 200,000 yuan, I had to borrow 50,000 yuan from relatives. Now, I am waiting for death because of lack of money. The village is polluted by the mines, the drinking water comes from abandoned mine tunnels and turns white when it rains, it’s not suitable for drinking. The polluted water flows in the river, and then used to irrigate the farmland, so the produce, like rice, is also contaminated. But people have no choice”. 

老王寨山上的铅锌矿于1986年伊始遭到开采，发展至2000年之后的大规模矿山开采，如今，整顿后的矿山仍有太丰、三立、残联、同力、合丰、天源、海润矿业在开采。

老王寨村的饮用水引自废弃矿洞，下雨时呈乳白色，村民因此害怕饮用。

图为老王寨村村民向立升（化名），2017年6月，患病的他还能坐着聊天。

向立升今年48岁，肝癌晚期。“这几年治疗费花了20多万元，向亲戚借了5万元，现在没钱治疗了在等死”，他半开玩笑地说。他接着谈及矿山对村里环境的严重污染：引自废矿洞的饮用水在下雨时呈乳白色，不能喝；流在河里的乳白色污染水被用于农田灌溉，因此大米等粮食也受到污染，但他们没有别的选择。

肝脏是重金属损害的器官之一。