By Helen Regan, CNN
Global demand for rare earth minerals is driving the toxic pollution of some of Asia's most important rivers, threatening the health and livelihoods of tens of millions of people.
Rare earths are at the centre of furious geopolitical competition, especially between the United States and China, the latter of which has built up near-total control of the minerals as part of its wider industrial policy.
A global scramble to secure new sources is now on but many regions rich in deposits are already glaring examples of the cost of unchecked mining.
The mighty Mekong River is the heart and lifeline of Southeast Asia: A thriving ecosystem that meanders through six countries and supports about 70 million people who rely on the waterway for food, water, agriculture and trade.
The river is also vital for global food production through exports of rice, freshwater fish and shrimp to countries around the world, including the United States.
"There's not a major US supermarket that doesn't have a product from the Mekong Delta," said Brian Eyler, director of the Stimson Center's Southeast Asia and Energy, Water, and Sustainability programs.
But millions of people living along the Mekong and its tributaries - who drink, bathe and fish in the waters every day - could be being expo
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