Let's talk about mercury contamination in the Amazon (again): The case of the floating gold miners? village on the Madeira River

Abstract

An extensive fleet of rafts and dredges to extract sediments from the Madeira River looking for gold has reignited the debate about mining in the Amazon and the inevitable Hg contamination. The mining legislation in Brazil presupposes that miners are poor men with rudimentary implements, which does not jibe with what is happening today in the Amazon. The construction of the existing dredges is very expensive, and they are allegedly supported by big businessmen and politicians. Estimates indicate that 150 to 195 tons of Hg has been discharged in the Amazon region in the past two years. The fish-rich diet of people living in the Amazon makes them among the most exposed in the world to Hg. This is proven by the high concentrations found in the hair of riverside inhabitants, exceeding the safety limits defined by the World Health Organization. Incentives for agriculture and fishing could encourage gold miners to cease this activity, but this would mean a big paradigm shift for the current federal government’s agenda. Mining impacts are not limited to the Madeira River; they have systematically advanced into indigenous reserves, as well as into national forests and other legally protected areas.