Miners use liquid mercury to separate gold from river sediments, a process during which a very toxic compound, mercury-cyanide, is formed and then dumped into local creeks. According to the Environmental Police, every gram of extracted gold requires two grams of mercury, about 80% of which is discarded with other excess waste.
Mercury is a heavy metal that is harmful when inhaled, ingested or touched. Mercury poisoning is transmittable from mother to fetus and can damage the brain and central nervous system.
“In this region you are already seeing deformed newborns, which is directly linked with the presence of mercury in wetlands that are important to our biodiversity,” said Colombian president Juan Manual Santos.
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