The move is the government latest desperate attempt to put an end to an activity that is carving a toxic path through Colombia’s rainforest, local RCN Radio reported (in Spanish).
The South American nation has one of the highest rates of mercury contamination in the region. It is followed closely by Peru, where the government has been fighting for years against the effects of illegal mining.
Illegal miners use mercury to separate the gold from rock and then dump the chemical into water streams. They often handle the neurotoxin with their bare hands and inhale its fumes when it is burned off.
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