Illegal miners, believed to number more than 1,000 in the RENCA reserve near the Brazil and French Guiana border alone, dump “tons” of mercury directly into rivers to separate the gold from residue.
A state-sponsored study released in March found that people living near illegal mining sites had “more than double the level of mercury considered to be a serious health risk.” Such levels can cause damage to the “central nervous system, kidneys, heart and reproductive organs.”
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