Treaty Does Not Stop Illicit Mercury Trade In South America

Evidence points to an emerging black market for mercury in South America, where most of Mexico’s mercury ends up. Artisanal miners in Peru, Colombia and Bolivia buy mercury and use it to extract gold under similarly hazardous conditions. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining, done by individuals or small groups with limited capital, is the largest human source of mercury pollution, accounting for over one-third of global emissions. It is also a large driver of global mercury demand. The changing landscape of mercury production and trade in Latin America, and the associated hazards, may be an unintended consequence of the global effort to regulate the toxic metal.
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