Between 2019 and 2020, some 100 tons of mercury was estimated to have been dumped into the Amazon Basin by illegal miners. The substance, which contaminates the water and the fish consumed by Amazonian people, affects the central nervous system, but can also reach the kidneys and liver. According to the Mercury Observatory, a pollution monitoring group, it can also pass through the placental barrier, contaminating the unborn. The symptoms of mercury poisoning range from impaired vision and muscular atrophy to psychological disorders and, in extreme instances, it can lead to life-threatening conditions such as cancers and heart conditions.
read more... https://news.mongabay.com/2022/01/amazon-to-alps-swiss-gold-imports-from-brazil-tread-a-legal-minefield/
No comments:
Post a Comment