Illegal gold mining in Peru has destroyed over 875,000 rai of the Amazon rainforest, releasing toxic mercury into rivers and threatening local communities.

 Since 1984, around 1,400 sq km of Peruvian rainforest has been cleared for mining. The activity is rapidly spreading nationwide, contaminating waterways as sluice boxes used in gold extraction release toxic mercury into the environment.

read more... https://www.nationthailand.com/news/world/40056961