U.N. specialists said Tuesday that Colombia’s new gold rush hides a serious hazard to the population: miners are using mercury to extract the precious metal at the northwest Antioquia state, contaminating rivers and soils. The Environment ministry currently allows the use of the liquid metal but is considering banning it.
Colombia is one of the world's top mercury polluters, as 50 to 100 tonnes of mercury are lost annually in the process of separating gold from the ore. Some areas in the country such as the towns of Remedios, Segovia and Zaragosa can be 1,000 times higher than the levels accepted by the World Health Organization, according to a source at the U.N.
Colombia is one of the world's top mercury polluters, as 50 to 100 tonnes of mercury are lost annually in the process of separating gold from the ore. Some areas in the country such as the towns of Remedios, Segovia and Zaragosa can be 1,000 times higher than the levels accepted by the World Health Organization, according to a source at the U.N.
No comments:
Post a Comment