Mercury poisoning from illegal mining a problem in over half the states in Colombia: Govt watchdog agency

Colombia’s Comptroller General’s Office issued a warning to the national government Monday over the unchecked use of mercury in over half of the country’s 32 states.
In total, the administrative oversight body found evidence of mercury contamination in 17 states and 80 municipalities, reportedly the result of illegal mining activity.
Mercury, explains the report, is used to filter gold from other minerals extracted during the mining process and later dumped into nearby water systems, reaching civilian populations once it feeds into the the river systems. Cyanide is another toxin used during the extraction process.
The problem has been detected throughout the north, west, and cetral regions of the country in the states of Amazonas, Antioquia, Bolivar, Caldas, Caqueta, Cauca, Choco, Cordoba, Guainía, Huila, Nariño, Putumayo, Risaralda, Santander, Sucre, Tolima and Valle del Cauca.
http://colombiareports.co/almost-100-colombia-regions-uncontrolled-use-mercury/