Illegal Gold Mining Is Costing Countries Millions

Illegal miners have destroyed more than 120,000 acres of some of the most pristine sections of the Amazon over the last few years alone. The poisonous liquid mercury they use to separate the gold has polluted the water – to the tune of 30 to 40 tons of contamination per year, according to government projections. Nine out of the 15 most-consumed fish species for sale in the region’s markets contain mercury levels exceeding the U.S. EPA’s safety limits. In Madre de Dios, 78% of residents have “dangerously high levels of mercury in their bodies, with women of childbearing age the most affected,” according to the Amazon Conservation Association.
http://etfdailynews.com/2014/09/09/illegal-gold-mining-is-costing-countries-millions/