Peru’s No. 1 illegal export isn’t what you think it is

Illegal mining has had a devastating impact on Peru’s Amazon, destroying nearly 370,000 acres of land and leaving large swaths deforested.
The use of mercury in illegal gold mines has left an even bigger footprint.  Environmental groups say mercury has seeped into the region’s ecosystem and worked its way up the food chain. People living in the Madre de Dios region have reported high levels of mercury poisoning.
“What we have found through testing the hair of more than 1,000 people in Madre de Dios is that 76 percent of the population of Madre de Dios has mercury levels above the World Health Organization maximum limits,” said Luis Fernandez, director of the Carnegie Amazon Mercury Project. Fernandez said mercury affects the nervous system and remains in the environment for a very long time.
http://fusion.net/video/31934/perus-number-1-illegal-export-is-not-what-you-think-it-is/