Wealth or Health: The Problems of Mercury Amalgamation in Gold Mining in Peru

Mercury use associated with mining is currently not regulated by the government or environmental agencies. Because of the lack in regulation, miners do not dispose of their mercury reserves properly. Much of what is used in amalgamation ends up washing away into the Amazon River, harming the aquatic environment. The mercury within the water and the tissues of fish then travels downstream, affecting populations that are not involved directly in the mining process. These populations, unaware of mercury’s effects and presence within their environment, face the harmful effects of mercury poisoning.
http://globalconnections.champlain.edu/2015/04/20/wealth-or-health-the-problems-of-mercury-amalgamation-in-gold-mining-in-peru/