Illegal gold mining spreads to protected Peruvian reserve

It’s not just birds that are threatened by the mining influx. Gold mining contributes to habitat loss and damages biodiversity on a much more intense level. Water quality studies indicate these mining operations are also causing extremely dangerous mercury pollution. For instance, mercury is often used in these small-scale gold mining operations because it forms an amalgam with the gold ore and makes it easier to extract from the surrounding sediment. But after it’s served its purpose, mercury frequently escapes into the air and water. Despite its usefulness in extracting gold, mercury is a heavy metal and a deadly neurotoxin, and is extremely dangerous to both people and the environment. Even in low concentrations, mercury has been known to cause birth defects, and heavier doses have been linked to neurological disorders like Minamata disease and even death.
http://suriname.conservation.org/nieuws/4080-illegal-gold-mining-spreads-to-protected-peruvian-reserve.html