New statistics reveal alarming rates of mercury poisoning amongst the Yanomami and Yekuana tribes in the Amazon rainforest.
A study of hair samples from Indians of 19 communities was conducted by Brazilian health foundation Fiocruz,together with the Hutukara Yanomami Association, Brazilian NGO ISA (Socio-Environmental Institute), andAPYB, the Yekuana Association. It found that over 90% of Indians in one region are severely affected.
Illegal gold miners operating on Yanomami land are polluting the Indians’ rivers with mercury, used in the gold-extraction process. The metal then enters the food chain via the river water which the Yanomami drink, and the fish on which they rely as a key part of their diet.
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