The Young and the Restless

Gold occurs as dust in the sediments of rivers and their floodplains, and is extracted with the aid of mercury after tree and vegetation cover has been removed. Driven by high gold prices and new road access, the extent of gold mining in Madre de Dios increased from less than 10,000 hectares in 1999 to more than 50,000 hectares in 2012. Madre de Dios generates 70 percent of Peru’s artisanal gold production and Peru’s mercury imports have increased exponentially, resulting in the release of an estimated 30-40 tons of mercury into Madre de Dios watersheds each year. A 1997 study in Manu found that mercury levels in 68 percent of fish exceeded the tolerable level for the European otter (Lutra lutra), and a more recent study found high levels of mercury in 40 percent of Madre de Dios human residents
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/young_and_restless_otters/