New study shows gold mining in the Amazon is leeching nitrogen out of the soil, raising mercury concentrations and stopping new trees from growing for years

The Guiana Shield spans Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Venezuela, parts, of Colombia, and parts of Brazil.

Deforestation related to mining in the Guiana Shield is responsible for the loss of more than two million tons of carbon stored in trees each year. 

In ground samples around former mining sites, the team found mercury concentrations that were up to 250 times higher than normal.

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