Informal—mostly illegal—artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the primary contributor to global atmospheric mercury (Hg) pollution (1) and an important driver of deforestation (2–4), sediment loading (5, 6), and biodiversity loss (7–9) across the Global South. Simultaneously, ASGM provides livelihoods for tens of millions of people (10) across over 70 countries worldwide (11). Within the Madre de Dios region of the Peruvian Amazon—a global biodiversity hot spot and home to numerous indigenous communities—ASGM has been responsible for the deforestation of nearly 14% (~95,000 ha) of the landscape between 1984 and 2017 (4) and is estimated to release approximately 180 metric tons of Hg annually, according to a recent report by the Artisanal Gold Council (12).
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