The Tapajos River in the state of Para, northern Brazil. Mercury pollution from gold mining is a concern, 2019 (provided by Paulo Busta/co-published)
A research institute found that more than 20 percent of the food fish caught in the Amazon region of northern Brazil contained mercury in concentrations exceeding safety standards. The main cause is the release of mercury used in illegal gold mining. In some areas, serious health damage has been confirmed, such as an increase in the number of newborns with disabilities, and experts are concerned that “Minamata disease is strongly suspected.”
October marks the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which aims to prevent environmental pollution and health hazards caused by mercury and mercury compounds. Brazil is also a party to the treaty, but its implementation has stalled since former President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019, when he was keen to develop the economy of the Amazon, home to the world’s largest rainforest.
A Brazilian research institute conducted a survey from March 2021 to September 2010, targeting fish distributed in markets in 17 municipalities in six states in the north, and the results were announced in May this year. Mercury was detected in 40% of fish in Roraima and 35.9% in Acre, exceeding the permissible intake limit set by the WHO, and 21.3% overall. (jointly with Sao Paulo)
2023-08-12 00:22:22
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