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How tarnished is your gold ring?
Gold mining is poisoning Yanomami children in Brazil
Despite being illegal, mining in the indigenous territory has grown by 54% in 2022. Artisanal miners use mercury to separate gold from ore, a millenia old technology. Then, mercury is improperly disposed of in the environment. Not only does mercury contaminate the illegal miners, but also the Amazonian rivers and their fish, the main protein source of the Yanomani communities. In high doses, mercury can damage the nervous system, kidneys, liver and immune system. Young children are the main victims of such indiscriminate activity. That is one of the reasosn why the Brazilian government has declared Public Health Energency of National Concern in the Yanomami territorry in the beggining of 2023.