Hunger for gold means the Amazon has reached 'tipping point' of mercury contamination from illegal mining
The rising value of gold worldwide has amplified illegal mining in the Amazon, where liquid mercury is being dumped in the Amazon River and causing scientists to warn that Indigenous communities and the environment could pay a far greater price.
![Hunger for gold means the Amazon has reached 'tipping point' of mercury contamination from illegal mining](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7069550.1703626962!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/tuichi-river-bolivia-2023.jpg)
![A boat navigates the Tuichi River, which is part of the Amazon river basin, near San José de Uchupiamonas in northwestern Bolivia in May. Locals says there has been an increase in illegal gold mining in the area since the COVID-19 pandemic, which they say has led to fewer fish and murkier water in the river. A man sits in a boat.](https://i.cbc.ca/1.7069550.1703626962!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_620/tuichi-river-bolivia-2023.jpg)
The rising value of gold worldwide has amplified illegal mining in the Amazon, where liquid mercury is being dumped in the Amazon River and causing scientists to warn that Indigenous communities and the environment could pay a far greater price.