Mercury-Based Gold Mining Haunts Peruvian Rain Forests

Eos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alka Tripathy-Lang
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Rain Forests

In Peru, gold mining harms rain forests and human health. Satellite data can now track forest recovery in protected areas and the migration of informal miners to less regulated areas.

Mercury contamination in fish from gold mining areas in Indonesia and human health risk assessment

2006 ◽  
Vol 368 (1) ◽  
pp. 320-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuleica C. Castilhos ◽  
Saulo Rodrigues-Filho ◽  
Ana Paula C. Rodrigues ◽  
Roberto C. Villas-Bôas ◽  
Shefa Siegel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Human Health Risk ◽  
Human Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Mercury Contamination ◽  
Mining Areas

scholarly journals Economic Impacts on Human Health Resulting from the Use of Mercury in the Illegal Gold Mining in the Brazilian Amazon: A Methodological Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11869
Author(s):  
Leonardo Barcellos de Bakker ◽  
Pedro Gasparinetti ◽  
Júlia Mello de Queiroz ◽  
Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Statistical Life ◽  
Life Years ◽  
Methodological Assessment

Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Amazon results in the dumping of tons of mercury into the environment annually. Despite consensus on the impacts of mercury on human health, there are still unknowns regarding: (i) the extent to which mercury from ASGM can be dispersed in the environment until it becomes toxic to humans; and (ii) the economic value of losses caused by contamination becomes evident. The main objective of this study is to propose a methodology to evaluate the impacts of ASGM on human health in different contexts in the Brazilian Amazon. We connect several points in the literature based on hypotheses regarding mercury dispersion in water, its transformation into methylmercury, and absorption by fish and humans. This methodology can be used as a tool to estimate the extent of environmental damage caused by artisanal gold mining, the severity of damage to the health of individuals contaminated by mercury and, consequently, can contribute to the application of fines to environmental violators. The consequences of contamination are evaluated by dose-response functions relating to mercury concentrations in hair and the development of the following health outcomes: (i) mild mental retardation, (ii) acute myocardial infarction, and (iii) hypertension. From disability-adjusted life years and statistical life value, we found that the economic losses range from 100,000 to 400,000 USD per kilogram of gold extracted. A case study of the Yanomami indigenous land shows that the impacts of mercury from illegal gold mining in 2020 totaled 69 million USD, which could be used by local authorities to compensate the Yanomami people.

scholarly journals Natural Regeneration After Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon: Implications for Restoration of Tropical Forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Chambi-Legoas ◽  
Daigard Ricardo Ortega Rodriguez ◽  
Francisco de Marques de Figueiredo ◽  
Joel Peña Valdeiglesias ◽  
Percy Amílcar Zevallos Pollito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Forest Recovery ◽  
Regeneration Process ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Secondary Species ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Madre De Dios

Context: Gold mining is the most destructive activity in the natural forests of the Madre de Dios region in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. Understanding the natural regeneration process of these degraded areas is necessary to develop forest restoration projects in such conditions.Aims: We aimed to evaluate forest recovery and identify the successional and structure patterns of vegetation governing natural regeneration over time.Methods: Structure, composition, richness, diversity, and successional status were evaluated in abandoned artisanal gold mine areas in Madre de Dios, southeastern Peru. Vegetation data were recorded in 61 plots of 250 m2 established in five sites varying from 1 to 19 years of abandonment. Vegetation in abandoned areas was compared with six undisturbed forests evaluated in previous inventories.Results: In the mining lands, tree density and basal area recovered quickly, while species richness and composition were slow. Forest recovery is an initial stage of transition from pioneer to early secondary species until at least 19 years after abandonment. The most abundant and frequent species were the fast-growing species Ochroma pyramidale and Cecropia engleriana. These species could be considered potential candidates to promote restoration plans. Pioneer species represented 63% of the number of species in plots of 1–4 years, 57% in plots of 5–7 years, and 50% in plots of 8–19 years. Early and late secondary species represented 34 and 16%, respectively, of the number of species in plots of 8–19 years. Abandoned mining and reference plots present less than 5% of species in common.Conclusion: Our results highlight a slow natural regeneration process in areas for up to 19 years after gold mining. Species from different successional statuses were identified as potential candidates for recovering vegetation in such areas. Our findings may have important implications for further research focusing on the ecological restoration in tropical forests severely degraded by gold mining.

Satellite remote sensing, environmental quality, and human health and wellbeing

2019 ◽  
pp. 120-132
Author(s):  
Nathalie Pettorelli
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Satellite Remote Sensing ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Volcanic Eruptions ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Algae Blooms ◽  
Welfare And Poverty

This chapter reviews how satellite data can provide key information relevant to efforts to improve human health and wellbeing. It first discusses how satellite remote sensing can be used to track, predict, and manage vectorborne disease such as malaria, dengue fever, and trypanosomiasis. The second section of this chapter focuses on the use of satellite data to monitor air quality, looking at how satellites can help (1) track air pollution associated with the release of harmful substances into the atmosphere through human activities, such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); (2) detect and forecast outbreaks of airborne substances that trigger an allergic reaction, such as pollen grains; (3) assess emissions from volcanic eruptions; and (4) monitor dust storms in space and time. The third part of this chapter explores how satellite data can be used to report on water quality, detailing how these data can be used to predict and manage harmful algae blooms and to study eutrophication. The fourth section addresses satellite remote sensing in the context of human wellbeing, highlighting how satellite data can be used to estimate economic welfare and poverty, and how this information can be used to test various hypotheses pertaining to the role of greenness in determining various aspects of our physical and mental health.

Human health risk assessment of mercury vapor around artisanal small-scale gold mining area, Palu city, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

2016 ◽  
Vol 124 ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koyomi Nakazawa ◽  
Osamu Nagafuchi ◽  
Tomonori Kawakami ◽  
Takanobu Inoue ◽  
Kuriko Yokota ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health Risk ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Health Risk Assessment ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Human Health Risk ◽  
Mercury Vapor ◽  
Mining Area ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Central Sulawesi

20 years of forest change in Natura 2000 protected areas network

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinela-Adriana Chețan ◽  
Andrei Dornik
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Satellite Data ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Natura 2000 ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Forest Change ◽  
Forest Protection ◽  
Forest Area Change

<p>Natura 2000 network, the world's largest network of protected areas, is considered a success for habitat and biodiversity protection, in the last decades. Our objective is to develop an algorithm for satellite data temporal analysis of protected areas, and to apply subsequently this algorithm for analysis of all Natura 2000 sites in Europe. We have developed an algorithm for satellite data temporal analysis of protected areas using JavaScript in Google Earth Engine, which is a web interface for the massive analysis of geospatial data, providing access to huge amount of data and facilitating development of complex workflows. This work focused on analysis of Global Forest Change dataset representing forest change, at 30 meters resolution, globally, between 2000 and 2018. Our results show that at least regarding forest protection, the network is not very successful, the 25350 sites losing 35246.8 km<sup>2</sup> of forest cover between 2000 and 2018, gaining only 9862.1 km<sup>2</sup>. All 28 countries recorded a negative forest net change, with a mean value of -906.6 km<sup>2</sup>, the largest forest area change recording Spain (-5106.4 km<sup>2</sup> in 1631 sites), Poland (-4529 km<sup>2</sup> in 962 sites), Portugal (-2781.9 km<sup>2</sup> in 120 sites), Romania (-1601.4 km<sup>2</sup> in 569 sites), Germany (-1365.7 km<sup>2</sup> in 5049 sites) and France (-1270.9 km<sup>2</sup> in 1520 sites). Among countries with the lowest values in net forest change is Ireland (-17.4 km<sup>2</sup> in 447 sites), Estonia (-104.1 km<sup>2</sup> in 518 sites), Netherlands (-132.3 km<sup>2</sup> in 152 sites), Finland (-268.6 km<sup>2</sup> in 1722 sites) and Sweden (-341.6 km<sup>2</sup> in 3786 sites).</p>

Conserving Africa’s rain forests: problems in protected areas and possible solutions

2005 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas T. Struhsaker ◽  
Paul J. Struhsaker ◽  
Kirstin S. Siex
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Rain Forests
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