Trees capture toxic fingerprint of gold mining in the Amazon

Monitoring Mercury Pollution from Gold Mining in the Amazon Rainforest

Accumulation of mercury pollution in trees may provide a novel approach for tracking detrimental gold mining operations within the Amazon rainforest. This environmental monitoring technique could offer a way to observe and assess the scale of illegal and destructive mining activities.

Using Trees to Detect Mining Activity

Jacqueline Gerson, a researcher at Cornell University, notes the potential of this method to identify increases in mining activity. The presence of mercury in trees could serve as an indicator of expanding or intensifying gold extraction operations in the Amazon.

The Problem of Mercury Release

Small-scale gold mining commonly employs liquid mercury to separate gold from ore. This method typically involves burning the mercury-gold amalgam, a process that unfortunately discharges substantial quantities of mercury vapor into the atmosphere. Mercury is a powerful neurotoxin and these mining operations, a significant portion of which are illicit, constitute a major source of mercury pollution in the Amazon region.