Informal and illegal mining and mercury pollution in Madre de Dios: A public health problema

  • Fernando Osores Plenge Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo Ecosaludable de la Amazonía
  • Jesús Eduardo Rojas Jaimes Coordinador del Programa de Salud Ambiental y Estrategias contra las Enfermedades Metaxénicas y Zoonóticas de la Red de Salud
  • Carlos Hermógenes Manrique Lara Estrada Hospital Nacional Santa Rosa
Keywords: Madre de Dios, environmental pollution, occupational health, informal mining, illegal mining, mercury, Amazon

Abstract

Alluvial gold mining, which takes place informally or illegally within the mining allowed areas and within the forbidden areas for mining in Madre de Dios, generates a direct and indirect impact upon people's health, not only of miners who work in high risk conditions, exposing themselves to dust, excessive solar radiation, high humidity, noise, vibrating mechanical trauma, mercury which may be inhaled or accidentally ingested, particularly in areas where gold is sold and bought; and also it implies exposure to toxic chemicals and working accidents. On the other hand, the general population is exposed to water pollution because of mercury waste thrown to water sources used by people living in Madre de Dios river basin, and other problems include Amazonian forest and soil destruction, massive migration leading to an increase in transmissible diseases, social violence, person trafficking, prostitution, and unhealthy food.

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Published
2012-03-28
How to Cite
1.
Osores Plenge F, Rojas Jaimes JE, Hermógenes Manrique Lara Estrada C. Informal and illegal mining and mercury pollution in Madre de Dios: A public health problema. Acta Med Peru [Internet]. 2012Mar.28 [cited 2024Oct.15];29(1):38-2. Available from: https://amp.cmp.org.pe/index.php/AMP/article/view/1155
Section
REVIEW ARTICLE