In Santarém (PA), 75% of the population is contaminated by mercury from illegal gold digging

A study made by the Western Pará Federal University (Ufopa) in partnership with Fiocruz and WWF Brasil has revealed that 75% of the residents of the urban area of Santarém, the third largest city in the state of Pará, are suffering from mercury contamination and present blood levels up to four times higher than the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (above 10 micrograms per liter). Among the ribeirinhos [riverside traditional populations], the number reaches 90%.

The origin of the high levels of mercury comes from the consumption of fish contaminated by illegal gold digging in the upper and middle Tapajós River, the study says.

Since the completion of the collection of samples for the research, in 2019, the mining activity in the region has grown vertiginously, stimulated by the pro-grabbing position of the current government and the valuation of gold on the international market in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Between January 2019 and May 2021, the area degraded by mining within the Munduruku Indigenous Land, in the middle Tapajós, grew by 363%, according to data from Instituto Socioambiental.