Mercury in the Amazon

Description

Unregulated, alluvial gold mining in the Amazon is exponentially growing and contaminating the region with mercury. Mercury is a bioaccumulating neurotoxin. It is used in mining because it amalgamates with gold, facilitating separation of gold from sediment. When the mercury-gold amalgam is heated, mercury vaporizes. It is then atmospherically transported into the forest where it enters leaves, soil, water, animals, and people. While mercury has been detected throughout the Amazon, its spatial extent and true impact is unknown.

Our project is tracking mercury transport and fate within Peru’s Madre de Dios region. This region at the Andes-Amazon interface includes the world’s most biodiverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. It is also a mining hotspot. We are coupling measurements, models, and satellite remote sensing to spatially map mercury contamination. We are quantifying impacts of mercury on plant productivity and forest health, and tracing mercury from trees, to litter and soil, and to decomposers. Our work will create the foundational knowledge needed to incorporate mercury into conservation and climate-adaptation plans. 

People Involved

Current - Becca Neumann . Robin Ruhm

Funding

2025 University of Washington Global Innovation Fund

2023 Harvard University GEM incubation Fund 

2023 University of Washington Population Health Climate Change Planning Grant

Press Coverage & Outreach Products

Publications