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Starting this week, Colombia will ban the use of mercury for the extraction of gold, to reduce pollution and health effects, according to official sources.
Environment Minister Luis Murillo announced that "minors holding a mining title and an environmental permit must continue their activities without its use."
mercury and pollutants are on the list of the ten chemicals of the World Health Organization (WHO) that generate special problems
The elimination of its use "will help decrease exposure the risks it poses to the health of miners and the population, "Murillo said
because of its high toxicity, mercury can affect the nervous system. , digestive and immune, in addition to the kidneys, lungs and skin.
The communities most affected by the chemical are indigenous, black and peasant populations residing in the departments of Chocó and Antioquia due to the high level of mining activity in the region.
Colombia legally imports 100 tons of mercury a year and adopting this measure would stop using 95 and the remaining 5 could only be used strictly in health procedures.
As the fourth largest gold producer in Latin America, the mining sector in Colombia is an important part of the country. It is therefore expected that this measure will help miners to stop using mercury in the process of extracting gold. transition to the use of "clean alternatives".
Writing NTN24
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