Report: Mine mercury sickens villagers

The Associated Press    Translate This Article
16 August 2007

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - Mercury used by gold miners has seeped into rivers and streams and sickened scores of Indian villagers in rural Guyana, a conservation group said Thursday.

About 90 percent of 200 residents screened in one community showed symptoms of illness from mercury, which can cause permanent lung and brain damage, according to the World Wildlife Fund for Nature.

``We have done tests on human hair, urine samples and fish samples and have found contamination,'' said Patrick Williams, WWF director for Guyana.

Heavy mercury residue has been found in rivers and creeks used for drinking and irrigation, and some miners also have been poisoned by ingesting mercury vapors while using torches to separate gold from ore, Williams said. Gold is one of Guyana's top exports.

Mining Commissioner Bill Woolford said the government is aware of the illegal use of mercury by miners in poorly policed areas. Earlier this week, officials announced they are preparing charges against miners accused of contaminating the public water supply in a community near the border with Brazil.

``We are going to address these concerns,'' Woolford said.

The most affected areas studied by the WWF are near Guyana's border with Venezuela. But the group also found contamination in two southwestern regions where mining no longer takes place, spokesman David James said.

Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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