Video deceives about mercury contamination caused by illegal mining – 05/07/2023 – Environment

A video circulating on social networks in which a lawyer claims that the use of mercury in mining is not responsible for contaminating waterways or fish in the Amazon region is misleading.

In the section that went viral and was verified by the Comprova Project, she states that the presence of mercury in some places, such as São Gabriel da Cachoeira and in the rivers of Manacapuru (both in the Amazon), is natural, caused by the presence of specific types of rocks. Although mercury exists naturally in the region, studies by Fiocruz, universities, international entities and Brazilian authorities have already proven that the illegal mining activity is responsible, albeit partially, for the contamination of rivers, fish and, consequently, riverside communities.

The woman who speaks in the video is Tânia Oliveira Sena, a lawyer and president of Coogam (Cooperativa dos Garimpeiros da Amazônia). She was one of the guests of the Eco Podcast, which features the former Amazonian deputy and former mayor of the Amazonian city of Manacapuru, Angelus Figueira.

In the excerpt that circulates on social networks, Tânia argues that the mercury in the mining is used in a “closed circuit” and that it does not go to the rivers. According to her, the presence of the toxic metal in high quantities in some rivers in the region is due to “cinnabric rocks” that “spill mercury into the rivers”. Cinnabar is the popular name for mercury sulfide.

In the podcast, Tânia was referring to legalized mining, but this is not clear to anyone who has not heard the entirety of the program and has only had contact with the excerpt that circulates on social networks. Thus, the passage implies that there is no mercury contamination in nature or in fish caused by mining, which is not true.

The ANM (National Mining Agency) confirmed to the Comprova Project that the Rio Negro basin is an ecosystem that, regardless of human activity, has regions with significant amounts of mercury in the soil and water.

“Studies have shown that high concentrations of this chemical element occur mainly in podolized soils, the mercury being derived from the decomposition of rocks present in the region. Therefore, in this basin the high concentrations of mercury are of natural origin”, he said in a note.

However, the agency pointed out that in other regions of the country, including the Amazon basin, there is contamination by mercury through the disposal of mud contaminated with the metal dumped by illegal mining activities.

In the investigated video, Tânia states, without specifying the place she is referring to, that “studies prove that mercury contamination in fish is below the permitted, much lower than permitted”. Recent research has shown that residents of riverside areas in the Tapajós river basin are contaminated by mercury, that one in five fish consumed in six states of the Amazon region is contaminated by the heavy metal and that in some species there is no safe level for consumption. All of them attribute the high concentration of mercury to illegal mining activities.

The use of mercury is allowed in gold mines, as long as it is authorized by the environmental agency. Sought by Comprova, the president of Coogam, who speaks in the checked video, said that she refers in the video to legalized mining. “There are many legal areas in Rondônia, Pará and Amazonas, I know all the areas and I know the dredgers and I know how they work”, Tânia told Comprova.

Coogam currently has 43 mining authorizations, mainly in Amazonas, but also in Pará and one in Rondônia.

For Comprova, misleading is content removed from the original context and used in another so that its meaning undergoes changes; that uses inaccurate data or that induces an interpretation different from the author’s intention; content that is confusing, with or without the deliberate intent to cause harm.

Reach

Comprova investigates suspicious content with greater reach on social networks. The post on the @sou_amazonas profile on TikTok was seen more than 151,500 times and had 5,000 likes by July 3 of this year. A short with the same content on the YouTube channel had 1,200 views.

How do we check

First, we tried to find out who was the woman who spoke in the video and what was the context of the speech. Her identity was found by searching for the name that appears in the description of the viral video and the name of the podcast, which appears in a watermark in the video. The original video, which is one hour long, was also found. Next, we sought information about the use of mercury in mining from the ANM. We also looked for reports and studies about mercury contamination in fish from the Amazon region. We contacted Tânia Oliveira Sena and also the host of the podcast from which the video was taken.

Mercury and mining

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal found in rivers, soil, water and even the air. It is used in various industrial activities, under strict rules, as it is a toxic metal with the potential to cause serious illness in people and animals.

As the ANM explained to the article, Brazil does not produce mercury. Its importation and commercialization are controlled by Ibama through Ordinance 32 of 1995 and Decree 97.634/89. The regulation obliges the registration with Ibama of individuals and legal entities that “import, produce or commercialize the metallic mercury substance”.

There are also rules for the use of mercury in gold extraction. The heavy metal has the ability to unite with other metals, such as gold, and form amalgams. These amalgams are heavier and can be more easily separated from lighter soil particles. Once separated from the mud, another process separates the gold from the mercury and the latter is reused.

According to the same 1989 decree cited above, it is forbidden to use mercury in gold extraction activities, “except in activities licensed by the competent environmental agency”. It also requires the mandatory recovery of areas degraded by the activity.

The ANM also clarified that the use of mercury in any means of production requires strict care, such as using adequate equipment to make the retort (a process that separates mercury from the gold amalgam), using personal protective equipment and subjecting workers in the area to examinations. doctors and dentists to assess the level of mercury in the body.

Also according to the agency, the correct use of a quality retort allows for the recovery of up to 97% of the mercury, with the rest remaining “stuck” in the amalgamated gold. This residual percentage of mercury is removed in the gold purification process.

Illegal mining

Illegal mining, which uses excess mercury to separate gold from other sediments, causes contamination of rivers, fish and, consequently, workers and riverside communities.

A survey by Fiocruz with UFRR (Federal University of Roraima) and the Institutos Socioambiental and Evandro Chagas showed that fish in Roraima are affected by illegal mining.

The same text says that, according to experts, 45% of the mercury used in illegal mining is dumped without any kind of treatment into rivers and streams in the Amazon.

Another Fiocruz study, this one in partnership with WWF-Brasil, pointed out that all members of the Munduruku indigenous people, located on the middle Tapajós River, are affected by this contaminant. Of every ten survey participants, six had mercury levels above safe limits.

Contamination, according to the researchers, is greater in areas most impacted by mining, in villages on the banks of affected rivers. In these locations, nine out of ten participants had a high level of contamination.

Ingesting mercury through contaminated food or inhaling the vapors affects the functioning of the central nervous system, according to experts heard by the BBC. Effects may include weakness, learning difficulties, difficulty moving around, vision and hearing problems.

The substance can remain in nature for up to a hundred years, contaminating rivers and land, in addition to causing disease in humans and animals.

What the person responsible for the publication says

The host of the podcast and the profile @sou_amazonas, where the video was published, were contacted, but did not send a response.

What can we learn from this check

It is important to be wary of impact phrases that go against what is disclosed by researchers and authorities. The video excerpt that went viral does not make it clear whether the speech is about legalized mining or that done irregularly. Thus, it deceives readers by giving the impression that there is no mercury contamination in nature or in fish caused by mining, which is not true.

This shows the importance of understanding the context of a statement to understand the real meaning of the information. It is also important to research who is the person who makes the statement to find out if there is any conflict of interest for that individual when talking about the topic.

why do we investigate

Comprova monitors suspicious content published on social networks and messaging apps about public policies and elections at the federal level and opens investigations for those publications that have achieved greater reach and engagement. You can also suggest checks via WhatsApp +55 11 97045-4984. Suggestions and questions related to questionable content can also be sent to Sheet via WhatsApp 11 99486-0293.

Other checks on the topic

Comprova has already checked several contents of misinformation involving the Amazon region. Two of them denied alleged Amazon sales actions (here and here) and another denied the existence of a giant diamond that had been found in the area.