Mercury, chasing the quicksilver

One of the hidden doors for mercury to slip into the Amazon is the Guiana Shield region.

Legal imports of the toxic quicksilver into Guyana have made it the nexus for smuggling mercury into neighboring countries like Suriname and beyond, where it’s being outlawed.

The liquid metal is one of the driving forces behind small-scale gold mining in the Amazon, but takes its toll on fragile ecosystems and human health. But gold mining in small South American countries depends so much on mercury, that if the trade would be halted their economies could collapse.

Since ratifying the Minamata Convention, the Guyanese government must phase out the use of mercury, putting miners at odds with the government for an impending crackdown.

In this investigation we delve into the underworld of mercury, following it’s path from Guyana to Suriname, exploring the health and environmental effects, and what the prohibition of mercury would mean for the livelihoods of miners and communities across the Amazon.