Publications by authors named "Monica Moreno-Brush"
Article Synopsis
- In the southeastern Peruvian Amazon, artisanal and small-scale gold mining has released significant mercury into the environment, impacting aquatic wildlife's mercury levels.
- Researchers studied bat populations at different distances from mining sites and found that mercury levels in bat fur are primarily influenced by their diets, with omnivorous bats showing higher concentrations than frugivorous ones.
- While the study indicates that mercury exposure from mining activities does affect wildlife, the mercury levels in bats were still below toxic thresholds for neurological effects observed in other animals.
There is an ongoing debate on the fate of mercury (Hg) in areas affected by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Over the last 30 years, ASGM has released 69 tons of Hg into the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. To investigate the role of suspended matter and hydrological factors on the fate of ASGM-Hg, we analysed riverbank sediments and suspended matter along the partially ASGM-affected Malinowski-Tambopata river system and examined Hg accumulation in fish.
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