Environmental impact
In addition to the violence, illegal gold mining is connected to grave environmental impacts such as deforestation, which has skyrocketed on both the Yanomami and Munduruku reserves in recent years.
Mercury, a highly toxic substance linked to birth defects and neurological disorders, is used in the gold amalgamation process and pollutes rivers and local food chains that Indigenous communities depend on.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/14/indigenous-reel-from-brazil-illegal-gold-mining
