Mercury concentrations in tree rings may enable trees to be ‘witnesses’ of illegal gold mining activities in the Amazon

For hundreds of years, the Amazon was exploited due to gold. Today, the precious metal is as required, but the remaining small gold molecules are much more difficult. Mining in craft and small mining operations often occur (HG) in the air, pollution of the environment and harm human health.

An international team of researchers has now examined tree rings of the original species in the Peruvian Amazon to determine whether the trees could be used to show nearly where and when the mercury was launched in the atmosphere.

“We have shown that Ficus Insipida trees can be used as a vital range of spatial fingerprint characterization and perhaps mercury emissions from craft gold mining at Cornell University and the first author of the study,” said Dr. Jacqueline Gerson, an assistant professor in biological engineering and environment at the University of Corniche and the author of the first study in the first study. Borders in Environmental Sciences.

“Trees can provide a fairly vibrant and vibrant network, by archiving a record of mercury concentration within Bolewood Tree.”

Mercury in the air

To extract gold, mercury miners add to the soil that contains small golden particles. Mercury is associated with gold molecules that create a mixture. Odems have a much lower melting point than gold, so to extract them, the tones are burned. This process launches gas mercury in the air.

Three types of new tropical trees have been examined with annual tree rings documented to test their capabilities as biological areas: Ficus Insipida, which is a common tree in Neotropics, Brazolletia Excelsa, and Tornillos (CEDRELINGA CATENAFORMIS).

Because of the fair climate throughout the year in Neotropics, not all trees form rings, and the species that have been examined, only F. Insipida presented. Samples of the main trees were collected in two locations away from mining activity and three sites five kilometers away to mining cities where the mgut is often burned. It was one of the mining sites next to the protected forest.

“There are many variables that drive individual HG concentrations, and it is difficult to determine the specified drivers,” Jerson explained. “The trees in the study were all the same types and the same sites, which are exposed to mercury concentration in the atmosphere. For this reason we take multiple trees and then use medium values.”

The mercury concentrations in Bollywood were higher in two locations to take samples near the mining activity and less on the site that mining affects next to the protected forests and the sites far from the mining cities.

“HG concentrations in the atmosphere are generally associated with nearby mining sites,” Geerson explained. “In the Peruvian Amazon, where mining is the main source of mercury, the link can be drawn between the top HG concentrations and the proximity to the mining site easily.”

Especially after 2000, mercury concentrations increased near the cities where a mixture of mercury was burned. “This is more likely because of the expansion of gold mining activities at this time,” Gerson said.

A network of spies

While the study proved that trees can be used as a vital monitoring network for invasive mercury emissions, the study has some restrictions. It is worth noting that the exact distance to the mining cities was not known because of the illegal nature of these operations. This most likely affected the mercury concentrations in the wood of the trunk.

“Ficus Insipida can be used as a cheap and powerful tool to study large spatial trends in mercury emissions in Neotropics.”

“Bolewood can be allowed for regional monitoring efforts.” This is especially important with regard to the United Nations Menmamata Convention on Mercury, an international treaty aimed at reducing mercury and mercury emissions and relieving healthy and environmental risks.