DESAFIOS DA REGIÃO AMAZÔNICA FRENTE À ATIVIDADE MINERAL

O USO DO MERCÚRIO E OS IMPACTOS NOS POVOS INDÍGENAS E RIBEIRINHOS

Abstract

Considered the largest existing tropical forest, the Amazon Forest stands out for its natural resources, but it also suffers pressure on these resources. One of the impacts stems from mineral activity when carried out in disagreement with the environmental legislation that governs it. In this context, the exploitation of gold is inserted, which becomes more aggressive when it uses mercury, a metal that contaminates rivers, soil, air, animals and consequently exposes the man who feeds on fish in that region to contamination. The populations most vulnerable to this exposure are the indigenous and riverside populations, who rely on fish as their main source of protein. The article analyzes these impactful approaches and its contribution is to present some challenges that the expanded region must face, namely in the framework of public policies and national and international regulations.