POLLUTION BLOG

Pure Earth Peru and Wyss Academy for Nature join forces to implement restoration models that recover ecosystems, reduce mercury impact, and generate new sources of income for mining families. Madre de Dios is a diverse and complex territory where unique...

The Energy and Mines Commission of the Congress of the Republic approved a bill that proposes establishing a regulatory framework for the progressive elimination of mercury use in artisanal and small-scale mining. The initiative must be debated and voted on...

In the Inambari district, the Saltur VI mining concession, led by Ms. Victoria Condori, initiated a reforestation process on one intervened hectare as part of its mine closure efforts and its commitment to responsible and mercury-free mining. Saltur VI's activities...

With 29 projects across 16 low- and middle-income countries, 2025 marked a year of remarkable growth, collaboration, and global recognition for Pure Earth. Across four continents, our teams paired scientific rigor with practical implementation, helping governments, communities, and institutions move...

En Remedios, Antioquia, Pure Earth se sumó a más de 170 representantes de la pequeña minería, autoridades locales, academia y empresas tecnológicas en la primera Feria de Promoción, Innovación y Fomento Minero, liderada por la Agencia Nacional de Minería (ANM)...

Pure Earth’s Pure Gold Jewelry Auction, open through November 3rd, features beautiful pieces from 24 renowned jewelry designers who care deeply about sourcing materials that make a positive impact on people and the planet.  The gold used in the auction...

Pure Earth Ghana , in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), has completed a study assessing the presence of mercury and other heavy metals in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) communities in Ghana. The assessment, funded by the Foreign,...

In Accra, Ghana, a new chapter of collaboration was launched as the All-Africa Students Union (AASU) and Pure Earth Ghana formalized their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The event, brought together student representatives, government agencies,...

La Minería Artesanal y de Pequeña Escala (MAPE), especialmente en zonas rurales de países como Colombia, sigue siendo una fuente vital de sustento para cientos de miles de personas. Sin embargo, esta actividad también presenta impactos ambientales severos, vinculados principalmente...

Conocimiento que transforma Durante una visita que combinó la técnica con el corazón, Pure Earth Colombia tuvo el privilegio de recibir y acompañar a un grupo de mujeres mineras peruanas integrantes de la Red de Mujeres Mineras de Madre de...

One year ago, a promise was made: to work alongside the women miners of Madre de Dios and support them on their journey toward responsible mining. Today, that promise becomes a reality with the signing of an agreement between Pure...

A California regulation went into effect this month that marks a significant milestone in preventing infant exposure to heavy metals. The new regulation requires manufacturers to disclose heavy metal levels in baby food. This regulation is part of the California...

La publicación del Informe Nacional: Minería Ilegal y Contaminación por Mercurio en Colombia marca un hito crucial en los esfuerzos por enfrentar los graves impactos socioambientales derivados de la minería ilegal y el uso de mercurio en el país. Este...

In the heart of the Peruvian Amazon, Madre de Dios faces the environmental and social challenges posed by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). However, a group of women is transforming this reality through an innovative project led by Pure...

En el corazón de la Amazonía peruana, Madre de Dios se enfrenta a los desafíos del impacto ambiental y social causado por la minería artesanal y de pequeña escala (MAPE). Sin embargo, un grupo de mujeres está transformando esta realidad...

El sector de la joyería tiene una oportunidad única de impactar positivamente en el mundo al optar por metales preciosos obtenidos de manera ética y responsable. En Pure Earth Perú, nuestro compromiso es colaborar con la transformación de la minería...

At Pure Earth Peru, our commitment is to support the transformation of legal artisanal mining in Madre de Dios, a region of incredible biodiversity where traditionally informal, mercury-dependent gold mining has caused significant environmental and social damage. Through our project...

In December, Pure Earth released new and updated technical guidelines and protocols on mitigating lead and mercury exposure, which draw on our 25 years of expertise in assessing and preventing exposure to toxic pollution. The protocols are based on our...

La contaminación por mercurio, principalmente generada por actividades mineras ilícitas, representa una de las mayores amenazas para el medio ambiente y la salud pública en Colombia, siendo el principal emisor per cápita de mercurio en el mundo, con una liberación...

Mercury pollution, primarily generated by illicit mining activities, represents one of the greatest threats to the environment and public health in Colombia. The country is the world’s largest per capita emitter of mercury, with significant releases stemming from small-scale gold...

Pure Earth was honored to participate in the World Bank Regional Dialogue on Mercury and E-Waste Pollution Management in Tanzania earlier this month. Rev. Dr. Esmond Quansah, Pure Earth Ghana's Country Director, represented Pure Earth, presenting our innovative solutions for...

Accra, Ghana — On August 27th, 2024, a significant stride towards environmental sustainability and public health was made as Blacksmith Initiative dba Pure Earth launched the Mercury Impact Assessment Study Project in Accra. The project, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth...

On a recent trip to the Peruvian Amazon, Rodrigo Velarde, Pure Earth Peru’s Country Director, Jen Maraccino, Pure Earth's Senior Director of Development, and Allison Charalambous, Brilliant Earth's Vice President of Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability, visited Artisanal Miners Association Tauro...

A lot has changed since Australian environmental engineer Richard Fuller founded Pure Earth in 1999, then called Blacksmith Institute. What began as a small organization cleaning up sites contaminated with toxic pollution has morphed into a global pioneer of pollution...

Esmond Quansah, Pure Earth Ghana's Country Director, highlights the pollution problems facing his country, and how his team is working to fix it. Learn more about our work in Ghana  and follow Pure Earth Ghana on social media:  Instagram, Twitter,...

Rodrigo Velarde, Pure Earth's new Country Manager for Peru, shares an update on his team's work in developing responsible solutions to mitigate pollution, and achieving recognition in the Latin American region for its work to create the first mercury-free gold...

In this spotlight, Lizeth Olaya Zambrano, Pure Earth’s new Country Director for Colombia, shares an update on the work of our team in Colombia. Their recent accomplishments include winning one of the top prizes in a global competition to conserve...

2022 was a year of growth. Pure Earth programs doubled in size, enabling us to expand our focus on lead and mercury in the most impacted countries. As a result of this expansion, long-time Pure Earth officer Drew McCartor, who...

Out of 121 applicants from 22 countries, a team from Pure Earth Colombia emerged as one of four winners of The Artisanal Mining Grand Challenge to develop new innovations to conserve the Amazon rainforest. Pure Earth's innovative technique uses copper...

For over four years, Pure Earth has been working with a mining association in an alliance that was formed thanks to the working relationship between the association's president Vilma C. and Pure Earth local coordinator France Cabanillas.  Today, the mining...

Recent high profile news reports, such NBC's "Paradise Lost: The weight of gold," are bringing fresh attention to the problem of mercury pollution and deforestation. Our latest story from the field shows the progress we are making in researching and...

Out of 121 applicants from 22 countries, a team from Pure Earth Colombia has emerged as one of the top 13 finalists selected for a $1 million challenge prize to protect the Amazon from impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold...

In a remote mining corridor in Peru, a mining association called AMATAF is on a mission to change the face of gold mining in the Amazon. [caption id="attachment_19667" align="alignnone" width="600"] Land degraded by gold mining can be seen in the...

Pure Earth reached several milestones in 2021, including critical recognition as the most effective organization working today to solve the global childhood lead poisoning crisis! We are especially proud of this as it reflects the hard work put in by the...

What a terrific team! Seven of the eight founding members of WiME (Women in Mining and Energy) in Indonesia. (left to right : Omar, Dian, Budi, Nukila, Khoirun, Dedy and Maya)   Jan. 2019--This month, a new initiative, Women in Mining...

Earlier this year, Pure Earth launched an ambitious project in Peru, supported by Brilliant Earth, a global leader in ethically sourced fine jewelry.  The goal: to transform the Chichiqueros artisanal gold mining community into a mercury-free model.  The Chichiqueros work in an area...

Meet Filipino gold miners Leoncio Na-Oy (pictured below, right) and Rudy Onos. Over the past few years, Pure Earth has been working with Leoncio and Rudy to test and teach a century-old, traditional method of mercury-free gold mining Leoncio rediscovered in his...

[caption id="attachment_16027" align="alignnone" width="300"] Actor Shiloh Fernandez with Caroline Dweck of Stephen Dweck.[/caption] Do you know where the gold in your jewelry comes from? Following the success of our recent Pure Earth Pure Gold Benefit Bash, we think many more people...

From the WHO Fact Sheet on Mercury and Health Key facts Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water and soil. Exposure to mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is...

Read the story on Medium. In Manado, at the picturesque tip of North Sulewesi in remote Indonesia, local artisanal gold miners may have found, in their backyards, the key to reducing mercury emissions.  Across Indonesia, you can see roofs of houses...

This week’s post comes from Andrew McCartor, Blacksmith’s program director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, who was recently in Mongolia.   There is no preparing for the Mongolian winter. When I stepped onto the tarmac in the capital city...

Earlier this month, Pure Earth was with the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP) in Minamata, Japan, to witness the landmark signing of the first international treaty to curb mercury pollution, and to help countries abide by the agreement. To...

Updated 2019 Child gold miners in Indonesia It has been over 50 years since the first sign of mass mercury poisoning emerged in Minamata, Japan. Cats in the village started staggering and tilting, doing a strange "dancing cat fever." Then...

A movement is taking root in the small province of Benguet in the Philippines that might just revolutionize the artisanal gold mining industry and greatly reduce worldwide toxic mercury emissions. Gold miners there are rediscovering a century-old method of gold...

[caption id="attachment_15423" align="alignnone" width="128"] Low-cost retort for recapturing mercury[/caption] August 2011 This is what I like to call our "miracle" mercury recapturing machine. Using simple, low-cost retorts like the one pictured here, Pure Earth has been able to reduce the...

Chronic mercury exposure in the U.S. has risen dramatically, not only in numbers of people affected but also in amounts. A study by Professor Dan Laks found that mercury was detected in only 2% of the blood samples collected over...