Solve pollution. Save lives. Protect the planet.

ENGLISH / ESPAÑOL

Country Summary

With over 16,000 Peruvians dying each year from pollution-related diseases, pollution has a huge health cost in Peru. Mercury from gold mining is responsible for many of these deaths. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a traditional livelihood in Peru, providing much needed income for many impoverished communities. Currently, the prevailing method of ASGM in the country involves using large amounts of mercury to extract gold. These activities result in the release of tons of mercury each year, causing significant air, soil, and water contamination and severe health impacts on local communities. Without intervention and remediation, mercury contamination will continue to poison generations of Peruvians.

Since 2017, Pure Earth has been working with CINCIA, a local research center that develops ways to restore degraded land in the Peruvian Amazon. Using CINCIA’s cutting-edge methodology, Pure Earth has been working hand-in-hand with formalized gold miners to reforest their degraded mining concession and fulfill mine closure requirements.

The Toxic Truth

RESEARCH BRIEF
Sediment and Mercury Retention  Traps:

The potential role of reforestation in mining areas of Madre de Dios

The Toxic Truth

LANCET COMMISSION ON POLLUTION AND HEALTH- PERU SUMMARY

Pollution is responsible for 12.9% of deaths in Peru. Learn more about how pollution affects health and the economy in Peru by reading the Peru Summary Report, based on the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health.

In the news

a

Av. Larco 880 - Office 1007
Lima - Peru
Follow us in
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

Our Team
RODRIGO VELARDE

Country Manager

FRANCE CABANILLAS

Project Coordinator

SOFÍA LÓPEZ

Project Assistant

CARLOS CABREL

Project Coordinator

CAROLINE BAYLOR

Program Director

CLAUDIA GONZALEZ

Communications Coordinator
[email protected]