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Published on: August 18, 2023
Brazil's heavy metal pollution harms humans and ecosystems
Joel Henrique Ellwanger1, José Artur Bogo Chies1
1Laboratory of Immunobiology and Immunogenetics, Postgraduate Program in Genetics and Molecular Biology (PPGBM), Department of Genetics, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 91501-970, Brazil.
Abstract:
This letter draws attention to the worrying situation of heavy metal pollution in Brazil, especially concerning the Amazon's Indigenous peoples affected by mercury contamination from illegal gold mining activities. Heavy metal pollution is also an emerging problem in other Brazilian biomes besides the Amazon Forest (e.g., Pampa biome in southern Brazil), as well as in coastal ecosystems/regions and large cities. Despite being a neglected problem, Brazil's heavy metal pollution causes significant detrimental impacts on human health and ecosystems. Finally, some alternatives to overcome this problem are suggested.
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