MERCURY, ILLEGAL MINING AND CONTAMINATION OF AMAZONIAN WATERS: SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL VULNERABILITY AND STATE INSUFFICIENCY IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Abstract

This study analyzes the use of mercury in illegal mining activities in the Amazon, considering its dynamics of environmental contamination and its socio-environmental impacts in the region. The research aims to identify the factors that sustain the use of mercury in illegal mining activities, understand the environmental cycle of the contaminant and its impacts on aquatic ecosystems and vulnerable populations, as well as examine the relationship between illegal mining and state insufficiency in environmental protection in the region. To this end, a qualitative bibliographic and documentary methodology was adopted, based on the analysis of scientific articles, institutional reports, dissertations, and specialized publications related to the use of mercury in the Amazon, illegal mining, and environmental contamination. The research demonstrated that mercury remains widely used in illegal mining due to its technical efficiency, low cost, and ease of handling, factors that favor its use in contexts of limited oversight. It was concluded that the persistence of mercury use in the Amazon constitutes a problem associated with the expansion of illegal mining, the contamination of aquatic ecosystems, and the limitations of environmental governance and inspection mechanisms in the region.