Tropical birds bear brunt of gold mining impact

By Nina Notman2024-01-26T08:16:00

Source: © Chris Sayers/UCLA

Birds pay the environmental price for metal extraction

Use this story and the accompanying summary slide to give 14–16 learners real-world context when teaching native metals. An analysis of 13 years’ worth of data reveals that artisanal and small-scale gold mining has led to increased mercury levels in tropical birds, posing risks to both the birds and the organisms within and around their food chain due to exposure to this neurotoxin.

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