A recent study published in the journal Nature found that gold and mineral mining in and near rivers across the tropics is degrading waterways in 49 countries.

The paper explains that river mining often involves intensive excavation, which results in deforestation and increased erosion. Much of the excavated material is released to rivers, disrupting aquatic life in ecosystems nearby and downstream. This inorganic sediment, particles of clay, silt, and sand, is carried by rivers as “suspended sediment,” transmitting the environmental effects of mining downstream.

Read more: mining.com

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