In Madre de Dios, the alluvial gold mining has already devastated more than 50,000 hectares of forest, without snags, lagoons and marshes destroyed. In addition, the great earthwork alter drainage systems and produces loss of habitat for countless species. On the other hand, to extract and concentrate the gold processes and inputs that produce toxic wastes (eg., Containing cyanide or mercury) that pollute the air, soil and water are used. Environmental effects can be overcome in the long term, but in many cases are irreparable. In native and rural communities, residents have mercury up to five times the acceptable limit, and the people who live closer to the mining areas have up to 8 times more mercury than the limit set by WHO. The most serious is that one of the groups most affected is that of women of childbearing age who had higher levels of mercury. In the case of pregnancy,
