Mercury contamination from illegal mining impacts health in Las Tunas, Cuba

Illegal gold mining in the Las Tunas province of eastern Cuba is causing a significant public health crisis due to mercury contamination. Toxicologist Alejandro Mestre Barroso warns that the use of mercury in rudimentary extraction processes is leading to severe neurological, renal, and psychiatric diseases among local residents.

In the Jobabo municipality, specifically in communities such as La Guásima and Jobabito, there are rising reports of acute renal failure in young adults aged 25 to 30. The extraction method, known as ‘asobe’, involves using elemental mercury to amalgamate gold. When the mixture is heated to separate the metal, the mercury evaporates, transforming into highly toxic inorganic mercury. Additionally, mercury released during the washing of soil enters rivers and lagoons, where microorganisms convert it into even more lethal substances.

Experts state that the central nervous system is the primary target of this heavy metal, with consequences ranging from neurodegenerative complications to cardiovascular and renal damage, affecting patients in the short, medium, and long term.