The hell of Serra Pelada mines, 1980s
Serra Pelada (English: “Naked Mountain”) was a large gold mine in Brazil 430 kilometers (270 mi) south of the mouth of the Amazon River. The mine was made famous by the images taken by Alfredo Jaar and later by Sebastião Salgado showing an anthill of workers moving vast amounts of ore by hand. Because of the chaotic nature of the operation estimating the number of miners was difficult, but at least 100,000 people were thought to be present, making it one of the largest mines in the world. Because of the use of mercury in the gold extraction process, large areas around the mine are considered dangerously contaminated. People eating fish downstream from the mine have elevated mercury levels.Today the Serra Pelada mine is abandoned and the giant open pit that was created by hand has filled with water, creating a small polluted lake.
thefancywalrus 