Addressing Centuries of Heavy Metal Pollution: Understanding the Human Health Crisis of the Pilcomayo River Basin

 The Pilcomayo river basin covers an area of 292,000 km2, connecting Bolivia, Argentina, and Paraguay, and supporting an estimated 1.5 million people. This river system serves as an important source of agricultural water for the region, with Indigenous communities relying directly on the Pilcomayo for drinking water and fishing. For over 450 years, the river basin has been heavily contaminated by mining waste originating from the Potosí region, including toxic heavy metals and acidic byproducts. High concentrations of arsenic, antimony, cadmium, lead, silver, mercury, thallium, and other hazardous substances have been recorded in upstream areas. Long-term exposure to these contaminants can cause serious health issues, including developmental delays in children, neurological disorders, and increased cancer risk. Additionally, ongoing research indicates that some of these pollutants may have leached into regional groundwater and aquifer systems, posing an even greater risk to community health and ecological stability.

Advanced Minerals Technology S. Korea, Inc. (AMTSK) is taking a dual approach to address the contamination issue: environmental remediation and treatment of affected populations. As the first organization to attempt a large-scale cleanup of the Pilcomayo River, AMTSK is sponsoring our team (River Remedy) to compile information on the scope of contamination and impact on local communities. Our team will produce a comprehensive report incorporating GIS mapping, local health data, and historical knowledge to trace the environmental and human impacts of centuries-old mining practices. This report will identify the most severely affected regions and the communities most at risk, strategies for remediation, and methods to reduce future mining impacts by AMTSK in collaboration with the Bolivian government.