Scientific studies in Bolivia have confirmed elevated mercury contamination in four indigenous communities residing in the Beni, Mamoré, and Madre de Dios river basins, with hair analysis revealing levels above acceptable thresholds in 74 to 96 percent lof residents. Pablo Villegas, from Bolivia’s Centre for Communication and Information, reported that the contamination readings are several times higher than the threshold considered acceptable by the World Health Organization across all communities tested. RELATED: Bolivia Orders Arrest of Former President Evo Morales Amid Political CrisisThe main contamination pathway is the consumption of fish exposed to mercury waste discharged by so-called mining cooperatives engaged in illegal gold extraction, according to the study. La Paz State University has proposed at least three mercury-free extraction methods to the cooperatives, which would allow for higher mineral recovery, according to the information provided. However, the mining cooperatives rejected the alternatives due to the upfront investment required.