Arsenic and mercury found in river days after Brazil dam burst

Unacceptable levels of pollutants found at several places along Rio Doce following Brazil's worst ever environmental disaster

Illegal levels of arsenic and mercury polluted the Rio Doce river in the days after a dam burst at an iron ore mine in early November in Brazil's worst ever environmental disaster, according to tests by a state water agency.

The Institute for Water Management in Minas Gerais (IGAM) found arsenic levels more than 10 times above the legal limit in one place along the Rio Doce after the dam burst on 5 November, leading to at least 13 deaths and flooding thick mud across two states. Mercury slightly above the permitted level was also found in one area.