The Maya used so much red paint that they poisoned their water with mercury, mud sediments reveal
A scientific study reports that the ancient Maya’s extensive use of cinnabar-based red pigment released mercury into lakes and waterways, where anaerobic bacteria converted it to methylmercury, leading to toxic accumulation in aquatic ecosystems and the food chain.
Source: The Maya used so much red paint that they poisoned their water with mercury, mud sediments reveal — Live Science
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