Alluvial gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon has become a key driver of land degradation and deforestation. The associated release of mercury in the environment poses direct human health risks and is likely to engender cascading effects throughout local food chains. We carried out research in an alluvial gold mine concession in the Madre de Dios region to compare the degree of soil-borne pollution of heavy metals in areas where mining operations were abandoned more and less recently (1–5 and 6–8 years ago, respectively) with non-impacted old-growth forest areas. All heavy metals, were below permissible levels according to Peruvian and Canadian environmental quality standards. Mean As, Ba, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, V and Zn concentrations in impacted areas were 1.90 ± 1.51, 29.80 ± 22.87, 4.60 ± 2.55, 12.68 ± 8.13, 7.90 ± 3.98, 7.93 ± 3.89, 12.67 ± 6.62, and 26.65 ± 13.53 mg kg−1 dry m...