Environmental Impacts of Bauxite Mining and Refining in the Eastern Amazon

Objectives: This literature review article aimed to investigate the environmental impacts of bauxite mining and refining in Barcarena and Paragominas, in Pará, and to analyze the role of legislation and the State. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework contextualizes the Eastern Amazon as an important bauxite-producing region, highlighting that the activity generates employment but also brings various impacts. Method: The research methodology was qualitative, exploratory, and bibliographic, analyzing 58 scientific papers found in databases such as Google Scholar and Scielo. Results and discussion: As results, the study found that the social impacts and conflicts were more severe in Barcarena, due to bauxite processing and tailings ponds in urbanized areas. Problems include "red mud" contamination, river and soil pollution, deforestation, and environmental accidents. In Paragominas, where extraction occurs in a more isolated area, the impacts are smaller, and the responsible company adopts measures for reforestation and environmental education. Research Implications: The study concludes that the implications of the research point to the need to reconcile economic development with environmental preservation and social well-being, especially for traditional communities. Originality/Value: The originality/value of the work lies in its comparative analysis between the different realities of Barcarena and Paragominas, differentiating the types of impacts suffered by each municipality and emphasizing the importance of considering social and human factors in addition to ecological ones.