[Risk perception and its influence on the lives of residents facing the possibility of collapse of a mining tailings dam].

In 2019, the announcement of the possibility of rupture of the Sul Superior dam of the Gongo Soco Mine in Barão de Cocais (Minas Gerais State, Brazil) brought, and still brings, implications of a real collapse. This study evaluated the risk perception of residents facing the risk of rupture of this mining tailings dam, in addition to evaluating its influence on the lives of residents. Interviews were conducted with residents of the municipality (n = 62) between May and June 2021. Of those interviewed, 38.7% were removed from their homes. Only 56.5% had heard about the risk of collapse in 2019. The most used risk monitoring information sources were social media (45.2%) and the internet (37.1%). Upon receiving the news, most reported reactions of suffering and negative feelings such as fear, revolt and despair; 88.7% reported the emergence of economic (54.8%), environmental (41.9%), social (32.2%) and health (74.2%) problems, of which anxiety and depression were more frequently cited. Alcoholism, psychological disorders, ulcers, insomnia, cardiac arrhythmia and stress were also mentioned. The majority (58.1%) confirmed the worsening of health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over two years after the announcement of the risk, the belief in the rupture decreased among interviewees. This study demonstrated that failures in risk communication, combined with the invisibility of psychological and social effects, exacerbated the vulnerability of the population to the risks associated with the "invisible mud." Public policies and health actions aimed at caring for the population are necessary, especially those targeting mental illness.