TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF TAILINGS FROM AN INDIGENOUS MINING COMMUNITY, BENGUET, PHILIPPINES

Tailings from an indigenous mining community were analyzed by PIXE to study the residual amount of gold and to check the relative increase in mercury content after the mineral dressing. The result showed that gold is sometimes left in the tailings at ore-grade concentration up to 30 ppm, and that relative mercury content is not increasing drastically. Since the tailings are trade target in the local community, it would be necessary for stakeholders to have a common and fair facility where they can assay gold content of the tailing at regular interval.