scholarly journals Comparison of Gold Yield with Traditional Amalgamation and Direct Smelting in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining in Uganda

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 191205
Author(s):  
Birgitte Stoffersen ◽  
Rasmus Køster-Rasmussen ◽  
Jorge Ivan Contreras Cardeño ◽  
Peter W.U. Appel ◽  
Margrethe Smidth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gold Mining ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Pure Gold ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mercury Emission ◽  
Time Consumption ◽  
Competing Interests ◽  
Mining Community ◽  
Financial Interests ◽  
Direct Smelting

Background. The amalgamation method used by artisanal small-scale miners is the single largest source of global mercury emission. The goal of the ‘Free Your Mine’ project is to stop mercury use in artisanal and small-scale mining. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to compare gold recovery and time consumption between the amalgamation method and direct smelting, using borax for smelting under standardized conditions. Materials and Methods. This was an experimental study in a pragmatic setting in the mining community of Tiira, Uganda. Standardized amounts of gold ore of equal quality were processed with the local amalgamation method and with the Philippine mercury-free method as practiced by miners from Benguet in the Philippines, and the gold yield and time consumption were compared. Results. The amalgamation method took 53 minutes and recovered 1.0 g of pure gold. The miners used 4 g of mercury in the processing. The Philippine mercury-free method took 62 minutes and recovered 1.4 g of pure gold. Conclusions. The Philippine mercury-free method recovered 40% more gold than the amalgamation method but took 9 minutes longer. The Philippine mercury-free method is a viable alternative to amalgamation. Competing Interests. The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Associations of Organic and Inorganic Mercury Exposure and Blood Pressure in a Small-Scale Gold Mining Community in Ghana

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 2796
Author(s):  
Mozhgon Rajaee* ◽  
Rachel Long ◽  
Thomas Robins ◽  
Elisha Renne ◽  
Niladri Basu
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Inorganic Mercury ◽  
Mercury Exposure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Community

Life cycle energy use and CO2 emissions of small-scale gold mining and refining processes in the Philippines

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 1928-1939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Chela B. Cenia ◽  
Mili-Ann M. Tamayao ◽  
Virginia J. Soriano ◽  
Kristine Mae C. Gotera ◽  
Benette P. Custodio
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Refining Processes

Water Values in a Ghanaian Small-Scale Gold Mining Community

2013 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Long ◽  
Elisha Renne ◽  
Thomas Robins ◽  
Mark Wilson ◽  
Kenneth Pelig-Ba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Health Assessment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mining Community ◽  
Scarce Water ◽  
Water Provision ◽  
Mining Water ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Control

Water scarcity, quality, and control are growing problems worldwide. In this paper, values associated with water—sociocultural, economic, and chemical—in a small-scale gold mining community in northeastern Ghana are considered. Mining activities have affected the quality of locally scarce water resources. In an area without government provision of water, this situation has also forced community members to develop innovative water strategies that reflect the ways that water is understood and valued with regard to personal health and the environment as well as to the seasonality of water acquisition. These community evaluations of water in the gold mining community are then compared with the chemical analysis of water samples collected near the gold mining site. The ways in which these evaluations of water quality—based on particular knowledge systems—coincide and differ suggest the need for community participation in environmental and health assessment as well as government oversight and water provision. An examination of the connections between gold mining, water, and health; work and gender; and cultural and chemical assessments of water quality situates this particular water world within larger global concerns about small-scale gold mining, the roles of mining communities and government, and water sustainability.

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