Microscopy and certification as tools for environmentally benign, mercury-free small-scale gold mining

Science of the Total Environment

Volumn 368, Issue 1, 2006, Pages 371-383

  Hylander, Lars D ^a   Plath, David ^b  

^a UPPSALA UNIVERSITY   (Sweden)

^b Cleangold   (United States)

Author keywords

Certification of environmentally benign gold; Light microscopy; Mercury free small scale gold mining; Photomicrographs

Indexed keywords

INDUSTRIAL ECONOMICS; INVESTMENTS; MERCURY AMALGAMS; METAL RECOVERY; OPTICAL MICROSCOPY;

CERTIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN GOLD; GOLD GRAINS; MERCURY-FREE SMALL-SCALE GOLD MINING; PHOTOMICROGRAPHS;

GOLD MINES;

CYANIDE; GOLD; MERCURY;

CERTIFICATION; CYANIDE; ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY; GOLD MINE; MERCURY (ELEMENT); MICROSCOPY; MINING INDUSTRY;

ARTICLE; BIOSAFETY; CERTIFICATION; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS; HEALTH CARE NEED; HEALTH HAZARD; MICROPHOTOGRAPHY; MICROSCOPY; MINING; PRIORITY JOURNAL; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY; SEPARATION TECHNIQUE; SURFACE PROPERTY;

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION; GOLD; MERCURY; MICROSCOPY; MINING;

EID: 33746649531     PISSN: 00489697     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.09.095     Document Type: Article

References (18)

1. ARM (Association for Responsible Mining). http://www.communitymining.org/qseng.htm [accessed September 09, 2005].
2. Ayensu E. Ashanti gold, the African legacy of the world's most precious metal (1997), Marshall Editions Developments Ltd., UK 200 pp.
3. Earthworks and Oxfam. Dirty Metals. Mining, Communities and the Environment. Earthworks, Oxfam America, USA. 2004. http://www.nod irtygold.org/pubs/Dirty Metals_HR.pdf [accessed September 07, 2005].
4. Encyclopædia Britannica. "Gold processing", "placer deposit" from Encyclopædia Britannica Online. http://search.eb.com/eb/article?tocID-81536, http://search.eb.com/eb/article?tocID-9060270 [accessed September 29, 2004].
5. EU. Council conclusions on the Community strategy concerning mercury. 2670th Environment Council meeting, Luxembourg, 24 June 2005. Council of the European Union. http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/envir/85575.pdf, accessed September 02, 2005.
6. greenKarat, 2005 Green Carat LC. www.greenkarat.com [accessed September 07, 2005].
7. Hayes, M. Exotic mercury soars to high on tight supply. Reuters, 2004. http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?typr=reutersEdge&storyID=6115119 [updated August 31, 2004, accessed September 02, 2004].
8. Hazleton, R. The Kimberley process and its meaning for artisanal mining in Africa. Communities and Small Scale Mining (CASM) Annual General Meeting and Learning Event, Elmina, Ghana, Sept. 7-10, 2003. http://www.casmsite.org/Documents/CASM%20AGM%202003%20-%20Final%20Report.pdf, p. 7 (of 44) [accessed January 29, 2004].
9. Hylander L.D. Global mercury pollution and its expected decrease after a mercury trade ban. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 125 1/4 (2001) 331-344
10. Hylander L.D., and Meili M. The rise and fall of mercury: converting a resource to refuse after 500 years of mining and pollution. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 34 (2005) 1-36
11. Hylander L.D., Silva E.C., Oliveira L.J., Silva S.A., Kuntze E.K., and Silva D.X. Mercury levels in Alto Pantanal-a screening study. Ambio 23 8 (1994) 478-484
12. ICE (Institute for Cultural Ecology). http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/gold/ecomine.htm [accessed September 07, 2005].
13. Macdonald E.H. Alluvial Mining. The Geology, Technology and Economics of Placers (1983), Chapman and Hall, London, UK 508 pp.
14. MMSD (The Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development) Project. Breaking new ground (2002), Earthscan Publishers, London, UK 441 pp.
15. Plath D. Cleangold-the tide is turning. www.cleangold.com [accessed September 29, 2004].
16. Ross-Thomas, E. Spain's Almaden has no plans to restart mercury mine. Reuters, 2005. http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L14715311.htm [updated January 14, 2005, accessed January 15, 2005].
17. Smillie I, Gberie L, Hazleton R. The Heart of the Matter, Sierra Leone, Diamonds and Human Security. Partnership Africa Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 2000. ISBN 0-9686270-4-8, http://www.westafricareview.com/war/vol2.2/pac_sl_diamond.pdf [accessed January 29, 2004] 2000.
18. Veiga MM, Maxson P, Hylander LD. Origin of mercury in artisanal gold mining. J of Clean Prod [in press].