While lead exposure continues to claim lives in Namibia and Zambia, mercury plagues the gold-diggers and artisanal miners of Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. At room temperature, mercury is a liquid, shiny metal that degrades the nervous system. Long-term exposure …

Background: Mercury (Hg) is used in gold mining to extract gold from ore by forming "amalgam"—a mixture composed of approximately equal parts mercury and gold. Approximately 15 million people, including approximately 3 million women and children, participate in artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in developing countries.

Libreville, 6 November 2018 - Ministers, officials and health experts from across Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations met to push forward action to halt the damaging effects of artisanal and small scale gold mining on human health and the environment today (6 November). Virtually every country in Africa has some form of …

18 September 2013. By Linda Pressly. BBC Radio 4, Crossing Continents. About 15% of the world's gold is produced by artisanal and small-scale miners, most of whom use mercury to extract it from ...

9. Pueblo Viejo gold mine – 10.92Moz. Pueblo Viejo mine, located roughly 100km north-west of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, is owned and operated by Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (PVDC), which is a joint venture between Barrick Gold (60%) and Newmont Goldcorp (40%).

Activists and partners in the mining and extractives industry have teamed up to eliminate mercury from artisanal and small scale gold mines in the country.Stake holders led by PlanetGOLD Uganda ...

A study of gold (Au) mining areas in Tanzania is being undertaken to assess environmental impacts arising from the use of mercury (Hg) in gold extraction. Initial results already indicated the presence of elevated Hg concentrations in environmental samples from the mining areas. The mean Hg concentration in river sediments in 4.19 …

Following the 2008 financial crisis, gold prices skyrocketed, and small-scale mining expanded around the world, particularly in mineral-rich countries in Asia, South America and Africa, including in Ghana — formerly a British colony called Gold Coast. New waves of foreign mining investment and activity bring economic opportunity but also …

Hilson and Pardie (2006) examine how mercury is an ''agent of poverty'' in Ghana's artisanal gold mining sector as mercury amalgamation is widely used because it is the cheapest method for gold ...

many mining communities remain in poverty, and the sector continues to use mercury as the primary mechanism of gold extraction. For artisanal and small-scale gold miners, mercury amalgamation provides a simple and inexpensive solution to recover gold. The process entails combining mercury with gold-bearing ore or concentrate. A gold-mercury

Gold has long been considered a safe haven for investors and a hedge against inflation. In recent years, its price hit record highs, and the increase has driven a surge in mining. Last year, gold was Bolivia's top export, worth $2.5 billion — double the value in 2020. Left: Mercury is poured by miners on a clump of earth to amalgamate …

Mercury (Hg) pollution remains an environmental global concern due to its non-degradable and toxic nature. Natural and anthropogenic sources of Hg adversely affect the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and biological processes. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), unregulated artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) contributes up to …

Part III: mercury and gold rush heritage. The nineteenth century gold rushes began in California in 1849. Footnote 13 Two years later, goldfields opened up in the British colonies of New South Wales and Victoria in Australia. Over the next fifty years the gold rush came to encompass the Northern Pacific seaboard from the Golden Gate …

Senegal and Guinea Reducing Mercury Use and Release from Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Sub-Saharan Africa (2015-2017) As the artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) sector is a major source of mercury release and environmental pollution in the world, the Minamata Convention requires countries which determine that ASGM …

The same mining practices, however, are present throughout South America, Africa and Asia. Mercury Forges a Destructive Path As the price of gold has soared during the past decade, thousands …

In October 2013, after years of negotiation, governments from 92 countries signed a historic agreement called the Minamata Convention on Mercury, establishing mandatory measures to curb mercury use and pollution. Article 7 of the Convention stipulates that governments must create National Action Plans to reduce and where …

Mercury has long been used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) to extract gold from ore sediment and rock deposits. ASGM accounts for more than a third (38%) of all anthropogenic mercury emissions to the atmosphere, with most ASGM sector-related mercury emissions coming from the burning of mercury-gold …

It specifically con-tributes through the development of a sub-regional trade diagnostic of mercury in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the context of this project, particular attention has been given to the domestic trade of mercury surrounding artisanal and small-scale gold mining – the largest mer-cury use and demand activity in the region and ...

Mercury contamination from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) currently accounts for 37% of the global total, often affecting tropical regions where regulations, if they exist, are often poorly enforced. Ingestion by people and other animals damages the nervous, reproductive, and cognitive systems. Despite the efforts of many …

The presence of mercury in soils has become a concern as artisanal gold mining activities in Ghana have increased significantly. This study assessed mercury concentration, spatial distribution, and potential ecological effects in surface soils throughout Ghana. Mercury concentrations were analyzed in 327 soil samples collected at 25 km …

Abstract. A study of gold (Au) mining areas in Tanzania is being undertaken to assess environmental impacts arising from the use of mercury (Hg) in gold extraction. Initial …

The Clinical Importance of the Mercury Problem in Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining. Justice Afrifa 1,2 * Yeboah Kwaku Opoku 3,4 Eric Ofori Gyamerah 5 George Ashiagbor 6 Rosemary Doe Sorkpor 7. 1 Department of Medical Laboratory Science, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.

1. Introduction. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) has recently been identified as the largest contributor to global anthropogenic mercury (Hg) in the atmosphere [].Eighty to 100 million people are estimated to depend on ASGM for their livelihoods or be indirectly involved [2,3], and 10 to 15 million people are directly …

In Senegal, the environmental impact of artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) using mercury (Hg) is poorly documented despite its intensification over the …

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is the largest source of mercury pollution globally, emitting more mercury than coal combustion. It occurs in over 70 countries, most of them in sub-Saharan ...

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), unregulated artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) contributes up to 20% of global gold production and uses 205–496 …

Small-scale gold mining is the key driver of global mercury demand, according to a U.N. report on the highly toxic metal, with South America accounting for 39% of this demand.

The extent of mercury contamination in soils and sediments of an artisanal gold mining community (Mpatasie) was found and the inhabitants' awareness of the risks posed by mercury was determined using a structured questionnaire. The mean concentration of mercury in soil from the community and mining fields was 0.26 mg/kg …