Solutions?
Given the myriad of smallscale gold mines around the world, it
is improbable that there will be a totally comprehensive regulatory body
to oversee operations that deal with hazardous chemicals like mercury or cyanide. However, there are alternative machinery and methods that can be used to mitigate the devastation caused by gold mining. For example, the Gold Shop Mercury Capture System has proven effective in reducing mercury pollution in the ambient atmosphere. Calculations
conducted by the EPA conclude that each unit can decrease mercury concentration in the surrounding environment by around 80% (EPA). This machine proves especially practical to artisanal gold miners, as it is cost effective, structurally compact, and easily implementable (EPA).
Additionally, researchers from Northwestern
University have produced an environmentally friendly alternative to cyanide for the gold purification process (Fellman).Alphacyclodextrin, a compound derived from starch, acts with the effectiveness of cyanide yet leaves none of the environmental detriment that cyanide does (Fellman). In our modern day gold rush, the implementationof these new
methods and materials can help pave the way to a more efficient and ecofriendly gold industry.
Caura Basin, Venezuela: The ecological wellspring is threaten by the TNT blast, erosin and mercury poisoning from poorly managed illegal mining operations in the region (Jones).
The Gold Shop Mercury Capture System could prove on effective way of decreasing mercury levels in gold processing area (EPA).
7