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Reducing Mercury Pollution from Gold Mining
EPA/ANL Mercury Capture System installed in a gold shop in Huepetue, state of Medre de Dios. (R-L): David Cuadros (Peru Ministry of Energy and Mines), Ricardo Morales (Peru Ministry of Energy and Mines), Luis Fernandez (Argonne National Laboratory)
About 20% of the world's gold is produced by the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector. This sector is also responsible for the largest releases of mercury to the environment of any sector globally. A major source of air pollution from mercury, artisanal and small-scale gold mining releases approximately 400 metric tons of airborne elemental mercury each year.
Tools to Reduce Mercury from Gold Mining
- Expore a technology demonstration for Reducing Mercury Emissions from Small-Scale Gold Refining Facilities
- Case studies, treatment technologies, and additional resources to Reduce Mercury Exposure in Small Scale Gold Production
- Download a manual (PDF) (21 pp, 1.59 M, About PDF Files) with detailed information for constructing a device to capture mercury aerosol particles emitted from gold shops that process gold dore’, a gold-mercury amalgam. (Following the construction guidelines in this manual, 80% or more of the mercury emitted will be captured.)
Located in over 55 countries, small scale gold buying and refining facilities (commonly referred to as “Gold Shops”) are an important part of this production process, and are a major cause of air pollution from mercury.
The burning of mercury-gold amalgam in these Gold Shops can have serious health effects both locally and globally. For more information on mercury's health effects, please see the EPA Mercury Portal.
To reduce airborne mercury emissions from these Gold Shops, EPA and the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have partnered to design a low cost, easily constructible technology called the Gold Shop Mercury Capture System (MCS). The MCS was piloted and tested in Amazonian gold producing regions in Brazil and Peru.
Building on a pilot project and workshop held in September 2008, Peru has developed a strategy for the national implementation of this new technology, including:
- a dedicated webpage with downloadable technical resources;
- workshops;
- and promotion via posters, brochures, and press.
Performance tests indicate the MCS technology can reduce airborne mercury emissions in gold shops by 80 percent, a significant reduction in regions that typically do not have access to any form of effective mercury control technology.
Data collected during site visits in Peru, to Maldonado, Masuko, and Huetpetue, showed that in shops with the installed MCS technology, ambient mercury vapor concentrations were around or slightly above the WHO mercury limit for industrial settings (20 mcg/m3 – 8 hr). Gold shops that did not have the MCS technology installed had mean ambient mercury vapor concentrations that were five to 20 times higher than those shops that had the mercury control system installed.
ANL scientists used Jerome Mercury Vapor Analyzers to measure the concentration of airborne mercury released by gold shops located over 17,000 feet above sea level.
Environmental mercury vapor monitoring: La Rinconada, Puno (Peru)
The town of La Rinconada (pop: 35,000) is one of the highest cities in the world, at 17,020 feet above sea level, and is one of the most productive artisanal gold mining sites in Peru. All of the gold is produced through mercury amalgamation, with open mercury use.
There are an estimated 120 gold shops in La Rinconada. Average mercury vapor concentrations levels in open areas (e.g. central marketplace) approach maximum WHO Mercury vapor limits for industrial settings (20 mcg/ m3 over a 8 hr period). Measurements inside the gold shops were also significantly above WHO maximum limits.
During a visit to La Rinconada, data was collected to assess efficiency of the MCS technology in low temperature and high altitude settings so that this technology can improve air quality in La Rinconada.
Artisanal gold miners in Mali, who use mercury for gold amalgamation. The bags at bottom left are full of mercury.
A Global Opportunity
Expanding beyond the Amazon, EPA’s work represents a significant potential for reductions of mercury emissions worldwide. As one step in our efforts to pursue this, an Action Planning Workshop on reducing mercury use and emissions in artisanal gold mining took place in Bamako, Mali, December 8-10.
The workshop responded to the UNEP Governing Council’s February 2009 decision, which calls for immediate action to address the severe health and environmental effects of mercury use in artisanal gold mining. Participants included 43 representatives from governments and stakeholders from throughout francophone West Africa. Initial EPA funding for this workshop catalyzed contributions from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Finland, under the auspices of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership.
At the workshop, participants drafted national action plans for mercury reduction in the sector. A presentation on the MCS technology was well received. Over the next several months, countries will be refining their national action plans and beginning implementation to achieve real reductions in mercury exposures in the mining communities.
Back to: Toxics
Contacts
For additional information on EPA's work with mercury, contact:
Marianne Bailey
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of International and Tribal Affairs (2670R)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
E-mail: bailey.marianne@epa.gov
(202) 564-6402