Mercury pollution from small gold mines in China

Abstract

Abstract. Small scale gold mining activity in some mountainous areas of China has caused a series of Hg pollution problems. Preliminary study indicated that impacts of rig pollution on the surrounding environment, air, water and soil are dramatic, and human contamination requires attention.

Synthesis of current data for Hg in areas of geologic resource extraction contamination and aquatic systems in China

“…Airborne Hg concentrations inside workshops of a small scale gold amalgamation mining facility ranged from 2.0 to 2.8 mg m − 3 close to Hg 0 vapour saturation (Lin et al, 1997), which significantly exceeds the upper limit (0.01 mg m − 3 ) for occupational exposure by China's national standard. TGM concentrations in ambient air of the Tongguan gold mining area were significantly elevated compared to the regional background, with a maximum of 18 μg m − 3 observed at a gold mill ) in the crops sampled in this study ).…”

“…The study of Lin et al (1997) indicated serious environmental Hg pollution in the gold producing area, where total-Hg concentrations in solid tailings and soils near the workshops were highly elevated (up to 100-300 mg kg − 1 and 1100 mg kg − 1 , respectively). Soil samples collected in the vicinity of gold mills in the Tongguan gold mining area were also significantly contaminated (concentration range of total-Hg: 0.9 to 76 mg kg − 1 ) .…”

“…A few studies have been conducted concerning the environmental effects resulting from gold extraction using Hg amalgamation. Lin et al (1997) reported elevated total-Hg concentrations (range 500-1000 μg l − 1 ) in the wastewater discharged without treatment from gold mining in Dexing, Jiangxi province. Recently, Hg species in water samples collected in the gold mining area in Tongguan, China were reported Feng et al, 2006b) and it was observed that typically ≫99% of Hg in surface water was bound to particulate matter.…”

“…Gold mining Gold mining activities play an important role in China's economic progress (Lin et al, 1997), but give rise to serious environmental problems. A few studies have been conducted concerning the environmental effects resulting from gold extraction using Hg amalgamation.…”

Anthropogenic mercury sequestration in different soil types on the southeast coast of China

“…Mercury (Hg) is a globally toxic pollutant and has been of wide public health concern during the past decades (Feng and Qiu 2008;Hammond 1971;Lin et al 1997;Lin et al 2012;. Anthropogenic emissions are considered to be the main source of global Hg contamination and have been estimated to account for 2320 t annually (Pirrone et al 2010).…”