The gold mining industry in Brazil: A historical overview

Costa, Marco Aurélio da; Ríos, Francisco Javier

doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2022.105005

Cited by 16 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 57 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The IGB mine produced 97 tons of Au from 1991 until 2002 (Costa & Rios, 2022), when exploration activities were stopped and rehabilitation began. The waste rock and overburden from Au mining were placed in piles, and tailings from mineral beneficiation were disposed of in ponds waterproofed with a blanket, to prevent the infiltration of undesirable materials.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

Ramos,

de Oliveira,

Ribeiro

et al. 2024

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Monitoring key soil and vegetation attributes in mining areas under environmental rehabilitation is essential to ensure that the intervention techniques are effective. There are several approaches to monitoring mining areas and their integration is necessary to process large amounts of information. Thus, this study aimed to (i) assess soil multi‐contamination with potentially toxic elements (PTE) and human health risks; (ii) obtain a soil quality index with soil fertility data; (iii) calculate spectral index; (iv) show rehabilitation status based on vegetation attributes, and (v) compile these indices in a single measure. Four tailings' ponds (TPs), two waste piles (WPs), and an area of native forest from a gold mine in the Carajás National Forest were evaluated. Soil quality and vegetation cover are good in forest areas, with no evidence of PTE contamination. On the other hand, the TPs have poor fertility and vegetation cover, as well as higher levels of PTE. Human health risk indices obtained for all PTE were lower than 1, indicating a low risk to human health. The results of integrating the different indices suggest that the environmental conditions of the WPs are better than those of the TPs, which are still far from the environmental conditions of native areas. Soil attributes and vegetation development in TPs areas could be enhanced by the incorporation of organic materials and fertilizers and by planting species with phytoremediation potential. Finally, the integrative approach of the different indices proved to be useful in assessing the rehabilitation progress of the areas.

show abstract

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

Ramos,

de Oliveira,

Ribeiro

et al. 2024

Land Degrad Dev

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The Q.F. is the central mineral-producing province in the world in terms of iron ore [18,19], and the loss of species from mining activities is marked by a high, irreversible environmental impact [20]. The intense mining activities practiced in the area since the early 17th century on a large scale [21] continue to impact the flora of the campo rupestre, resulting in areas with exposed subsoil or gravel, which, even after decades, no natural recovery has been recorded [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Announced Extinction: The Impacts of Mining on the Persistence of Arthrocereus glaziovii, a Microendemic Species of Campos Rupestres

Moreira,

Pires,

Beirão

2024

Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The mountaintops of eastern Brazil harbor the highest rates of plant endemism in South America. However, local biodiversity faces constant threats due to habitat loss and mining activities. About 89 rare and endangered species are exclusive to this region, including the threatened species Arthrocereus glaziovii. This study aims to evaluate the potential distribution of A. glaziovii based on abiotic variables and soil elements and to characterize the distribution of mineral titles that may restrict the species’ occurrence areas. We used the Bioclim, Domain, MaxEnt, GLM, and Random Forest algorithms to model this ecological niche under future climatic scenarios, in addition to modeling the layers of mineral titles corresponding to areas already mined and those slated for future mining projects. Our predictions indicate an expansion in the future distribution of A. glaziovii. Nevertheless, the future predicted occurrence areas of the species are already compromised due to mining. According to our findings, we emphasize the looming threat of the predicted extinction of this species. Therefore, implementing conservation strategies to ensure the survival of A. glaziovii is imperative.

show abstract

“…general mines (e.g. Eschwege 1833; Costa and Rios 2022). Despite its historical and economical importance, little is known about the auriferous ores in the town of Ouro Preto and, in particular, their chemical compositions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1693 – ca. 1750; Costa and Rios 2022). The gold recovered from the mine was used to free Chico's enslaved people (Martinez 2019; Cavalcanti et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oxidised gold lode stains black: the historical Encardideira (Chico Rei) deposit, Ouro Preto, Brazil

Cabral

Nazareth

Silva

et al. 2023

Applied Earth Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The historical Encardideira gold mine, currently known as Chico Rei, represents a rare case of gold mine owned by a freed slave in Brazil's colonial times. The term 'encardideira' alludes to the property of ingraining dirt on the surface of something. Here, we provide chemical and mineralogical evidence that the Encardideira mine likely had its name from the begriming character of its ore shoots. Gold-mineralised samples are enriched in graphite C, identified as tourmaline-enclosed euhedral graphite, and Mn-oxide minerals, mostly pyrolusite and cryptomelane-like material. Measurements for Au by atomic absorption spectrometry returned Au values above 1 ppm only after cupellation, suggesting the existence of graphite-bound gold in pervasively oxidised rocks. It is hypothesised that graphite-rich ore shoots, with superposition of Mn-oxide minerals, could account for enough gold and softness for manual removal by enslaved miners and their characteristic begriming.

show abstract

The gold mining industry in Brazil: A historical overview

Cited by 16 publications

References 57 publications

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

Combining approaches for environmental assessment of rehabilitated gold‐mining areas in the Eastern Amazon

An Announced Extinction: The Impacts of Mining on the Persistence of Arthrocereus glaziovii, a Microendemic Species of Campos Rupestres

Oxidised gold lode stains black: the historical Encardideira (Chico Rei) deposit, Ouro Preto, Brazil

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About