Mercury Amalgamation of Gold

This image shows a sample of amalgamated (gold combined with) mercury. While this may seem like an effective result for local miners, it is important to recognize that using mercury poses significant risks:

• Environmental Impact: Mercury can contaminate water bodies and soil, leading to widespread ecological damage.

• Health Hazards: Exposure to mercury can cause serious health issues in humans including neurological disorders. It has been linked with cancer among other diseases.

Mercury is not an efficient method for extracting all the gold from concentrates; it also proves costly over time due to these risks and inefficiencies.

We recommend that miners adopt safer, more sustainable methods of recovering gold without using mercury:

• Alternative Methods: Mercury-free techniques are widely employed across North America and Europe.

These practices ensure protection for both human health and the environment while effectively extracting valuable resources.