The Use of Mercury in Peruvian Gold Mines

 

Humans have always had an extraordinary interest in gold. For thousands of years, we have mined the earth for this precious metal, yet with all gold in the world combined, we would not even be capable of filling three and a half olympic sized swimming pools of the precious metal (Agustino Fontevecchia). Currently gold prices are at high levels, which has caused the practice of gold mining to become more viable in recent years. One place in particular has seen such a dramatic increase in gold mining in the country, Peru. The country that used to be known as the cocaine capital of the world is quickly transferring its efforts away from the cocaine industry and towards the increasingly lucrative gold mining industry (Jimenez). While gold mining may seem like a fun adventure full of surprises, it can have some potentially very serious negative health and environmental effects on our society.environmental-assessment-in-two-small-scale-gold-mining-areas-in-indonesia-biogeochemical-aspects-28_3

The biggest issue that arises with small scale mining operations in Peru is the use of Mercury to aid in extracting gold from the raw materials. To those who are unaware, the element mercury is a toxic substance that poses a serious danger to human health when exposed to it for extended periods of time or in large amounts (World Health Organization).  Miners, typically from underdeveloped parts of the world, add mercury to the dirt they collected. In the process, the gold is dissolved into the mercury, forming an amalgam. Once the mercury bonds with the gold, it is then placed under extremely high temperatures where the mercury evaporates into the atmosphere, leaving only the gold behind.

One study, conducted by professors from the University of Duke set out to find the true effects of mercury released from gold mines in Peru. What may be a surprise to many, is that small-scale mining operations that use mercury can have environmental and health effects on places 350+ miles away (Hsu-Kim, Pan, Diringer). The researchers measured mercury concentrations in the water, sediment from river beds, and in fish from 62 different sites over 350 miles of the Madre de Dios River. It was found that nearly all of the fish in the zone hmncgmfudownriver from the mining operations contained mercury levels that exceeded WHO’s recommendations for safe consumption of fish. The major concern of the researchers is the likely effect that high mercury levels will have on children. According to researchers at the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, mercury can cause severe cardiovascular and central nervous system issues, especially when it comes to children. In May, the government of Peru issued a state of emergency due to the exceedingly high levels of mercury contamination found in the rivers (Chow). It will be interesting to see whether Peruvian miners will acknowledge the damage they are causing to not only themselves, but to their communities and planet as a whole.

Sadly, the mercury method for mining gold is the simplest, easiest, and most economical method for many miners in Peru. Although not all of the negative health and environmental effects of the gold boom will be seen immediately, the citizens of Peru and neighboring countries will experience the consequences at some point. We need to continue to educate people about the dangers of mercury so that all people will have the right to a clean environment.

-Nathan O’Brien

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