Search

Cassava peels were modified with citric acid by reacting the dried and milled peels with an aqueous solution of citric acid at 60 °C and sulfuric acid as catalysts, and subsequent heating at 150 °C for completion of the reaction. The synthetic solutions were preparing taking 0,5 g of metallic gold and dissolving it in a solution of 8 ml of HNO3 0,1 M; volume was completed until a solution of concentration in gold of 500 mg/L was reached. The influence of variables such as the initial gold concentration, temperature, and pH of the samples were analyzed in order to determine the optimum conditions in the recovery process. Experiments were carried out in Erlenmeyers in batch mode using an orbital shaker. The activation energy of the adsorption process was calculated as 157 + 14 kJ/mol. Gold removal values were found up to 99,58%, at a temperature of 45 ° C and pH of 10, these being optimal conditions., La cáscara de yuca se modificó con ácido cítrico haciendo reaccionar la cáscara seca y molida con una solución acuosa de ácido cítrico a 60°C y ácido sulfúrico como catalizador, y posterior finalización de la reacción a 150 °C. Se prepararon soluciones sintéticas disolviendo 0,5 g de oro en una solución de 8 ml de HNO3 0,1 M y, posteriormente, se completó el volumen para obtener una concentración de oro de 500 mg/l. Se analizó la influencia de variables tales como la concentración inicial de oro, temperatura y pH durante el proceso de remoción para determinar las condiciones óptimas del proceso de recuperación. Los ensayos se realizaron en erlenmeyers con un agitador orbital discontinuo. Los datos de equilibrio y cinético se ajustaron a varios modelos comúnmente usados en la literatura.

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is an important contributor to global human emissions of Hg.This study assesses the probabilistic human health risk for two receptors groups (residents and workers) of Portovelo mining area through exposure to Mercury (Hg) in the air at two sites: (a) the central urban area; and (b) El Pache sector. A preliminary risk assessment was performed using Hg concentrations from previous studies. The human health risk in the workplace scenario showed unacceptable levels of non-carcinogenic risk in rainy and dry seasons. Hazard Quotient (HQ) showed that 75% of the workers receptors were exposed to harmful effects on the nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune systems. Regarding the residential scenario, no human health risk is presented.The study provides information on the levels of risk to the health of the inhabitants living in mining communities to improve public management strategies to minimize risks., La minería del oro artesanal y a pequeña escala contribuye de forma importante a las emisiones globales de Hg. El presente estudio evalúa el riesgo probabilístico para la salud humana de dos grupos de receptores (residentes y trabajadores) de la zona minera de Portovelo por exposición al mercurio (Hg) en el aire en dos sectores: (a) la zona urbana central; y (b) el sector de El Pache. Se realizó una evaluación preliminar del riesgo utilizando concentraciones de Hg de estudios anteriores. El riesgo para la salud humana en los lugares de trabajo mostró niveles inaceptables de riesgo no cancerígeno en las estaciones lluviosa y seca. El cociente de peligrosidad (HQ) mostró que el 75% de los trabajadores receptores estaban expuestos a efectos nocivos en el sistema nervioso, digestivo, respiratorio e inmunitario. En el escenario residencial, no se presenta ningún riesgo para la salud humana. El estudio proporciona información sobre los niveles de riesgo para la salud de los habitantes de las comunidades mineras con la finalidad de mejorar las estrategias de gestión pública para minimizar los riesgos.

Purpose: The study aims to investigate the impact of anxiety and depression (dimensions of mental health) on mineworkers' safety behaviors (safety compliance and safety participation) while examining the moderating role of safety climate on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research approach with an explanatory cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. A total of 274 purposively selected mineworkers participated in the study. Responses were obtained from participants through a structured questionnaire which was analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings: Anxiety had a significant negative effect on safety compliance but not participation. However, depression was found to have a significant negative effect on both mineworkers' safety compliance and participation behaviors. The findings of the study also show that safety climate moderates the relationships between the dimensions of mental health and mineworkers' safety behavior except for the relationship between anxiety and mineworkers' safety participation behavior. Originality/value: The study offers an account of the negative effect of mental health on mineworkers' safety behavior whiles highlighting that safety climate is an important construct to mitigate the negative effects of mental illness on the safety behaviors of mineworkers. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

The gold mining sector in Ghana predates independence and has over the years contributed significantly to Ghana’s socio-economic development through revenue generation, employment creation and an increase in foreign direct investments. Ghana has the necessary laws, policies and available institutions to effectively supervise and monitor gold mining activities to ensure development and to minimize environmental degradation. However, some of these mining laws and policies which have direct or indirect impact on development and the environment are not adequately complied with due to lack of effective implementation and monitoring to ensure compliance. The regulatory institutions in the gold mining sector are faced with significant challenges. They include lack of adequate human and institutional capacity; dealing with multiple regulations and inter-institutional conflicts; lack of proper coordination between the institutions and political interference in the permit processing among other challenges. For the institutions to be able to perform their roles of effective monitoring and supervision to ensure effective compliance of mining laws and policies, it would require coordination between the relevant regulatory institutions, addressing the issue of multiple regulations and inter-agency conflicts and provision of sufficient staffing and resources for monitoring, regulatory enforcement and community inter-action. The aim of this article is to highlight the significant challenges facing regulatory bodies in the gold mining sector of Ghana, and suggest some solutions to these challenges.

Bioremediation systems have been applied to mitigate potential environmental impacts of thiocyanate (SCN-) that is generated by specific industries. In gold mining, this compound is typically formed by chemical reaction of cyanide (CN-) with reduced sulphur forms that are present in mining effluents. Accumulation of this chemically stable substance in mining wastes, which are often stored at mine sites, can eventually contaminate the underlying groundwater, necessitating adopting suitable approaches to destruct this environmental pollutant in mining effluents and contaminated waters. In this regard, biodegradation is favoured over physicochemical methods considering its sustainability, lower operational costs and substrate specificity. Bioremediation systems harness the metabolic activities of microorganisms capable of degrading SCN-. In engineered bioremediation systems, mixed microbial cultures or microbial consortia are often preferred over clonal populations. Although some aspects of SCN--degrading microbial communities were already investigated, many questions remained unanswered. Most prior studies on SCN--degrading microbial consortia were limited to laboratory-scale experiments with synthetic wastewater as the influent. This thesis examined some of the microbial aspects of this process in a larger scale. We also exploited cultivation techniques to experiment potential effects of heavy metals on an autotrophic microbial consortium. Also, similarities and differences between microbial communities that degraded SCN- in various bioreactors were investigated using a comparative metagenomic approach. All the studied systems were autotrophic bioreactors, i.e. SCN- served as the sole source of carbon. After an introductory chapter, in Chapter 2, a cultivation-based approach was adopted to investigate the effects of heavy metals on SCN- biodegradation by an autotrophic mixed microbial culture. Heavy metals that coexist with gold in minerals are released during ore pr

La cuestión minera es controversial por definición, la minería aurífera antioqueña en particular aloja variados intereses y disímiles realidades, por estas razones, se trata de un fenómeno que requiere más y mejores criterios de comprensión. Justamente en esa dirección se ha encaminado la apuesta del Centro de Análisis Político de nuestra Escuela de Humanidades por el estudio de la economía política de la periferia y, más recientemente, en conexión con los estudios del comportamiento con el fin de entender la gobernanza de nuestros territorios mineros. La hipótesis que orienta este trabajo investigativo es que la gestión del territorio minero requiere una mirada complementaria entre el conocimiento técnico del negocio, el poder político de la instancia gubernamental y la vivencia comunitaria de los lugareños. Ahora bien, la puesta en práctica de este tridente requiere la construcción de diálogos sobre asuntos públicos y recursos privados, formalidad e informalidad, entre los actores locales y extralocales. El escenario propuesto consiste en la gobernanza comunitaria para generar arreglos institucionales inclusivos., 310 p.

This paper analyzes the state of the gold mining economy in Araucanía between 1565 and 1585, broadly speaking. It presents the difficulties faced by the government in its effort to control the domestic gold market and taxation; as well as the ongoing concern of authorities regarding the regulation and organization of the extractive process, and the relations between encomenderos and tax-paying natives. The article also addresses the merchants’ role in the imperial periphery’s mining economy and confirms the complexities of establishing a productivity range. Even so, it is obvious that during the second half of the sixteenth century, the cities in southern Chile made a significant contribution to gold mining in the kingdom of Chile in a range probably close to 40 percent., Este trabajo analiza la situación de la economía aurífera de la Araucanía, grosso modo, entre 1565 y 1585; muestra la dificultad gubernamental para controlar el mercado interno del oro y su tributación, así como la preocupación constante de las autoridades por tratar de reglamentar y ordenar el proceso extractivo y la relación entre encomendero e indígenas tributarios. El artículo aborda además el papel de los mercaderes en esta economía minera de la periferia imperial y constata lo dificultoso que es poder establecer volúmenes de productividad. Con todo, queda claro que las ciudades del sur chileno aportaron significativamente durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVI a la economía aurífera del reino de Chile, en un rango probablemente cercano al 40%.

Gold mining areas are often associated with multiple insecurities at local, national and global levels. This paper emphasizes the simplicity of the "security-(economic) development" paradigm while examining the impact of moments of crisis on different scales of the mining economy in Burkina Faso. More specifically, it studies the adaptation and resilience practices of state and private actors in a context of increasing insecurity linked to the presence of armed groups in gold mining areas. Although insecurity is a reality for all actors in the sector (artisanal gold miners, governments, multinationals), they are not all affected in the same way and do not have the same capacity to respond. This is often the result of (the absence of) certain security measures and policies taken by public authorities vis-à-vis small-scale and large-scale extraction.

The Institutional Grammar Tool (IGT) developed by Crawford and Ostrom (1995; 2005) has grown in popularity in the English-speaking world, in contrast to its minimal penetration in Spanish-speaking academia. This article, on the one hand, brings the discussion about the application of the HGI to Spanish-speaking contexts. On the other hand, it presents a proposal for the implementation of the HGI, articulating it with other analytical tools of the Institutional Analysis and Development (ADI) framework. Thus, the original proposals of Crawford and Ostrom (1995; 2005) are introduced, followed by a critical discussion of three influential implementations in this literature and the introduction of an integrated application of the HGI based on a case of mining formalization in Colombia. The latter is shown to remedy some of the shortcomings present in the three implementations analyzed and to be more enriching for the analysis of public policies., La herramienta de gramática institucional (HGI) desarrollada por Crawford y Ostrom (1995; 2005) ha crecido en popularidad en el mundo anglosajón, en contraste con una mínima penetración en la academia hispanoparlante. Este artículo, por un lado, trae a contextos de habla hispana la discusión sobre la aplicación de la HGI; por otro lado, presenta una propuesta de implementación de la HGI que la articula con otras herramientas analíticas del marco de análisis y desarrollo institucional (ADI). De esta forma, se exponen las propuestas originales de Crawford y Ostrom (1995; 2005) para posteriormente ofrecer una discusión crítica de tres implementaciones influyentes en esta literatura e introducir una aplicación integrada de la HGI basada en un caso de formalización minera en Colombia. Se muestra que esta última subsana algunas de las falencias presentes en las tres implementaciones analizadas y resulta más enriquecedora para el análisis de las políticas públicas.

This article was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin., In land system science (LSS), the globalisation of land use is often understood via trade flows. Fewer studies have explored the power asymmetries and local resistance that shape global connections. Consequently, calls for a deeper engagement with power and agency have been made within LSS. To accommodate this, we engage the ethnographic literature on encounters, emphasising the concepts of resistance and friction. These capture the ways actors position themselves in global systems, resist, and create global connections. To illustrate its relevance for land systems, we use qualitative data from the mining sector of Tanzania, highlighting the emergence of resource nationalism as an alternative form of globalisation (alter-globalisation). We argue that a focus on resistance, friction and alter-globalisation can move LSS towards a deeper engagement with power and agency in global flows, revealing the competing actors, values and visions embedded in land systems., Peer Reviewed

In land system science (LSS), the globalisation of land use is often understood via trade flows. Fewer studies have explored the power asymmetries and local resistance that shape global connections. Consequently, calls for a deeper engagement with power and agency have been made within LSS. To accommodate this, we engage the ethnographic literature on encounters, emphasising the concepts of resistance and friction. These capture the ways actors position themselves in global systems, resist, and create global connections. To illustrate its relevance for land systems, we use qualitative data from the mining sector of Tanzania, highlighting the emergence of resource nationalism as an alternative form of globalisation (alter-globalisation). We argue that a focus on resistance, friction and alter-globalisation can move LSS towards a deeper engagement with power and agency in global flows, revealing the competing actors, values and visions embedded in land systems.

All natural resources are limited and should be managed in a sustainable way. Illegal gold mining called galamsey is a crucial income for around 5.5 million people in Ghana and is the single largest exported good. But galamsey imposes a serious threat to the environment and health of those in contact with the industry. Recent data on the expansion of galamsey are needed to understand and limit the negative impacts of galamsey. To accommodate this new high-resolution Planet satellite images from 2012, 2018, 2019 and 2021 are used to map the extension of galamsey by classifying the land cover types using the random forest classification method and a segmentation-based method. The land cover classification (LCC) is used to make a multi-criteria weighted overlay analysis (WOA) and a literature study to comprehend the impact on the environment and society. The random forest algorithm produced four land cover change maps with an average overall accuracy of 0.78 and a resolution of 3-5 meters. The study concludes that galamsey has expanded by 65 km2 (503%) from 2012-2021. Galamsey is therefore identified as a threat to the other land cover classes. The negative impact galamsey has on the environment will increase in the future, due to galamsey being seven times more pollutant than legal mining sites, often due to the usage of mercury. It’s important for the decision-makers to increase the focus on this problem to mitigate the problems and rebuild the quality of nature there once was. Many suggestions can be made to ensure this, but most importantly must the decision-makers involve local authorities and communities, to guarantee that the process of obtaining a legal mining license is eased in terms of cost and time. It’s also important to inspect galamsey sites and increase the fines and imprisonments if the laws regarding galamsey is not respected. For this it’s important with recent and high-resol

На примере биографии С. Н. Стрижова показаны ценностные ориентации и поведенческие практики эсеровских лидеров Екатеринбурга в период революций и Гражданской войны. Рассматривается эволюция взглядов С. Н. Стрижова на развитие промышленности края, его выступления в прессе и на съездах золотопромышленников, политическая деятельность в городах Урала. Сделана попытка выявить причины перехода Стрижова к революционной работе. Дана оценка его взглядам по вопросу об автономии Урала. В статье представлены неизвестные ранее биографические сведения., The article presents the value orientations and behavioral practices of the Social Revolutionary leaders of Yekaterinburg during the revolutions and the Civil War using the biography of S. N. Strizhov. The evolution of his views on the development of the industry of the region, appearances in the press and at the congresses of gold miners, political activity in the cities of the Urals is considered. An attempt is made to identify the reasons for Strizhov's transition to revolutionary work. An assessment of his views on the autonomy of the Urals is given. The article reveals previously unknown biographical information.

The article discusses the role of S. N. Strizhov and I. P. Tarasov in the political activities of the Socialist-Revolutionaries (SRs) in the Urals in 1903-1918. Strizhov and Tarasov sought to secure the support of other party members and were quite successful in their agitation and propaganda efforts before their activities were declared illegal. Being the leaders of the SR Party in Ekaterinburg in 1917, Strizhov and Tarasov tried to exert influence on the management of Ural factories through the Factory Council (Zavodskoye soveshchanie). However, the Civil War made Strizhov’s idea about the autonomous development of the Urals difficult to realize in practice., В статье сделана попытка определить роль С. Н. Стрижова и И. П. Тарасова в политической активности эсеров на Урале в 1903–1918 гг. Наиболее успешно агитационную и пропагандистскую работу среди населения они вели в легальный период своей активности, добиваясь поддержки своих резолюций на партконференциях эсеров Урала. Заняв лидирующие позиции в организации эсеров Екатеринбурга в 1917 г., Стрижов и Тарасов стремились оказать влияние на управление предприятиями региона через Заводское совещание. Автором сделан вывод о невозможности реализации на практике предложений Стрижова об автономном развитии Урала в условиях Гражданской войны.

This thesis examines the governance of the interface between commercial mining and artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Indonesia. It does so from the under-addressed perspective of artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Using a critical governmentality lens, the research discovered artisanal and small-scale gold miners are neglected because of governmental techniques adopted by global and national bodies to eliminate mercury use. Concurrently, these miners have created alternative knowledge and practices through counter-discourses, conduct and strategies to ensure their mining agenda can progress. This research advocates for inclusion of artisanal and small-scale miners in mining governance to promote mining sustainability.

The Serra Pelada region and its surroundings were the scene of several conflicts related to gold mining. During the Serra Pelada operation, the memories of these clashes were recorded in reports, photographs and the stories and recollections of those who lived through those moments. This article seeks to reflect on the social, political, and economic struggles that took place in the town of Serra Pelada over the mining operation, which erupted into a violent episode that became known as the São Bonifácio Massacre. To this end, it examines written sources and television reports. Analyzing the power relations, it would seem that although the Serra Pelada miners gained strength and bargaining power through their numbers, the government has always sought ways to keep the miners under control, the São Bonifácio Massacre being an act of extreme violence in response to the threat to its authority., A região de Serra Pelada e arredores foi palco de diversos conflitos relacionados com a garimpagem de ouro. Durante o funcionamento de Serra Pelada, memórias desses conflitos ficaram registradas em reportagens, fotografias e nos relatos e lembranças de quem vivenciou esses momentos. O presente trabalho objetiva, refletir sobre os conflitos sociais, políticos e econômicos que ocorreram na vila de Serra Pelada em torno do funcionamento do garimpo e que resultaram em um episódico violento que ficou conhecido como o Massacre de São Bonifácio. Para isso, foram levantadas fontes escritas e reportagens televisivas. Analisando as relações de poder, verifica-se que os garimpeiros de Serra Pelada ganharam poder e força de negociação graças ao seu quantitativo, mas o governo sempre buscou meios de manter os garimpeiros sobre controle, sendo o Massacre de São Bonifácio um ato de violência extremado em reação à ameaça contra sua autoridade., La región de Serra Pelada y sus alrededores fue escenario de varios conflictos relacionados con la minería de oro. Durante la operación de Serra Pelada, los recuerdos de estos conflictos quedaron registrados en reportajes, fotografías y en los relatos y memorias de quienes vivieron estos momentos. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre los conflictos sociales, políticos y económicos que ocurrieron en el pueblo de Serra Pelada en torno al funcionamiento de la minería y que resultaron en un episodio violento que se conoció como la Masacre de São Bonifácio. Para ello, se revisaron fuentes escritas y reportajes televisivos. Analizando las relaciones de poder, parece que los mineros de Serra Pelada ganaron poder y fuerza negociadora gracias a su cantidad, pero el gobierno siempre ha buscado formas de mantener a los mineros bajo control, siendo la Masacre de São Bonifácio un acto de extrema violencia en reacción a la amenaza contra su autoridad. &nbsp

Since the 1980s gold mining in Madre de Dios, Perú has been the main deforestation driver generating severe socio-economic and ecological impacts. The present research quantifies this activity in2000 and 2017 by decision tree algorithms applied on a supervised classification of satellite images from LANDSAT 5 and LANDSAT 8 sensors. Results reveal an increase of 47 657,43 ha of deforestation due to gold mining between 2000 and 2017. Categorized areas showed an increase of 42,52% (35 183,45 ha), with the greatest impact on the native communities, concessions for reforestation and buffer zones of Protected Natural Areas. It is worth mentioning that there were 1 139,77 ha by 2000 that presented mining activity and were recovered by 2017. Validation by experts confirmed up to 93% of the detections with Kappa index. Decision tree methodology is direct, with quick processes and accurate results., Desde la década de los 80 la minería aurífera en Madre de Dios ha sido el principal impulsor de la deforestación generando impactos socioeconómicos y ecológicos graves. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo cuantificar la minería aurífera en el departamento de Madre de Dios, Perú en los años 2000 y 2017, empleando una clasificación supervisada mediante algoritmos de árboles de decisión en imágenes satelitales de los sensores LANDSAT 5 y LANDSAT 8. Los resultados muestran un incremento de 47 657,43 ha con actividad minera entre el año 2000 y 2017. Asimismo, en las zonas categorizadas se cuantificó un aumento de 42,52% equivalente a 35 183,45 ha, siendo las comunidades nativas, concesiones para reforestación y zonas de amortiguamiento de Áreas Naturales Protegidas las áreas más afectadas. Se identificaron 1 139,77 ha que en el año 2000 presentaron actividad minera y recuperaron su cobertura vegetal para el año 2017. El resultado fue validado mediante juicio de expertos y se obtuvo un índice de Kappa de 93% de acierto. La metodología de árboles de decisión es directa, con procesos rápidos y resultados precisos.

Gold mining, like all other forms of mining, is strongly associated with the production of a wide range of residues, whether this concerns (toxic) waste materials or the environments transformed in pursuit of gold. Frequently, these residual products, such as soil, mud, rocks, and water, as well as the environments from which they are extracted or where they are deposited, appear as waste, cast aside or abandoned, rendered as useless by-products or destroyed lands. In this photographic essay, we build on recent insight regarding the fluid character of waste by extending analysis into both the domains of materials and of space because not only can specific materials be repurposed as resources, but also specific spaces can be transformed from sites of abandonment to sites of production (or vice versa), whether for mining or other activities. These photographic series show how different actors repurpose material and spatial residues. By centralising images of processes of repurposing, this essay nuances and offers a counterweight to dominant visual narratives. These typically focus on environmental and social damage, and often take a perspective ‘from above’ as they largely draw on aerial images. In doing so, these narratives tend to flatten or even erase local complexity and heterogeneity, and risk reproducing received negative stereotypes about artisanal and small-scale mining and miners. Importantly, as will transpire throughout the essay, the phenomena and processes depicted in our images shape and are shaped by different social, political, economic, technological, environmental, and historical relations and dynamics. These include, for example, former mining trajectories, gendered production relations, miners’ socio-economic positions, the involvement of external actors, and the introduction of new capital, knowledge and technologies. Ultimately, this illuminates the necessity of approaching ‘waste’ in fluid, relational, and transformative terms as material and sp, Funders: Belmont Forum, NORFACE (New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe)., Gold Matters

Present article is devoted to study of electrolytic zinc powders usage features in gold mining industry. Electrolytic zinc powders characterized by dendritic shape and a high specific surface area. These features of electrolytic zinc powders provide a number of advantages for gold cementation from alkaline cyanide solutions. Dendritic form of electrolytic zinc powder makes it possible to reduce zinc layer hydraulic resistance on filtering surface, which is important when using cementation technologies based on filtration of gold-bearing solution through zinc powder layer. High specific surface area of electrolytic zinc powders favourably affects the rates of gold recovery from cyanide solutions, which is shown in cementation experiments from model and real (industrial) solutions. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.

This article proposes a historiographical dialogue based on the historical and cultural connections between Brazil and the African continent, emphasizing the centrality of the experience of workers who had mineralogical knowledge for the history of gold mining. The aim is to analyse how African metallurgists helped or resisted colonial mining projects, shaped scientific practices and offered creative insights into metalworking. Finally, we intend to examine the impacts of gold exploitation of Minas Gerais in the Kingdom of Angola, where the Portuguese also invested in prospecting for gold., Este artigo propõe um diálogo historiográfico a partir das conexões históricas e culturais entre o Brasil e o continente africano, enfatizando a centralidade da experiência dos trabalhadores que detinham conhecimentos mineralógicos para a história da exploração aurífera. O objetivo é analisar como metalúrgicos africanos ajudaram ou resistiram aos empreendimentos de mineração colonial, moldaram práticas científicas e ofereceram visões criativas do trabalho em metal. Pretende-se, por fim, analisar os impactos da exploração aurífera de Minas Gerais no Reino de Angola, onde os portugueses também investiram na prospecção do ouro.

Who controls the underground, how, and with what consequences? National resource management policies worldwide maintain that subsurface resources should be owned by states and extracted by permitted industrial firms. However, a rapidly growing number of small-scale miners across the globe challenge this longstanding governance maxim. They insist that mineral deposits are resources that should be open to direct use by local people. Today, an estimated 134 million people spanning 80 countries depend on this use for their livelihoods. In this dissertation, I examine an increasingly common form of resource conflict that has emerged from this context: the juxtaposition of, and competition between, large-scale and small-scale gold mining.Drawing on twelve months of ethnographic research, I explore the history, dynamics, and consequences of competing claims to gold between industrial and small-scale mining. I examine the case of Pongkor, a mining region located in upland West Java just outside Indonesia’s massive Jabodetabek metropolitan area. In Pongkor, the state-owned mining company, Antam, and thousands of independent, technically illegal, miners have competed over the same gold deposits for more than twenty-five years. Antam insists that it alone holds legal rights to local minerals, but nearby residents have challenged this authority, claiming that informal extraction has benefited the community more than the company ever has. In my analysis, I complicate the outward appearance of this environmental “conflict,” showing the many ways Antam and informal, small-scale miners are entangled. Together, they have co-produced Pongkor’s overlapping extractive landscape—a space in which competition over gold has transformed livelihood strategies, labor dynamics, modes of governing territory, personal identities, and regional politics.I describe these processes of transformation and their uneven effects on the people who live and work in Pongkor through five interlinked chapters

This paper is focused on working under the line of sustainability in small-scale informal gold mining projects, specifically in Colombia. It is interesting to study Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in Colombia from a business perspective as an activity that generates economic and sustainable development. ASM has great challenges to overcome in order to achieve sustainability in the industry, among them is to overcome informality in the sector, and thus be able to promote the development of a legally constituted economic activity. To achieve this objective, the National Government of Colombia has implemented a National Mining Formalization Policy, encouraging formality through mining formalization and regularization projects. In this work a review is carried out on the aspects that revolve around a Sustainable Business Model; use is made of the business modeling tool Canvas, whose input is secondary information sources. to present a Sustainable Business Model around small informal gold mining with a view to contributing to the purpose of achieving mining formality in operations in the territory, Este artículo se enfoca en trabajar bajo la línea de la sostenibilidad en proyectos de minería informal de oro a pequeña escala, específicamente en Colombia. Resulta interesante estudiar en Colombia la Minería Artesanal y a Pequeña Escala (MAPE) desde una perspectiva empresarial como actividad generadora de desarrollo económico y sostenible. La MAPE tiene grandes desafíos a vencer para alcanzar el carácter de sostenibilidad en la industria, entre ellos está el superar la informalidad en el sector, y así poder impulsar el desarrollo de una actividad económica legalmente constituida. Para alcanzar este objetivo, el Gobierno Nacional de Colombia ha implementado una Política y un Plan de Formalización minera a nivel nacional, incentivando la formalidad a partir de proyectos de formalización y regularización minera. En este trabajo se realiza una revisión sobre los aspectos que giran en torno a un Modelo de Negocio Sostenible; se hace uso de la herramienta de modelado de negocios Canvas, cuyo insumo de trabajo son fuentes de información secundaria. para presentar un Modelo de Negocio Sostenible alrededor de la pequeña minería de oro informal con miras a contribuir en el propósito de lograr la formalidad minera en las operaciones del territorio.

Since its advent at the end of the nineteenth century, cyanide processing facilitated the intensification and global expansion of industrial gold mining. Today, there are important indications that artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is on the verge of a similar cyanide revolution: while ASGM is typically associated with mercury-based processing, mercury amalgamation is increasingly replaced with, or complemented by, cyanidation. Relying on evidence from the Philippines, Indonesia, and Burkina Faso, we demonstrate how this transition is having a deeply transformative impact on ASGM communities. On the one hand, cyanidation produces clear efficiency gains. Together with rising gold prices, it is fueling a dramatic expansion of ASGM by enabling the profitable extraction of lower-grade gold deposits. On the other hand, it contributes to the emergence of new and often highly unequal labor and revenue-sharing arrangements. More broadly, these findings demonstrate the highly uneven impact of socio-technical transformations. Consequently, the growing number of efforts to intervene in the technological make-up of ASGM, usually in the name of efficiency and sustainability, should be wary of having unintended consequences.

Taking a landscape-based approach, the Aurifer Tagus project has demonstrated the significance of gold mining in the Roman province of Lusitania. New radiocarbon dates reveal the foundation, use and abandonment of the Covão do Urso and Mina da Presa mining sites. Combined with ancient literature, this evidence sheds light on the territory's organisation and the evolution of its social structure.

The history of gold mining in Egypt from ancient times to the present day, the reasons and prospects for its development in the light of recent global changes in the international financial and industrial markets are briefly considered., Кратко рассмотрены история золотодобычи в Египте с древнейших времен по наши дни, причины и перспективы ее развития в свете последних глобальных изменений на международных финансовом и промышленном рынках.

Alluvial gold mining corresponds to extractivism. Beyond the different terms used to describe it, such as informal, illegal, artisan, traditional or ancestral, the instrument of analysis of the modes of appropriation is applied, to show that it is a diverse and heterogeneous issue. Considering three key criteria, twelve different modes were identified. Here, some highlights of these modes are noted, and a case study in southern Colombia is offered as an example. We estimate that more than 1.3 million people participate in these activities in at least eight South American countries. They are practices with severe social and environmental impacts, which have an extended and spotty spatial distribution, and frequently occur in breach of rights safeguards and with high incidence of violence. This heterogeneity in turn affects the proposals for alternatives., La minería de oro aluvial corresponde a los extractivismos. Más allá de las diferentes denominaciones que recibe, tales como informal, ilegal, artesanal, tradicional o ancestral, se aplica el instrumento de análisis de los modos de apropiación, para dejar en evidencia que es un conjunto diverso y heterogéneo. Considerando tres criterios clave se identificaron doce modos distintos. Se señalan algunos aspectos sobresalientes en esos modos, y se ofrece un estudio de caso en el sur de Colombia como ejemplo. Estimamos que más de 1,3 millones de personas participan de estas actividades en al menos ocho países sudamericanos. Son prácticas con severos impactos sociales y ambientales, que tienen una distribución espacial extendida y manchada, y discurren frecuentemente incumpliendo las salvaguardias de derechos y alta incidencia de violencia. Esa heterogeneidad a su vez afecta las propuestas de alternativas.

Confronted with advancing resource frontiers, local communities increasingly rely on conflict to re-establish order in the face of problematic interdependences brought about by mining transactions. This article captures the interactions at national level that engender these interdependences in the first place. We explore how national actor groups influence emerging regularities of behaviour in mining through the example of gold mining in Kyrgyzstan – a fragile resource-dependent country divided by mining conflicts. For the analysis of these emerging patterns of behaviour, we focus on shared beliefs and norms that in interaction with perceived dimensions of transactions provide motivation to act. The identified regularities of behaviour help differentiate the otherwise crude dichotomy of conflict and cooperation, pointing to shades of conflicts. Mining conflicts in Kyrgyzstan are driven by profound structural factors that are rooted in weak governance, lack of institutional trust and limited cooperation across national actor groups. Risks and costs are distributed to outgroups, threatening the local social-ecological systems and further fragmenting Kyrgyz society. If extraction continues in the current mode of governance, resource-based grievances are likely to persist in Kyrgyzstan, as mining will increasingly encroach on local ecosystems, livelihoods and cultural commons – unless the national perceptions and shared beliefs change., Peer Reviewed

The small gold mining generates toxic substances discharges, being an environmental problem. The objective was to evaluate the removal of cyanide and heavy metals, in liquid effluents from the gold benefit, by adsorption with activated carbon and hydrogen peroxide. The residues were first treated with carbon to determine the adsorption efficiency with 20, 40, 60 g of carbon / L of solution at times of 4, 8, 12 hours. Then hydrogen peroxide (1.0, 1.5, 2.0 liters of peroxide / Kg CN in solution, was added over 4 hours). The response variables were concentrations of cyanide, lead, zinc, iron. The best treatment with carbon was 60 g of carbon / L of solution and 12 hours of contact and for the process with hydrogen peroxide: 2 liters of H2O2 / Kg of CN in solution, during 4 hours. A flow chart and tables for the implementation of the process were designed., La pequeña minería de oro genera vertimientos de sustancias tóxicas, siendo una problemática ambiental. El objetivo fue evaluar la remoción de cianuro y metales pesados, en efluentes líquidos del beneficio de oro, mediante la adsorción con carbón activado y peróxido de hidrógeno. Los residuos primero se trataron con carbón para determinar la eficiencia de adsorción con 20, 40, 60 g de carbón/L de solución a tiempos de 4, 8, 12 horas. Luego se adicionó peróxido de hidrógeno (1,0, 1,5, 2,0 litros de peróxido/Kg CN en solución, durante 4 horas). Las variables de respuesta fueron concentraciones de cianuro, plomo, zinc, hierro. El mejor tratamiento con carbón fue 60 g de carbón/L de solución y 12 horas de contacto y para el proceso con peróxido de hidrógeno: 2 litros de H2O2/Kg de CN en solución, durante 4 horas. Se diseñó un diagrama de flujo y tablas para la implementación del proceso.

The present study aimed to determine the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb and Hg in soil and crops (banana and cassava) in areas abandoned by gold mining, southeast of the Peruvian Amazon. The concentration and bioaccumulation of heavy metals was analyzed, according to the plant organ (root, stem, leaf and fruit). Soil Hg concentrations (< 0.01 mg/kg) were found to be similar in contaminated and uncontaminated plantations; while the concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were higher in the contaminated ones. The concentrations of As, Pb and Cd in cassava and banana were higher in the contaminated plantations. In cassava, a high accumulation of Pb and As was found in the roots and stems (> 2.9 mg/kg). In banana fruits, the lowest concentrations of all the metals analyzed were found (< 0.01 mg/kg). The degree of bioaccumulation of As and Pb was intense for cassava in contaminated areas. The concentrations of As and Pb in cassava roots exceed the levels recommended by the FAO/ WHO. For these reasons, evaluation, monitoring and greater control in the commercialization of agricultural products cultivated in areas abandoned by gold mining are essential to avoid toxicity in humans., El objetivo del estudio fue de analizar las concentraciones de As, Cd, Pb y Hg en suelos y productos agrícolas (plátano y yuca) en áreas abandonadas por minería aurífera, sureste de la Amazonía peruana. Se analizó la concentración y bioacumulación de metales pesados, según órgano de la planta (raíz, tallo, hoja y fruto). Se encontró que las concentraciones de Hg en suelo (< 0,01 mg/kg) fueron similares en plantaciones contaminadas y no contaminadas; mientras que las concentraciones de As, Cd y Pb fueron superiores en las contaminadas. Las concentraciones de As, Pb y Cd en yuca y plátano fueron superiores en las plantaciones contaminadas. En yuca se encontró una elevada acumulación de Pb y As en las raíces y tallos (> 2,9 mg/kg). En frutos de plátano se encontraron las concentraciones más bajas de todos los metales analizados (< 0,01 mg/kg). El grado de bioacumulación de As y Pb fue intenso para la yuca en sitios contaminados. Las concentraciones de As y Pb en raíces de yuca superan los niveles recomendados por la FAO/OMS. Por estas razones es esencial la evaluación, monitoreo y mayor control en la comercialización de productos agrícolas cultivados en zonas abandonadas por la minería aurífera para evitar la toxicidad en humanos.

The Colombian territories where mining occurs have been subject to numerous studies from an economic, political and social point of view. This article discusses the collective action in Buriticá, Antioquia, in order to understand its community dynamics, despite the challenges brought on by mining exploitation. It examines cooperation based on the voluntary contribution mechanism and estimates its determinants through a probit model. The results indicate that, even in adversity, individuals tend to act cooperatively, unlike previous studies that focus on maximizing individual benefits., Os territórios colombianos onde há mineração foram submetidos a numerosos estudos do ponto de vista econômico, político e social. Este artigo discute a ação coletiva em Buriticá, Antioquia, para entender sua dinâmica comunitária, apesar dos desafios da exploração mineira. Examina a cooperação com base no mecanismo de contribuição voluntária e estima seus determinantes por meio de um modelo probit. Os resultados indicam que, mesmo na adversidade, as pessoas tendem a agir cooperativamente, ao contrário de estudos anteriores que se concentram na maximização do benefício individual., Los territorios colombianos donde existe explotación minera han sido objeto numerosos estudios desde el punto de vista económico, político y social. En este artículo se analiza la acción colectiva en Buriticá, Antioquia, para entender sus dinámicas comunitarias a pesar de los retos de la explotación minera. Examina la cooperación a partir del mecanismo de contribución voluntaria y estima sus determinantes mediante un modelo probit. Los resultados indican que, aun en la adversidad, las personas tienden a actuar en forma cooperativa, a diferencia de estudios anteriores que se enfocan en la maximización del benefício individual.

To contribute to economic growth and development, a stock market, as a leading economic indicator, should reflect the macroeconomic fundamentals of a country. The reflection of political and economic developments in the returns of companies listed on a stock market indicates the risk profile of those companies and the stock exchange. The objective of this article is to provide a historical perspective on how political and economic developments reflected in the returns of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) during the nineties. The history of the JSE during the nineties can be divided into four periods: a pre-1994 era, the 1994 election, the 1995 big bang, and the post-1995 era. The study concludes that the JSE was exposed to extraordinary political changes and political events, eventually cumulating in a peaceful democratic election and a new political dispensation in 1994. Uncertainty surrounding future macroeconomic policy, global events such as the emergence of the Internet and the new economy, as well as an emerging market crisis, also impacted on JSE returns during the 1990s.

Introduction: Small-scale mining in Ghana has been a major community and national concern due to its contribution to the destruction of farmlands and bodies of water, and to the loss of human life. Small-scale mining exposes workers to varying degrees of health hazards and problems. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and views of workers about the occupational health hazards and problems related to small-scale gold mining in Obuasi Municipality, Ghana, to help improve workers' safety at the mining sites. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done between May and December 2011. Simple random sampling was used to select 150 small-scale miners take part in this study. The workers were asked about their knowledge and views of occupational health hazards and problems related to gold mining. Data were entered with EpiData Entry 3.1 and analyzed using Stata 11. Results: Most workers (95, 63.3%) had low knowledge of occupational health and safety regulations. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that knowledge about regulations was associated with level of education (OR = 8.5; 95% CI: 7-10.5). The common effects of mining that workers expressed awareness of were land pollution (30%), water pollution (28%), air pollution (18.7%), and noise pollution (16%). The factors influencing exposure to health hazards related to mining were low educational levels (14%), little work experience (30.7%), incorrect handling of equipment or chemicals (26%), poor law enforcement (12.7%), and negligence (16.7%). In general, occupational lung disease (16%), occupational hearing loss (14%), heat illnesses (12%), eye infections (16%), malaria (24%), and skin infections (18%) were the most common health problems study participants mentioned. Conclusion: High levels of occupational health hazards and problems related to gold mining exist among workers in private mines. Safety program should be offered as part of associated public health programs to limit the most signif

Objective: To determine the assessment of Buriticá’s (Antio-quia) inhabitants on the socio-environmental and health im-pacts of gold mining activity in the region. Methodology: Mi-xed method research study with a qualitative and quantitative approach, with the participation of officials from the Mayor's Office, inhabitants of rural areas and the municipal area, and administrative personnel and operators of a mining association in the municipality in the process of legalization. The actors identified, assessed, prioritized and categorized the perceived impacts, for which the modified Leopold (1971) and Empre-sas Públicas de Medellín-Arboleda (1985) methods were used. Results: The migration of miners to Buriticá generated infor-mal gold mining that in turn generated: critical impacts (76-100 points) in terms of water contamination, culture shock, loss of identity, increased alcoholism, drug addiction, prosti-tution and crime; severe impacts (50-75 points) in terms of the collapse of public services, appearance of pests, high-risk buil-dings, felling of trees and animal migration; positive impacts, such as an increase in the sense of belonging of indigenous people, an increase in commerce and employment, and hos-pital training to overcome conditions of installed capacity in the face of emergency care, trauma, accidents and poisoning. Conclusion: The mining boom caused impacts identified by different actors: these visualized that the increase in the fore-ign population is not only one of the most significant impacts that have occurred from mining, but is also the cause of many others that have emerged in the three components evaluated (social, environmental and health), Objetivo: Conhecer a avaliação que os habitantes de Buriticá, Antioquia, fazem dos impactos socioambientais e sanitários devido à atividade de mineração aurífera na região. Metodologia: Foi usado o método misto em pesquisa, com abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa, com a participação de funcionários da prefeitura, habitantes da zona rural e do município, pessoal administrativo e trabalhadores de uma associação mineira do município em processo de legalização. Foram identificados, avaliados, priorizados e categorizados os impactos detectados, usando os métodos Leopold (1971) e Empresas Públicas de Medellín –Arboleda (1985) modificados. Resultados: A migração de mineiros à Buriticá gerou uma exploração aurífera informal com impactos críticos (76-100 pontos), contaminação de águas, choque cultural, perda da identidade, aumento de alcoolismo, dependência de drogas, prostituição e delinquência; impactos severos (50-75 pontos) de colapso de serviços públicos, surgimento de pragas, construções de alto risco, derrubada de árvores e migração de animais; impactos positivos como aumento do sentimento de pertencimento das pessoas autóctones, aumento do comércio e do emprego e a aprendizagem do hospital para superar condições de capacidade derivada da atenção de urgências, traumas, acidentes e intoxicações. Conclusão: O auge da mineração causou impactos identificados por diferentes fatores: é evidente que o aumento da população recém-chegada não é só um dos impactos mais significativos derivados da mineração, mas é também o causador de muitos outros que apareceram nos três componentes avaliados (social, ambiental e sanitário)., Objetivo: Conocer la valoración que habitantes de Buriticá, Antioquia, hacen de los impactos socioambientales y sanitarios por la actividad minera aurífera en la región. Método: Estudio investigativo de método mixto, con enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo, con participación de funcionarios de la Alcaldía, habitantes de zona rural y de la cabecera municipal, y personal administrativo y operarios de una asociación minera del municipio en proceso de legalización. Los actores identificaron, valoraron, priorizaron y categorizaron los impactos percibidos, para lo que se utilizaron los métodos Leopold (1971) y Empresas Públicas de Medellín-Arboleda (1985) modificados. Resultados: La migración de mineros a Buriticá generó explotación aurífera informal con: impactos críticos (76-100 puntos) de contaminación de aguas, choque cultural, pérdida de identidad, aumento de alcoholismo, drogadicción, prostitución y delincuencia; impactos severos (50-75 puntos) de colapso de servicios públicos, aparición de plagas, construcciones de alto riesgo, tala de árboles y migración de animales; impactos positivos, como aumento del sentido de pertenencia de las personas autóctonas, incremento del comercio y del empleo, y aprendizaje del hospital para superar condiciones de capacidad instalada frente a la atención de urgencias, traumas, accidentes e intoxicaciones. Conclusión: El auge de la minería causó impactos identificados por diferentes actores: estos visualizaron que el aumento de la población foránea no es solo uno de los impactos más significativos que se han dado a partir de la minería, sino que también es el causante de muchos otros que han surgido en los tres componentes evaluados (social, ambiental y sanitario).

The plant ionome is used for many applications for which it is important to understand and model how the elemental composition in the plants or plant organs evolved based on the available element sources, e.g. the effect of the soils or the underlying lithologies. Since the uptake and translocation of elements is influenced by a multitude of non-controllable parameters it is very challenging to relate a certain element pattern specifically to one parameter and quantify the effect of the parameter. Additionally, the applied modelling tools often do not take into account that both, the plant ionome and the element source, are multi-element concentrations. Concentrations are compositional data which represent the relative importance of some parts of a whole, and thus they are constrained and typically might suffer from problems of spurious correlations and negative bias, which disturbs our models of plant uptake. In this contribution, we are presenting a statistical approach to describe the relation between geochemical composition of plants and the bedrock lithology while taking the multi-variate and constrained nature of concentrations into account. Modern compositional data analysis relies on log-ratio transforms and the Aitchison geometry. Most of the processes building the plant ionome from the element sources can be understood as linear modifications in the log-ratio space. A selective element transport would correspond to a shift of log-ratios. If this selectivity varies randomly this shift can be modelled by a multivariate normal distribution in log-ratio space. Selective element uptake by plants can thus be modelled by a downscaling of variability in the form of regression coefficients in log-ratio space. This allows to model many geochemical phenomena through a multivariate linear model in log-ratios. To demonstrate the statistical method an exploration data set of lithologies and plant data from Northern Finland is used.

The current state-of-the-art in using phytoremediation for environmental monitoring of mercury (Hg) in soils impacted by gold mining operations is discussed in this chapter. Due to its use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), high amounts of Hg have been found in soils near these impacted areas, where its remediation has become a major challenge. This chapter describes in detail ASGM activities and remediation approaches by different phytoremediation techniques focused on Hg removal, with special attention on Colombian studies. Finally, the chapter concludes with a case-study assessed on Hg-contaminated soils by ASGM in northern Colombia, using a phytoremediation process using Jatropha curcas.

This data article includes information on the impact of gold mining along five zones of a tropical river in the Pacific region of Colombia. The concentrations of total mercury (THg), total length, mertimercury (MeHg) were determined in 16 species of fish. With this information, it was shown as the concentrations of mercury in fish are influenced by the distribution in the contamination along the Atrato River Basin [1]. Further, THg and MeHg concentrations were related with the trophic level to show biomagnification, and with total length to show bioaccumulation, which is important to establish the potential risk to the environment and also to the health of the inhabitants living along the basin from the consumption of fish.

Jada-Mercy Ayebae1*, Maria Rodriguez1, Dr. Natasha Andrade *Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 In the Amazon Rainforest, illegal gold mining leaves water, soil and vegetation contaminated with mercury. This affects the environment and the populations dependent on the land for survival. Experiments to assess the toxicity of mercury on indigenous plant will be performed by UMD researchers next year in the Amazon. Radish and tomato seeds were used to design experiments with the purpose of understanding the effects of mercury on vegetation, specifically during germination. It was hypothesized that the control seeds (non-exposed to mercury) would grow longer and healthier than the others, to be implicated by root elongation. Seeds were treated with various concentrations of mercury (2ppm, 1ppm, 0.5ppm, 0ppm). The results showed that the seeds from the control group and those exposed to 0.5 ppm of mercury had greater root elongation than those exposed to 1 and 2ppm, after three days of germination in radishes. The tomatoes were tested in a weeklong experiment finding that, the control group had a significantly higher root length followed by 0.5 and 2ppm. These results showed that 2ppm (the greatest concentration) stunted root elongation the most in radishes and 1ppm stunted root elongation the most in tomatoes. These results support some of the hypothesis and the worries about mercury deposits in the Amazon rainforest.

This article focuses on the characterization of auriferous deposits, identification of hitherto unknown Roman mining infrastructure remains, and the early attempts of exploitation carried out in north-west Iberia. The research has combined airborne laser scanning (LiDAR) and field prospection to explore the geomorphological signature and landscape transformation resulting from Roman mining works in two unknown sectors of the western Duero Meseta. The integration of geological and remote sensing information contributed to extend the Roman's mining domains, traditionally focused on the river headwaters of the north-west. The article explores the complex hydraulic system developed in the Jamuz and lower sector of the Eria river valleys, as well as the evidence of open-cast mining and their relationship with the Roman army. The results suggest that the highly dispersed and reduced dimensions of the mining sites correspond to a selected method of gold prospection, employed for the identification of viable exploitation sectors. Thus, the initiation of the mining works could have started in the Jamuz valley and developed systematically in this area, to subsequently spread towards the upstream sectors and nearby valleys. This research contributes to gain new insights into the extension and complexity of the mining infrastructure, indicating the importance of the gold-bearing raña deposits within the framework of Roman gold mining in north-west Spain., Russian Federation, Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Fac. de Ciencias Geológicas, TRUE, pub

This study aimed to determine the RfD from mercury exposure in Bulawa Subdistrict in Bone Bolango District using NOAEL mercury in white mice and body weight and height of Indonesians who were exposed to mercury. This was an observational study with a cross-sectional design using manual quantitative data analysis methods. As a result, the average mercury concentration in respondents’ drinking water and fish consumed was 0.000478 mg/L and 0.0298 mg/kg. In conclusion, the average mercury concentration in respondents’ drinking water and fish consumed is still below the threshold limit value set by the national standard for mercury concentrations.

Since the 1980s the Upper Cauca region in southwestern Colombia has featured a series of environmental conflicts related to the expansion of the sugar agro-industry, mining, hydroelectric power generation, and drinking water supply systems, among others. Likewise, since 2000, local communities have endured the violent confrontations among guerrillas, paramilitaries, criminal bands, and the national army for control of the territory and its environmental goods. Despite the complexity of the environmental conflicts, their analysis has focused on the emergence of conflict situations, rather than on the explanation of geo-historical processes. On the basis of a shared experience of activist research, grounded in accompaniment to communities, permanence in the territories, and a qualitative methodology that included workshops and interviews, the authors suggest the adoption of the category of conflicting networks to characterize the web of historical and territorial interactions of environmental conflicts. We argue that these conflicts constitute complex socio-ecological structures that must be analyzed on the basis of perspectives that evince the power structures involving actors, historical processes, and territorial configurations. An analysis based on these networks makes it possible to explain the ways in which the emergence of a certain conflict implies a spatiotemporal break, a segment characterized by greater complexity. In this sense, we suggest that this category allows for understanding that emerging conflicts become potential future conflicts, and are determined by past conflicts, which are affected by and affect other geographies. In the case of the Upper Cauca, the spatiotemporal convergences among the environmental conflicts show that they are basically associated with the imposition of the capitalist economic model. In this region, that model is evident in the development of economic and political power in connection with the expansion and industrializ, La región del Alto Cauca, localizada al sur occidente de Colombia, presenta desde la década de 1980 un entramado de conflictos ambientales relacionados con la expansión de la agroindustria azucarera, la minería, la generación hidroeléctrica y los sistemas de abastecimiento de agua potable, entre otros. A su vez, desde la década del 2000, las comunidades locales han padecido una violenta confrontación entre guerrillas, paramilitares, bandas criminales y el Ejército Nacional por el control territorial y el dominio de los bienes ambientales del territorio. Pese a la complejidad de los conflictos ambientales, su marco de análisis se ha concentrado en el estudio de irrupciones conflictivas más que en la explicación de procesos geohistóricos. Desde una experiencia compartida de investigación activista, fundamentada en el acompañamiento a las comunidades, la permanencia en los territorios y el desarrollo de metodologías cualitativas de talleres y entrevistas, los autores sugieren la apropiación de la categoría plexos conflictivos para caracterizar la trama de interacciones históricas y territoriales de los conflictos ambientales. Se argumenta que estos conflictos constituyen estructuras socioecológicas complejas, que deben ser analizadas a partir de perspectivas que revelen las estructuras de poder entre los actores, las trayectorias históricas y las configuraciones territoriales. El análisis desde los plexos permite explicar las formas en que una determinada irrupción conflictiva constituye un corte espaciotemporal, un segmento de mayor complejidad. Se propone, en este sentido, que esta categoría lleva a comprender que los conflictos emergentes devienen en conflictividades futuras y son determinados por conflictos pasados; también, que afectan y son afectados desde otras geografías. En el caso del Alto Cauca, las convergencias espaciotemporales entre los conflictos ambientales demuestran que estos se encuentran esencialmente asociados a la imposición del modelo económico, A região do Alto Cauca, localizada no sudoeste da Colômbia, apresenta, desde 1980, conflitos ambientais relacionados com a expansão da agroindústria açucareira, da mineração, da geração hidrelétrica e dos sistemas de abastecimento de água potável, entre outros. Por sua vez, desde 2000, as comunidades locais vêm padecendo de um violento confronto entre guerrilhas, paramilitares, quadrilhas e exército nacional pelo controle territorial e pelo domínio dos bens ambientais desse território. Embora a complexidade dos conflitos ambientais, seu contexto de análise concentrou-se no estudo de irrupções conflitivas mais do que na explicação de processos geo-históricos. A partir de uma experiência partilhada de pesquisa ativista, fundamentada no acompanhamento das comunidades, a permanência nos territórios e o desenvolvimento de metodologias qualitativas de oficinas e entrevistas, os autores sugerem a apropriação da categoria plexos conflitivos para caracterizar a conexão de interações históricas e territoriais dos conflitos ambientais. Argumenta-se que esses conflitos constituem estruturas socioecológicas complexas, que devem ser analisadas partindo de perspectivas que revelem as estruturas de poder entre os atores, as trajetórias históricas e as configurações territoriais. Propõe-se, nesse sentido, que essa categoria permite compreender que os conflitos emergentes devêm em conflitos futuros e são determinados por conflitos passados; também, que afetam e são afetados por outras geografias. No caso do Alto Cauca, as convergências espaço-temporais entre os conflitos ambientais demonstram que estes se encontram essencialmente associados com a imposição do modelo econômico capitalista. Esse modelo se manifesta claramente na região no desenvolvimento do poder econômico e político vinculado à expansão do cultivo e industrialização da cana-de-açúcar, processo que tem sido o eixo central da formação do Estado e da segregação social e espacial étnico-racial.

This study aimed to determine the RfD from mercury exposure in Bulawa Subdistrict in Bone Bolango District using NOAEL mercury in white mice and body weight and height of Indonesians who were exposed to mercury.This was an observational study with a cross-sectional design using manual quantitative data analysis methods. As a result, the average mercury concentration in respondents’ drinking water and fish consumed was 0.000478 mg/L and 0.0298 mg/kg. In conclusion, the average mercury concentration in respondents’ drinking water and fish consumedis still below the threshold limitvalue set by the national standard for mercury concentrations., Este estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la RfD de la exposición al mercurio en el subdistrito de Bulawa en el distrito Bone Bolango utilizando NOAEL mercurio en ratones blancos y el peso corporal y la altura de los indonesios que estuvieron expuestos al mercurio. Este fue un estudio observacional con un diseño transversal que utiliza métodos manuales de análisis cuantitativo de datos. Como resultado, la concentración promedio de mercurio en el consumo de agua y pescado de los encuestados fue de 0.000478 mg / L y 0.0298 mg / kg. En conclusión, la concentración promedio de mercurio en el agua potable y el pescado consumidos de los encuestados todavía está por debajo del valor límite establecido por el estándar nacional para las concentraciones de mercurio.

Since the 1980s the Upper Cauca region in southwestern Colombia has featured a series of environmental conflicts related to the expansion of the sugar agro-industry, mining, hydroelectric power generation, and drinking water supply systems, among others. Likewise, since 2000, local communities have endured the violent confrontations among guerrillas, paramilitaries, criminal bands, and the national army for control of the territory and its environmental goods. Despite the complexity of the environmental conflicts, their analysis has focused on the emergence of conflict situations, rather than on the explanation of geo-historical processes. On the basis of a shared experience of activist research, grounded in accompaniment to communities, permanence in the territories, and a qualitative methodology that included workshops and interviews, the authors suggest the adoption of the category of conflicting networks to characterize the web of historical and territorial interactions of environmental conflicts. We argue that these conflicts constitute complex socio-ecological structures that must be analyzed on the basis of perspectives that evince the power structures involving actors, historical processes, and territorial configurations. An analysis based on these networks makes it possible to explain the ways in which the emergence of a certain conflict implies a spatiotemporal break, a segment characterized by greater complexity. In this sense, we suggest that this category allows for understanding that emerging conflicts become potential future conflicts, and are determined by past conflicts, which are affected by and affect other geographies. In the case of the Upper Cauca, the spatiotemporal convergences among the environmental conflicts show that they are basically associated with the imposition of the capitalist economic model. In this region, that model is evident in the development of economic and political power in connection with the expansion and industrializ, A região do Alto Cauca, localizada no sudoeste da Colômbia, apresenta, desde 1980, conflitos ambientais relacionados com a expansão da agroindústria açucareira, da mineração, da geração hidrelétrica e dos sistemas de abastecimento de água potável, entre outros. Por sua vez, desde 2000, as comunidades locais vêm padecendo de um violento confronto entre guerrilhas, paramilitares, quadrilhas e exército nacional pelo controle territorial e pelo domínio dos bens ambientais desse território. Embora a complexidade dos conflitos ambientais, seu contexto de análise concentrou-se no estudo de irrupções conflitivas mais do que na explicação de processos geo-históricos. A partir de uma experiência partilhada de pesquisa ativista, fundamentada no acompanhamento das comunidades, a permanência nos territórios e o desenvolvimento de metodologias qualitativas de oficinas e entrevistas, os autores sugerem a apropriação da categoria plexos conflitivos para caracterizar a conexão de interações históricas e territoriais dos conflitos ambientais. Argumenta-se que esses conflitos constituem estruturas socioecológicas complexas, que devem ser analisadas partindo de perspectivas que revelem as estruturas de poder entre os atores, as trajetórias históricas e as configurações territoriais. Propõe-se, nesse sentido, que essa categoria permite compreender que os conflitos emergentes devêm em conflitos futuros e são determinados por conflitos passados; também, que afetam e são afetados por outras geografias. No caso do Alto Cauca, as convergências espaço-temporais entre os conflitos ambientais demonstram que estes se encontram essencialmente associados com a imposição do modelo econômico capitalista. Esse modelo se manifesta claramente na região no desenvolvimento do poder econômico e político vinculado à expansão do cultivo e industrialização da cana-de-açúcar, processo que tem sido o eixo central da formação do Estado e da segregação social e espacial étnico-racial., La región del Alto Cauca, localizada al sur occidente de Colombia, presenta desde la década de 1980 un entramado de conflictos ambientales relacionados con la expansión de la agroindustria azucarera, la minería, la generación hidroeléctrica y los sistemas de abastecimiento de agua potable, entre otros. A su vez, desde la década del 2000, las comunidades locales han padecido una violenta confrontación entre guerrillas, paramilitares, bandas criminales y el Ejército Nacional por el control territorial y el dominio de los bienes ambientales del territorio. Pese a la complejidad de los conflictos ambientales, su marco de análisis se ha concentrado en el estudio de irrupciones conflictivas más que en la explicación de procesos geohistóricos. Desde una experiencia compartida de investigación activista, fundamentada en el acompañamiento a las comunidades, la permanencia en los territorios y el desarrollo de metodologías cualitativas de talleres y entrevistas, los autores sugieren la apropiación de la categoría plexos conflictivos para caracterizar la trama de interacciones históricas y territoriales de los conflictos ambientales. Se argumenta que estos conflictos constituyen estructuras socioecológicas complejas, que deben ser analizadas a partir de perspectivas que revelen las estructuras de poder entre los actores, las trayectorias históricas y las configuraciones territoriales. El análisis desde los plexos permite explicar las formas en que una determinada irrupción conflictiva constituye un corte espaciotemporal, un segmento de mayor complejidad. Se propone, en este sentido, que esta categoría lleva a comprender que los conflictos emergentes devienen en conflictividades futuras y son determinados por conflictos pasados; también, que afectan y son afectados desde otras geografías. En el caso del Alto Cauca, las convergencias espaciotemporales entre los conflictos ambientales demuestran que estos se encuentran esencialmente asociados a la imposición del modelo económico

The article reviews recent research and controversies surrounding the quantification of illicit financial flows (IFF) in the gold mining sector in Africa. It is argued that the methodology and data used in the quantification of the most frequently analysed technique, i.e., export undervaluation, is flawed not only because of the recognized weakness of the international trade data, but also because it focuses only on one aspect of IFF, and does not attempt to address issues pertaining to actual under measurement or misspecification of volumes. It is argued that estimates of tax evasion activities can only be determined through forensic economic and accounting techniques, and not through macro-economic or trade data. The last section considers the increased evidence of gold smuggling to the UAE from various African countries, some of which produce no gold of any significance, but appear to export in very large volumes; and at unit import values well below world market prices.

The Manuscript Map of the Dagua River Region (1764) is a hand-drawn map produced in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada. While created as visual testimony for a land dispute, I argue that a careful art historical reading of the Dagua River Map, considered in conjunction with eighteenth-century archival documents, nineteenth-century explorers’ accounts, and surviving historical maps, reveals other narratives about ethnicity, industry, and society in a remote region of a peripheral Spanish viceroyalty. The Dagua River map highlights the incontrovertible place that geography held for those—namely enslaved and freed Africans—who came to control trade and transport in the region, buying their freedom and establishing free communities.

В статье рассматриваются некоторые сюжеты из истории деятельности на Урале в первой половине XVIII в. отечественных и иностранных специалистов, занятых в управленческих и производственных процессах, в том числе и в организации золотодобычи. Отмечается недостаточное внимание историков к биографиям первых горных деятелей среднего звена, говорится о необходимости комплексного исследования, направленного на воссоздание жизни и деятельности специалистов данного периода., The article discusses biographies of Russian and foreign specialists engaged in industrial management and production, including gold-mining industry, in the eighteenthcentury Urals. More research is needed into the biographies of the first middle managers who worked in the Ural mining industry in this period.