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American Indian communities have long been subject to environmental degradation, but successful "grassroots" struggles to end such exploitation are exceedingly rare. How is it that Joseph William Azure—my father and an unsung hero of social change—came to "notice" in 1985 that "our entire [reservation] mountain range was at risk" from destructive gold mining and, in response, to form "a small grassroots traditional society" that created "a lot of local and national publicity for our cause to save" these mountains? To address this question, I adopted and adapted the approaches and methods of psychobiography to trace shifts in his sense of self in response to midlife socialization into Indigenous traditional spirituality. In developing this brief account of his development as a social change agent, I propose that psychobiography may require "Indigenization" if it is to better represent American Indian lives. Specifically, some Indigenous life stories will perhaps require tellings that center on collective endeavors rather than individual ones, reconstruction of life experiences based on comparably limited (material) archives, deeper preservation of the conventions of orality, and curation by close kin rather than by "distanced" analysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold mining is attracting increasing attention in many countries of the world. On the other hand, this sector causes numerous environmental and human health issues. The main problems are associated with: (i) Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) with low pH values and high concentrations of heavy metals, (ii) using large quantities of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide and (iii) mining dust. Degree of the impact depends of the scale mining (small or large scale), type of mine (surface and underground) as well as of the chemical reagents that use in the production process. Modern technology has made it possible to reduce environmental impacts of mining activities. This brief review looks at the gold mining sector (industrial and artisanal) and its key impact on environmental as well as on health of workers and communities (residents who live in proximity to the mine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on studies of salmon by ecologist Daniel Schindler during fight against a huge gold mine in Alaska. Topics discussed include mine’s short-term economic benefits would pale in comparison with the long-term risks to Bristol Bay’s salmon runs; President Donald Trump’s administration signaled mine which may allow the project as part of its efforts to encourage development; and U.S. Preseident Donald Trump's efforts to evaluate the mining company environmental impacts.

The article discusses the development of mining towns and districts during the Colorado Gold Rush (or Pike's Peak Gold Rush) of 1859, giving particular emphasis to the expansion of such places as Denver, Colorado, Black Hawk, Colorado, and Central City, Colorado. The establishment of governing systems in mining districts is discussed, as is the establishment of churches as a form of community development. The effects of the rush on the environment are examined.

The article discusses the environmental impact of the 1859 Colorado Gold Rush and subsequent gold mining efforts in Colorado. The destruction of the area's biodiversity through deforestation and hunting is analyzed. The author is primarily concerned with addressing the social changes brought on by the Gold Rush through the lens of environmental history.

The article discusses the effects of the Colorado Gold Rush on the lives of Native Americans living within that state. Emphasis is given to the negative impact of gold mining on the Colorado environment and the effects this impact had on Native American tribes, such as the consequences of wildlife destruction on the way of life of the Arapaho and Cheyenne Indians. The spread of disease, introduction of new forms of trade and exchange, and overall alteration of the ecosystem are analyzed.

Introduction: After the lead poisoning outbreak came to light in Zamfara State, Nigeria, people living near gold mines were worried about environmental safety, especially drinking water quality. This study examined the gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations in groundwater in different locations of Anka, Zamfara State, Nigeria, to measure the possible radiation dose and potential health effects. Material and Methods: In this study, 32 water samples were collected from hand dug wells and boreholes in Anka, Nigeria, through stratified random sampling method. The ISO 9696 and ISO 9697 methods were adapted using Eurysis system-multiple-channel-gas-filled proportional counter to measure gross alpha and gross beta activity concentration. Results: The ranges of alpha and beta activity concentration in groundwater of the area were 0.114 to 3.698 Bq/l and 0.071 to 4.823 Bq/l with the geometric means of 0.961 Bq/l and 2.134 Bq/l, respectively. These amounts were higher than the reference limits of 0.5 Bq/l and 1 Bq/l for gross alpha and beta activity concentrations, respectively. Additionally, the total annual effective dose equivalent was more than that (0.1 mSv/y) of recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). Conclusion: The mean concentrations of alpha and beta activities in the samples were above the limits recommended by WHO. These excessive radiations might negatively affect the environment and inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mined landscapes represent the exploitation of Earth’s resources, but they also provide evidence for the unequal power relations and changing attitudes to resource use (including both geology and human beings as resources) within mining communities and their surrounding political and economic contexts. This study explores the impacts that gold mining has had on the landscapes of Johannesburg, South Africa, with particular reference to how land used for Black mineworkers’ cemeteries was reclaimed and used to store mine waste. The study describes how the uncovering of an early 20th century cemetery site beneath a mine waste dump poses questions on the meaning and significance of the dead in the urban industrial landscape. The deliberate burial and then accidental rediscovery of these bodies some 100 years later is a significant metaphor for the reinterpretation of racialised urban landscapes in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold mining activities in fluvial systems may cause arsenic (As) pollution, as is the case at the Anllóns River (Galicia, NW Spain), where high concentrations of arsenate (As V ) in surface sediments (up to 270 mg kg −1 ) were found. A 51 day-long biofilm-translocation experiment was performed in this river, moving some biofilm-colonized substrata from upstream (less As-polluted) to downstream the mine area (more As-polluted site), to explore the effect of As on benthic biofilms, as well as their role on As retention and speciation in the water-sediment interface. Eutrophic conditions (range: 0.07–0.38 mg L −1 total phosphorus, TP) were detected in water in both sites, while sediments were not considered P-polluted (below 600 mg kg −1 ). Dimethylarsenate (DMA V ) was found intracellularly and in the river water, suggesting a detoxification process by biofilms. Since most As in sediments and water was As V , the high amount of arsenite (As III ) detected extracellularly may also confirm As V reduction by biofilms. Furthermore, translocated biofilms accumulated more As and showed higher potential toxicity (higher As/P ratio). In concordance, their growth was reduced to half that observed in those non-translocated, became less nutritive (less nitrogen content), and with higher bacterial and dead diatom densities. Besides the high As exposure, other environmental conditions such as the higher riparian cover at the more As-polluted site could contribute to those effects. Our study provides new arguments to understand the contribution of microorganisms to the As biogeochemistry in freshwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive geochemical evaluation of soils and water resources around the largest gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire was conducted. The enrichment factors and statistical analysis of heavy metals revealed that the mining had greatly contributed to As, W, Hg, Sr and, to a lesser degree, Co, Ni and Zn loadings into the soils. In contrast, V, Zr, Hf, Sc, Cs, Mo and Fe were primarily derived from chemical weathering of the parent rock, whereas abundance of Th and U were related to heavy mineral dissolution. The influence of tailings on the surrounding soils was further highlighted by the similarities between rare earth element distribution patterns of the soils and that of the tailings. With pollution indices of soils greater than unity, the majority of the sites were classified as highly polluted. Because of their weak buffering capacity (pH 5–6.1), the soils could not be a major sink for heavy metals, and the tailings leachates are likely to migrate into surface water and groundwater. The highly mining-impacted surface waters were classified as Ca-SO 4 and Na-Cl types with high pH values, whereas the slightly contaminated groundwaters as a Ca-Mg-HCO 3 type, reflecting the influence of silicate and carbonate weathering. Although mining-impacted surface waters and groundwaters showed the highest concentrations of heavy metals, their relatively high pH values had favored adsorption of the metals onto precipitating Fe-oxyhydroxides. The findings of this study showed that the soils and water resources around the Tongon mine are vulnerable to mining operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In regard to highly poisonous effects of cyanide ion, concerns have been focused recently on treatment of such compounds in different ways. Four bacterial strains (C1-C4) capable of using cyanide as nitrogen source were isolated from contaminated gold mine soil samples under alkaline conditions at 30 °C, pH 9.5-10.5, and agitation speed 150 rpm. The gram-negative bacterium C3 (identified as Pseudomonas parafulva NBRC 16636(T) by 16S rRNA gene sequencing) was able to tolerate cyanide up to 500 ppm besides removing 93.5% of 200 ppm cyanide in 13 days which was confirmed by microorganisms growth. The addition of basal salts enhanced the removal efficiency of C3 by 16%. Cyanide removal efficiency of co-culture was 30% less than C3. Optimization of three significant parameters including temperature, pH, and glucose concentration for cyanide biodegradation was studied using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimum conditions for maximizing cyanide biodegradation were temperature (32.23 °C), pH (9.95), and glucose concentration (0.73 g/l). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanide leaching is the predominant process of gold extraction in large scale mining. Current initiatives for reducing the use of mercury in small scale and artisanal mining tend towards the cyanide technology as the only feasible alternative. Thus, the deliberate handling in consideration of the hazardous nature of cyanide compounds is an issue of particular importance. The hydrogen cyanide volatilised during the leaching process and from the tailings solutions after the gold extraction is reported to be destroyed by oxidation and photolysis from the surrounding atmosphere of gold mines and the sunlight. Cyanide solutions, drained into the surrounding waterbodies are stated to volatilise at a high rate, thus detoxifying them and releasing hydrogen cyanide to the air. In this study laboratory experiments and field tests were conducted to deliver basic data for the volatilisation and destruction of cyanide in the environment. In our laboratory tests we observed neither oxidation by the oxygen of air nor photolysis by UV-irradiation of cyanides after volatilisation from water. The whole amount of volatilised cyanide was found in the exhaust gas after absorption in a strong basic solution. Field experiments in Segovia (Colombia) could confirm these findings. Cyanide concentrations in a range 17 to 30 mg/L were measured in a local creek. Hydrogen cyanide amounts of 5 ppm were found in the atmosphere surrounding cyanide leaching facilities. With the findings of this study we want to point out that the concentrations of cyanide in the surrounding of cyanide leaching facilities exceed uncritical limits and a destruction via oxidation and photolysis is not detectable. These conclusions should result in initiatives to protect workers and the surrounding population of gold mines from contaminations of cyanide treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining industry produces a huge quantity of sulphidic mine tailings, which cause several short- and long-term environmental problems when disposed by landfilling in impounding lakes. The possibility of immobilizing several heavy metals from gold mine tailings by reactive geopolymerization technique has been investigated in the present study. The chemical stability of geopolymers synthetized by the alkali activation of metakaolin and blast furnace slag and the addition of 40–50 wt% gold mine tailings is demonstrated. The geopolymers were cured at room temperature, and the effects of different Si/Al and Na/Al molar ratios and curing times were investigated. The inertization effectiveness was evaluated by means of leaching tests carried out according to standard EN 12457 after 7 and 28 days and after 18 months. The samples were immersed into the water for 1 day, and the leachable metals in the test solution were determined by ICP-OES. The results show that various elements (Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn and Mn) from gold mine tailings are able to immobilize almost completely by alkali activation with proper co-binder material. The immobilization efficiency were highly improved with longer curing period also for the problematic elements As, V, Sb and B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Unlike occupational silica exposures, the association between non-occupational silica exposures and adverse health effects is not well researched, despite its occurrence in communities close to dust-generating sources such as tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Recent studies have shown that communities surrounding TSFs in South Africa often complain about the onset of dust-related health effects. Even though international interim non-occupational crystalline silica limits have been established, South Africa is yet to enforce its own limits for residential areas close to TSF sites. Objective The objective of the study was to assess the need to enforce non-occupational crystalline silica limits for South Africa. Methods The methods involved (1) Quantifying the silica polymorph content in bulk dust collected from TSFs in South Africa; (2) Assessing the possibility of the dust to reach surrounding communities through ambient and personal filter sampling and; (3) Conducting risk characterisation for both cancer and non-cancer endpoints. Results All bulk dust samples consisted mostly of crystalline silica (73.14–87.09%). Large percentages of nanoparticles were identified in all bulk samples (66.8–70.7%) indicating the possibility of the dust to lodge deep within the lungs. The crystalline silica levels obtained from ambient PM 10 sampling and personal PM 4 sampling all exceeded the international crystalline silica interim limits and reached maximum levels of 90 and 50.9 μg·m − 3 , respectively. For three TSFs, sampling sites close to the TSFs showed higher PM 4 silica levels compared to sites further from TSFs. Risk characterisation revealed the possibility of cancer and non-cancer health effects when chronically exposed to silica levels recorded during the study. Conclusion The results indicate unacceptable crystalline silica exposures in surrounding communities and the need for enforcement of an ambient silica limit for South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been reported that persistent cyanide pollution occurs in artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM)-affected catchment areas in Burkina Faso. In the present study, the logistic regression method was employed to identify the factors that influence the spatial distribution of cyanide pollution as well as to predict the cyanide pollution map risk at catchment level. Soil samples were collected from two ASGM sites in the northern Zougnazagmiline (“North”) site and southern Galgouli (“South”) site parts of Burkina Faso, covering areas of 22 km 2 and 20 km 2 , respectively. Free cyanide concentration in each sample was measured. It was shown that the spatial distribution of cyanide was solely controlled by the soil type in Zougnazagmiline and both the soil type and electric conductivity in Galgouli. On the other hand, the cyanidation zones within the two catchments were the places where the highest risk of cyanide pollution occurs, with probabilities of 0.8 and 1 in Zougnazagmiline and Galgouli, respectively. > 20% of the settled area in the Zougnazagmiline and 5% of that in Galgouli were exposed to cyanide pollution. Logistic regression was able to reliably predict cyanide contamination in areas affected by ASGM. The model could be useful for decision-makers to plan ASGM-site decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mercury (Hg) is a harmful pollutant released into the environment from gold mining activities, representing a risk to human health and the ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of total Hg (T-Hg) in human hair, fish, sediments and air; and to determine fish consumption-based risks for T-Hg ingestion in the Choco biogeographic region, a global biodiversity hotspot located at the Colombian Pacific. Mercury concentrations in hair were measured in two locations, Quibdo, the state capital, and Paimado, a riverine community. The median T-Hg value in human hair in Quibdo was 1.26 μg/g (range: 0.02–116.40 μg/g), whereas in Paimado it was 0.67 μg/g (range: 0.07–6.47 μg/g). Mercury levels in examined locations were weakly associated with height (ρ = 0.145, P = 0.024). Air T-Hg levels in Quibdo were high inside gold shops being up to 200.9-fold greater than the background. Mercury concentrations in fish from Atrato River were above WHO limit (0.5 μg/g), with highest levels in Pseudopimelodus schultzi , Ageneiosus pardalis , Sternopygus aequilabiatus , Rhamdia quelen and Hoplias malabaricus , whereas the lowest appeared in Cyphocharax magdalenae and Hemiancistrus wilsoni . Based on fish consumption, these last two species offer low risk to human health. Sediment samples from fifty different sites of Atrato River showed low T-Hg concentrations, with little variability between stations. However, contamination factors revealed a moderate pollution in 44% of sampling sites along the river. In conclusion, Hg pollution is widespread in the Biogeographic Choco and governmental actions must be taken to protect the population and preserve its biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is focused on the chemical and nano-mineralogical characterization of sludge from gold mine activities, in order to put forward diverse solution alternatives, where lack of knowledge has been found. The sample was collected from “La Estrella” mine of Suarez, located in Department of Cauca, south-west Colombia. The sludge micro-structure and chemical composition were analyzed using a high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) equipped with a dispersive X-ray detector (EDS). X-ray diffraction technique was employed to identify the mineralogical phases present in the sludge. Additional mineralogical characterization was done by using RAMAN spectroscopy. Main findings points to its potential to be used as a fertilizer, this is why, mine sludge contains macronutrients such as P, Ca and S, together with micronutrients like Cu. However, the presence of goethite could decrease the mobilization of nutrients to soils, thus additional alternatives, for instance, a mixture with humus or another material containing Humic Acids should be done, in order to minimizing its retention effect. Additionally, another possible uses to explore could be as construction and ceramic material or in the wastewater treatment for nutrient retention and organic material removal. Rutile (TiO 2 nanoparticles) particles have been also detected, what could cause health concern due to its nanoparticle toxic character, mainly during gold extraction process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the issue of gold mining projects in Nicaragua. Topics discussed include the emerge of government issuance for gold mining projects permit, the launched of the National Environmental Movement Against Industrial Mining (MONAFMI), and the approval of equity investment for Condor Gold by the International Finance Corp. (IFC).

To attract greater levels of foreign direct investment into their gold-mining sectors, many mineral-rich countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been willing to overlook serious instances of mining company non-compliance with environmental standards. These lapses in regulatory oversight and enforcement have led to high levels of pollution in many mining communities. The likelihood is high that the risk of pollution-related sicknesses will necessitate increasingly high healthcare expenditures in affected communities. In this study, we propose and estimate a hedonic-type model that relates healthcare expenditure to the degree of residents' exposure to mining pollution using data obtained on gold mining in Ghana. This has been confirmed by our empirical results, with an elasticity coefficient of 0.12. Furthermore, while healthcare expenditure does not vary between males and females, younger household heads spend more on their health than their older counterparts after controlling for health status, income and access to health insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of revegetation of gold mine tailings storage facilities is to reduce aeolian pollution, nutrient leaching and erosion caused by exposure to wind and water. The establishment of biological soil crusts may prove to be a more cost-effective way to reach the same goal and the aim of this study was therefore to determine if it is possible to establish algae and cyanobacteria on gold mine tailings. Different treatments of Chlamydomonas, Microcoleus and Nostoc were inoculated on gold mine tailings in controlled conditions and algal growth was measured on all of the treatments after 6 weeks. Nostoc treatments had the highest chlorophyll-a concentrations and produced a surface crust, while Chlamydomonas treatments penetrated the tailings material and provided the strongest crust. The results were promising but more research is necessary to determine the best organism, or combination of organisms, to colonise mine tailings and to eventually produce biological crusts. Significance: • Determination of the best organisms to colonise mine tailings and to produce biological crusts for the revegetation of gold mine tailings storage facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the strong price of gold, the number and capacity of gold processing centers in Portovelo-Zaruma in southern Ecuador have increased considerably in recent years. In turn, this has caused increasing environmental pollution of waterbodies with cyanide, mercury and other heavy metals. This paper provides an assessment of gold production methods at 52 processing centers in 2013 and 20 in 2015, including estimations of mercury (Hg) losses and releases, cyanide use and tailings management. Due to an increase in the price of mercury and other government initiatives to reduce and eliminate Hg use, there is evidence of a shift from amalgamation processes to increased employment of cyanidation techniques. It was estimated that the 87 processing centers released 1.9 million tonnes/a of tailings in 2015, including 2033 tonnes/a of cyanide and 222 kg/a of Hg. Furthermore, it was estimated that the burning of gold amalgams released 303 kg/a of Hg to the atmosphere. Although mercury use showed a 60% reduction from 2013 to 2015, while cyanidation processes increased 30% over the same time period, more needs to be done, as 65% of the centers still use Hg amalgamation to extract gold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the largest anthropogenic source of mercury pollution worldwide, posing a grave threat to human health. The present study identifies current levels of mercury in the human population from mining areas of the Chocó Department, Colombia, through total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) measurements in human hair. Mercury exposure of the local population was assessed in two towns affected by ASGM and was related to different variables of interest. Concentrations of THg in human hair ranged from 0.06 to 17.54 ppm and the mean value for the subjects under study was 2.48 ppm. Men had significantly higher levels than women in both towns (3.29 ppm vs. 0.77 ppm). Fish consumption was related to a marked increase of THg in hair, with mean values close to five times higher in frequent fish consumers (5–7 times/week) than in non-fish consumers (4.80 ppm vs. 0.90 ppm). A multiple linear regression model was fitted successfully ( R = 0.671) and reveals that gender, fish consumption and location of residence were significant indicators of Hg levels in hair, while no significant relationship was found for age. Approximately 60% of subjects tested had THg levels that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose of 1.0 ppm, while 25% surpassed that of the World Health Organization (2.2 ppm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The triple epidemic of silicosis, tuberculosis and HIV infection among migrant miners from South Africa and neighbouring countries who have worked in the South African mining industry is currently the target of regional and international control efforts. These initiatives are hampered by a lack of information on this population.Methods: This study analysed the major South African mining recruitment database for the period 1973 to 2012 by calendar intervals and demographic and occupational characteristics. Changes in area of recruitment were mapped using a geographic information system.Results: The database contained over 10 million contracts, reducible to 1.64 million individuals. Major trends relevant to health projection were a decline in gold mining employment, the major source of silicosis; increasing recruitment of female miners; and shifts in recruitment from foreign to South African miners, from the Eastern to the Northwestern parts of South Africa, and from company employees to contractors.Conclusions: These changes portend further externalisation of the burden of mining lung disease to home communities, as miners, particularly from the gold sector, leave the industry. The implications for health, surveillance and health services of the growing number of miners hired as contractors need further research, as does the health experience of female miners. Overall, the information in this report can be used for projection of disease burden and direction of compensation, screening and treatment services for the ex-miner population throughout Southern Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practice of cemented backfill technology with ultra-fine tailings in a gold mine was comprehensively presented, and a series of tests were conducted in accordance with the peculiar properties of ultra-fine tailings and the mining technology conditions. The test results show that, the tailings from Shuiyindong Gold Mine have a great grinding fineness, with the average particle diameter 22.03 μm, in which the ultra-fine particles with the diameter below 20 μm occupying 66.13%. The analysis results of chemical components of tailings indicate that the content of SiO 2 is relatively low, i.e., 33.08%, but the total content of CaO, MgO and Al 2 O 3 is relatively high i.e., 36.5%. After the settlement of 4–6 h, the tailing slurry with the initial concentration of 40% has the maximum settling concentration of 54.692%, and the corresponding maximum settling unit weight is 1.497 g/cm 3 . During the field application, the ultra-fine tailings and PC32.5 cement were mixed with the cement-tailings ratios of 1:3–1:8, and the slurry concentration of 50 wt% was prepared. Using the slurry pump, the prepared cemented backfill slurries flowed into the goaf, and then the strength of the cemented backfill body met the mining technique requirements in Shuiyindong Gold Mine, where the ore body has a smooth occurrence, with the average thickness of approximately 2 m and the inclination angle ranging from 5 to 10°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold mining is a major source of metal and metalloid emissions into the environment. Studies were carried out in Krugersdorp, South Africa, to evaluate the ecological and human health risks associated with exposure to metals and metalloids in mine tailings contaminated soils. Concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) in soil samples from the area varied with the highest contamination factors (expressed as ratio of metal or metalloid concentration in the tailings contaminated soil to that of the control site) observed for As (3.5x102), Co (2.8x102) and Ni (1.1x102). Potential ecological risk index values for metals and metalloids determined from soil metal and metalloid concentrations and their respective risk factors were correspondingly highest for As (3.5x103) and Co (1.4x103), whereas Mn (0.6) presented the lowest ecological risk. Human health risk was assessed using Hazard Quotient (HQ), Chronic Hazard Index (CHI) and carcinogenic risk levels, where values of HQ > 1, CHI > 1 and carcinogenic risk values > 1×10−4 represent elevated risks. Values for HQ indicated high exposure-related risk for As (53.7), Cr (14.8), Ni (2.2), Zn (2.64) and Mn (1.67). Children were more at risk from heavy metal and metalloid exposure than adults. Cancer-related risks associated with metal and metalloid exposure among children were also higher than in adults with cancer risk values of 3×10−2 and 4×10−2 for As and Ni respectively among children, and 5×10−3 and 4×10−3 for As and Ni respectively among adults. There is significant potential ecological and human health risk associated with metal and metalloid exposure from contaminated soils around gold mine tailings dumps. This could be a potential contributing factor to a setback in the health of residents in informal settlements dominating this mining area as the immune systems of some of these residents are already compromised by high HIV prevalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the Environment Protection having high impact on world's environment, but necessary initiation on the environment issues remain unfulfilled. This research will introduce the environmental impact analysis in Kumtor gold mining by using remote sensing technologies, (VHR WorldView-2 and QuickBird satellite images with possibility stereoscopic, multispectral and panchromatic archive data). These satellite images courtesy of the DigitalGlobe Foundation for this thesis work After completion of this research will get the resultsfor following: a growth monitoring waste - dumps, horizontal-vertical displacements, determining the area of waste - dumps, measuring the volume of waste - dumps, and one of the main environmental problems associated the storage of huge amount of waste-dumps on the glacier and condition assessment of glaciers and their disappearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes different visions and positions in a conflict between the developer of an open-pit mine in Mexico and project opponents using the echelons of rights analysis framework, distinguishing four layers of dispute: contested resources; contents of rules and regulations; decision-making power; and discourses. Complexities in this study manifest how communities’ land and water rights are circumvented by governmental bodies and ambivalent regulations favouring the large mining company. This process is importantly reinforced by international trade legislation. Multi-actor, multi-scale alliances may offer opportunities to foster environmental and social justice solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold mines in the Yellowknife, NT, region—in particular, the Giant Mine—operated from 1949–99, releasing 237,000 tonnes of waste arsenic trioxide (As2O3) dust, among other compounds, from gold ore extraction and roasting processes. For the first time, we show the geospatial distribution of roaster-derived emissions of several chemical species beyond the mine property on otherwise undisturbed taiga shield lakes within a 25 km radius of the mine, 11 years after its closing. Additionally, we demonstrate that underlying bedrock is not a significant source for the elevated concentrations in overlying surface waters. Aquatic arsenic (As) concentrations are well above guidelines for drinking water (10 μg/L) and protection for aquatic life (5 μg/L), ranging up to 136 μg/L in lakes within 4 km from the mine, to 2.0 μg/L in lakes 24 km away. High conversion ratios of methyl mercury were shown in lakes near the roaster stack as well, with MeHg concentrations reaching 44% of total mercury. The risk of elevated exposures by these metals is significant, as many lakes used for recreation and fishing near the City of Yellowknife are within this radius of elevated As and methyl Hg concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian corporation Goldcorp's Marlin Mine in San Miguel Ixtahuacan is the first open-pit goldmine in Guatemala. While Goldcorp depicts Marlin as a showcase for development and good business, many Mayan women express extreme distress at the multilayered destruction caused by the corporation. Under the guidance of the indigenous women's movement Tz'ununija', in May-June 2011 and July 2012,1 held in-depth interviews with five Maya-Mam leaders and two workshops in San Miguel with more than 30 women opposing the mine. Analysing their visions and Goldcorp's public development discourse, I argue that the mine is decimating San Miguel's social fabric and environment. Although Goldcorp has created employment, infrastructure and injected money into the local economy, gains are short term in comparison with the long-term impacts of the mining venture on land and community. At heart, two fundamentally opposed visions are at stake: Western "development" versus tb'anil qchwinqlal, or quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to a growing body of literature on the historical geographies of extraction. It develops a critique of industrial heritage through an account of North Bloomfield California, a settlement within the boundaries of Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, and home to what was, in the years leading up to 1884, the largest and richest hydraulic gold mine in the world. I use archived fragments from two people who lived and worked in North Bloomfield to undercut the grand narratives of environmental conquest that still tend to undergird industrial heritage rubrics. The places given over to commemorate key moments in the development of our industrial society provide crucial orientation for contemporary environmental decision making. I demonstrate how a more intimate and nuanced approach to the industrial past through ancillary stories that foreground everyday encounters with nature can be used to challenge the soothing plotlines of technological genius, dignified suffering, social progress and enlightened restraint that so often frame public histories of extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) poses a serious threat to the local environment. Colombia has very active ASGM activities, where mercury (Hg) ends in piles of mining waste, soils, and waterways. In this study, we assessed Hg speciation and bioavailability in sediments of two tropical swamps, impacted by ASGM. In Ayapel swamp, total Hg (T-Hg) concentrations in sediments ranged between 145 and 313 ng g −1 dry weight (dw) (mean: 235 ± 49 ng g −1 dw), whereas Grande Achi swamp levels are 3-fold higher (range: 543–1021 ng g −1 dw; mean: 722 ± 145 ng g −1 dw). Even though lower levels of Hg were found in Ayapel, methylation was found to be significantly higher than in Grande Achi, and it is significantly higher in the dry than in the rainy season for both swamps. This increased methylation is linked to the statistically significant correlation between T-Hg, MeHg and organic matter in the Ayapel swamp. In fact, Hg content in both swamps is mainly associated to the organic fraction (Hg-o), with a higher statistically significant difference in Ayapel (43 ± 5%) compared to Grande Achi (33 ± 5%). On the other hand, a significant percentage (30 ± 6%) of elemental Hg fraction (Hg-e) was found in Grande Achi, directly related with Hg released during the gold recovery process from upstream ASGM sites. The percentage of the bioavailable fraction (Hg-w and Hg-h) is elevated (up to 15%), indicating a potential risk to the aquatic environment and human health because these labile Hg species could enter the water column and bioaccumulate in biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many tropical regions lack models predicting the biological and environmental conditions expected in any given area, thus precluding the implementation of reference condition-based water policies. We focused on streams of French Guiana, and tested two predictions: geomorphology determines ecological sub-regions that have typical invertebrate communities, and diversity declines as anthropogenic pressure increases. Sixty-five stream sites were sampled for benthic invertebrates and physical-chemical variables across various watersheds. We used the Self-Organizing Map algorithm (neural network) to model relationships between invertebrate communities and environmental variables. Sites characterized by invertebrate communities clustered into two major subsets matching French Guiana's hydro-ecoregions: the coastal alluvial plain characterized by recent sediment and low elevations, and the Guiana Shield characterized by an eroded rocky substrate and dense rainforests. Changes in community composition, and to a lesser extent taxonomic richness within each sub-region revealed ecological impacts of gold mining and logging, further clustering hydro-ecoregions into subsets of reference and impaired sites. Further analyses would, however, be needed to identify tipping points between natural and disturbed states, especially in remote headwater streams where gold mining had the harsher impact upon freshwater diversity, making upstream communities resembling the most downstream impacted ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies have been carried out to assess exposure of the public due to natural radioactivity associated with soil, tailing and water at the Bibiani gold mine in Ghana. Concentrations of radionuclides in samples were determined by γ-ray spectrometry using high purity germanium detector. Gross-α and gross-β activity concentrations were also determined for the water samples using a low background gas-less automatic α/β counter. The mean activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in soil/tailing samples were 16.1 ± 3.6, 16.6 ± 6.0 and 380 ± 15 bq/kg, respectively. The mean activity concentrations in water samples were 0.20 ± 0.04, 0.38 ± 0.03 and 3.05 ± 0.11 Bq/L for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K respectively. The total annual effective dose to the public was estimated to be 0.125 mSv. The radium equivalent activity, internal hazard index, and external hazard index for all soil/tailing samples are lower than the accepted safety limit value of 370 Bq/kg and 1.0 respectively. The gross-α and gross-β activity concentrations for the water samples were below the World Health Organisation recommended guideline values for drinking water quality. The results indicate an insignificant radiation exposure to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The necessity of local environmental monitoring of ecosystems polluted by wastes from gold placer and tin ore deposits has been substantiated by considering former Sofiiskii gold placer mine and Solnechnyi ore-dressing and processing enterprise (Far Eastern Federal District). The results of studying their negative effect on the biosphere have been discussed. Principles of local environmental monitoring have been developed with account taken of specificity of anthropogenic flows generated during gold and tin extraction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of studying mercury pollution of ecosystem in the zone affected by anthropogenic placer gold deposits are given. A major hazard to the environment and human health results from minerals processing wastes polluted with mercury and dumped in the placer gold-concentrating sites (PGCS) near mining villages, which have transformed into unequipped authorized landfills. The recent tendency to their reclamation should favor extensive mercury pollution. Actions have been proposed to ensure environmental safety of mineral processing wastes and reclamation of anthropogenic placer gold deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on findings of a study related to environmental impact of use of mercury for illicit gold mining, on protected jungles in the gold mining hotspot in Madre de Dios, Peru.

This study investigates the bioavailability, water–soil to plant transfer and health risks of arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) and mercury (Hg) in the Takab geothermal field north-west of Iran. Water used for irrigation, surface soils from agricultural lands and cultivated plants were collected from three polluted sites and analysed for As, Sb and Hg to assess associated health risks. As content in irrigation water ranges from 23.4 to 986.4 μg/L, whereas total As content in the surface soil is in the range of 16.3–492 mg/kg−1. The results agree with other reports that metal (loid) concentrations in leaves are usually much higher than in grain. Most investigated plant species showed a significant correlation between As, Sb and Hg contents in their aerial parts and that available in the soil (r = 0.82, p = 0.012; r = 0.84, p = 0.004; r = 0.79, p = 0.011). Factors influencing the bioavailability of metal (loids) and their occurrences in plants are soil pH, cation exchange capacity, phosphate, calcite and organic matter content, soil texture and interaction between target elements. Available As in analysed soils is relatively low, implying that phosphate, as well as Fe-oxy-hydroxides and calcite are effective in absorbing As. But, sequential extraction analysis indicates that iron oxy-hydroxide surface can bind both As and Sb, with As being more strongly bound. The calculated bioaccumulation factor based on total metal (loids) and available metal (loids) in soil indicates that alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and sage (Saliva syriaca L.) are effective accumulators of As, Sb and Hg. The health risk index of the studied plants ranged from 0.0003 to 5.71, with the maximum being in wheat (Triticun aestivum L.), an alarming sign for human health. It is suggested that health risks from long-term consumption of wheat and other As-rich foodstuffs must be managed by monitoring contamination in the water–soil–plant pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates change detection in the vegetation cover of a closed gold mine to assess whether the rehabilitated vegetation responds in a similar manner to the surrounding environment. Rehabilitation took place in seven rehabilitation areas within the mine site. SPOT scenes covering the site were acquired at six time periods from September 2004 to September 2005, and annually in the dry season from 2004 to 2010, except for 2008. Normalized difference vegetation index, soil-adjusted vegetation index and transformed soil-adjusted vegetation index were tested to estimate the percentage vegetation cover (PVC) using a linear regression model. The results showed higher PVC during wet season and lower PVC during the dry season in the native vegetation surrounding the mine site. However, temporal and spatial patterns of PVC in rehabilitated and native areas were similar only in the TD40ha rehabilitation area, one of the seven rehabilitation areas. This area was the first to be rehabilitated and had the most intensive rehabilitation effort using tube stock planting in March 1998. The seasonal variability showed a high correlation with anr2value of 0.77 in TD40ha rehabilitation area in tailings dam, which was similar to the native area with anr2value of 0.82. The findings of this study suggest that it is important for monitoring programs to take into account seasonal variation and environmental covariates, such as rainfall in order to successfully assess patterns in vegetation condition over time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines the issue of environmental risk involved in a proposed gold-mining project at Roşia Montană, Romania, as it was articulated in the discourses and strategies of the environmentalists protesting against it. We base our paper on the idea that environmental risk has a socially constructed horizon and that counter-discourses on risk represent a fundamental contribution of the environmental protesters to the anti-mining movement. This opposition can be integrated in a broader debate regarding the social and environmental costs of industrial development. The alternative conceptualisation of risk goes beyond narrowly defined ecological issues and applies to the more encompassing perspective of 'communities at risk'. The anti-mining movement's complex repertoire of contention and especially its challenging discourses on risk make it a unique development in post-socialist environmentalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This report summarizes recent findings of environmental arsenic (As) contamination and the consequent health effects in a community located near historic gold mining activities in the Mangalur greenstone belt of Karnataka, India. Arsenic contents in water, hair, nail, soil and food were measured by FI-HG-AAS. Elemental analyses of soils were determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry). Of 59 tube-well water samples, 79% had As above 10μgL−1 (maximum 303μgL−1). Of 12 topsoil samples, six were found to contain As greater than 2000mgkg−1 possibly indicating the impact of mine tailings on the area. All hair and nail samples collected from 171 residents contained elevated As. Arsenical skin lesions were observed among 58.6% of a total 181 screened individuals. Histopathological analysis of puncture biopsies of suspected arsenical dermatological symptoms confirmed the diagnosis in three out of four patients. Based on the time-course of As-like symptoms reported by the community as well as the presence of overt arsenicosis, it is hypothesized that the primary route of exposure in the study area was via contaminated groundwater; however, the identified high As content in residential soil could also be a significant source of As exposure via ingestion. Additional studies are required to determine the extent as well as the relative contribution of geologic and anthropogenic factors in environmental As contamination in the region. This study report is to our knowledge one of the first to describe overt arsenicosis in this region of Karnataka, India as well as more broadly an area with underlying greenstone geology and historic mining activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]