contadores web
Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
##common.pageHeaderLogo.altText##

Review article

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2015)

Environmental management of industrial waste water with mercury from gold mining worldwide: state of art

Submitted
November 18, 2015
Published
2015-05-26

Abstract

Introduction: Given the social and environmental problems caused by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (MAAPE), the review of the state of art was conducted in this paper in terms of environmental management of wastewater with mercury (Hg) worldwide. Materials and methods: The review was conducted from scientific articles published over the past five years. It was found that interventions to address the impacts by Hg in the MAAPE have been focused on the creation of laws to reduce and eliminate the use of mercury, which have been ineffective. Results: In this way, 62% of the tested sites are in a category of nonexistent environmental management, 8% is in reactive phase and 31% in charge phase, while no process was found in proactive or competitive management. Moreover, several experimental studies on wastewater treatment with Hg were found, which could be adapted to the management of liquid waste from the MAAPE found.

References

  1. Telmer K VM. World emissions of mercury from small scale artisanal gold mining and the knowledge gaps about them. In Pirrone N MR. Mercury fate and transport in the global atmosphere.: UNEP; 2008. p. 96-129.
  2. Cordy P, Veiga M, Salih I, Al-Saadi S, Console S, Garcia O, et al. Mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining in Antioquia, Colombia: The world’s highest per capita mercury pollution. Science of the Total Environment. 2011;410-411:154-160.
  3. Saldarriaga A, Villegas C, Arango S. The public good dilemma of a non-renewable common resource: A look at the facts of artisanal gold mining. Resources Policy. 2013;38(2):224-232.
  4. Zapata L, Bock B, Palacio J. Mercury concentrations in tissues of colombian slider turtles, trachemys callirostris, from northern Colombia. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 2014;92(5):562-6.
  5. Olivero Verbel J, Caballero Gallardo K, Negrete Marrugo J. Relationship between localization of gold mining areas and hair mercury levels in people from Bolivar, north of Colombia. Biological Trace Element Research. 2011;144(1-3):118-132.
  6. Guiza L, Aristizabel JD. Mercury and gold mining in Colombia: a failed state. Universitas Scientiarum. 2013;18(1):33-49.
  7. Colombia. Ministerio de Minas y Energía del Medio Ambiente. Guía minero ambiental: Beneficio y transformación. 2002.
  8. Oehmen A, Vergel D, Fradinho J, Reis M, Crespo J, Velizarov S. Mercury removal from water streams through the ion exchange membrane bioreactor concept. J Hazard Mater. 2014;264:65–70.
  9. Suk Han D, Orillano M, Khodary A, Duan Y, Batchelor B, Abdel-Wahab A. Reactive iron sulfide (FeS)-supported ultrafiltration for removal of mercury (Hg(II)) from water. Water Research. 2014;: p. 310-321.
  10. Nanseu-Njiki CP, Tchamango SR, Ngom PC, Darchen A, Ngameni E. Mercury(II) removal from water by electrocoagulation using aluminium and iron electrodes. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2009;: p. 1430-1436.
  11. Allouche F, Guibal E, Mameri N. Preparation of a new chitosan-based material and its application for mercury sorption. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem and Engineering Aspects. 2014;53:310-321.
  12. Leal L, Sánchez E. Estrategia ambiental corporativa. Pequeñas y medianas empresas. In Maestría en gestión y evaluación a mbiental; 2013; Bogotá D.C: Universidad Sergio Arboleda. Escuela de Posgrados.
  13. Chiappetta C, Fernando A. Evolução da gestão ambiental na empresa: uma taxonomia integrada à gestão da produção e de recursos humanos. Gestão & Produção. 2006;13(3):435-448.
  14. Davies G. A toxic free future: Is there a role for alternatives to mercury in small-scale gold mining? Futures. 2014;62:113-119..
  15. Zolnikov T. Limitations in small artisanal gold mining addressed by educational components paired with alternative mining methods. Science of the Total Environment. 2012; 419:
  16. –6.
  17. Cogua P, Campos N, Duque G. Concentración de mercurio total y metilmercurio en sedimento y seston de la bahía de cartagena, caribe colombiano. Boletín de Investigaciones Marinas. 2012.
  18. República de Colombia. Ley del Mercurio 1658. Bogotá D.C.: 2013.
  19. Sousa R, Veiga M, Zyl D, Telmer K, Spiegel S, Selder J. Policies and regulations for Brazil’s artisanal gold mining sector: analysis and recommendations. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2011;19(6-7):742-750.
  20. Sousa RN, Veiga MM. Using performance indicators to Evaluate an environmental education program in artisanal gold mining communities in theBrazilian Amazon. AMBIO. 2009;38(1):40-46.
  21. Armah F, Luginaah I, Taabazuing J, Odoi J. Artisanal gold mining and surface water pollution in Ghana: Have the foreign invaders come to stay? Environmental Justice. 2013;6(3):94-102
  22. Male Y, Reichelt A, Pocock M, Nanlohy A. Recent mercury contamination from artisanal gold mining on Buru Island, Indonesia – Potential future risks to environmental health and food safety. Marine Pollution Bullet. 77(1-2):428-433.
  23. Veiga M, Angeloci G, Hitch M, Colon P. Processing centres in artisanal gold mining. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2014;64:535-544
  24. Spiegel S, Yassi A, Spiegel J, Veiga M. Reducing mercury and responding to the global gold rush. 2005;366(9503):2070-2072.
  25. Bosse J, W.U P, Tihelwa R. A matter of approach: the retort’s potential to reduce mercury consumption within small-scale gold mining settlements in Tanzania. Journal of Cleaner Production.2009;17(1):77–86
  26. Shandro J, Veiga M, Chouinard R. Reducing mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining in Munhena, Mozambique. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2009;17(5):525–532
  27. Sousa R, Veiga M, Klein B, Telmer K. Strategies for reducing the environmental impact of reprocessing mercury-contaminated tailings in the artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector: insights from Tapajos River Basin, Brazil. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2010;18(16-17):1757-1766.
  28. Costa M, Alfonso P, Palacios S. Proceso de tratamiento para la recuperación de oro en el asentamiento minero artesanal de Misky, Perú. In II congreso internacional sobre geología y minería en la ordenación del territorio; 2009; Utrillas, España. p. 231-242.
  29. Velásquez-Veiga M, Hall K. Mercury balance in amalgamation in artisanal and small-scale gold mining: identifying strategies for reducing environmental pollution in Portovelo-Zaruma, Ecuador. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2010;18(3):226-232.
  30. Hilson G, Garforth C. ‘Agricultural Poverty’ and the Expansion of Artisanal Mining in Sub-Saharan Africa: Experiences from Southwest Mali and Southeast Ghana. Population Research and Policy Review. 2012;31(3):435-464.
  31. Hilson G. What is wrong with the global support facility for small-scale. mining? Progress in Development Studies. 2007;7:235-49.
  32. Spiegel S. Governance institutions, resource rights regimes, and the informal mining sector: Regulatory cmplexities in Indonesia. World Development. 2012;40(1):189-205.
  33. Spiegel S, Veiga M. Building capacity in small-scale mining communities: Health, ecosystem sustainability, and the global mercury project. EcoHealth Journal Consortium. 2005;2:361-369.
  34. Ormazábal M, Sarriegi J. Evolución de la gestión ambiental a través de estados de madurez. Dirección y Organización. 2013;43:17-26.
  35. Liu X, Chen GR, Lee DJ, Kawamoto T, Tanaka H, Chen ML, et al. Adsorption removal of cesium from drinking waters: A mini review on use of biosorbents and other adsorbents. Bioresource Technology. 2014;16:142- 149.
  36. Naja G, Murphy V, Volesky B. Biosorption, Metals. Encyclopedia of Industrial Biotechnology. 2010. 1–29.
  37. Volesky B. Detoxification of metal-bearing effluents: biosorption for the next century. Hidrometallurgy. 2001;59(2-3):203–216.
  38. Chien M, Nakahata R, Ono T, Miyauchi K, Endo G. Mercury removal and recovery by immobilized Bacillus megaterium MB1. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering. 2012;6(2):192–197.
  39. Carro L, Barriada J, Herrero R, Sastre M. Surface modifications of Sargassum muticum algal biomass for mercury removal: A physicochemical study in batch and continuous flow conditions. Chemical Engineering Journa. 2013;229:378–387.
  40. Bhattacharyya A, Dutta S, De P, Ray P, Basu S. Removal of mercury (II) from aqueous solution using papain immobilized on alginate bead: Optimization of immobilization condition and modeling of removal study. Bioresource Technology. 2010;101(24):9421– 9428.
  41. Boutsika LG, Karapanagioti HK, Manariotis ID. Aqueous mercury sorption by biochar from malt spent rootlets. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 2013;225(1805):1-10.
  42. Hilson G, Hilson C, Pardie S. Improving awareness of mercury pollution in small-scale gold mining communities: Challenges and ways forward in rural Ghana. Environmental Research. 2007;103(2):275-287.
  43. Bosse J, Elias J, Kalvig C. Toxic mercury versus appropriate technology: Artisanal gold miners’ retort aversion. Resources Policy. 2013;38(1):60-67.
  44. Gomes M, de Souza R, Teles V, Araújo É. Phytoremediation of water contaminated with mercury using Typha domingensis in constructed wetland. Chemosphere. 2014;103:228–233.
  45. Lopes C, Oliveira J, Rocha L, Tavares D, Silva C, Silva S, et al. Cork stoppers as an effective sorbent for water treatment: the removal of mercury at environmentally relevant concentrations and conditions. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2014;21(3):2108- 2121.
  46. Aramburú V, Núñez P, Azañero Á, Figueroa M, Gagliuffi P. Recuperación de oro y mercurio de los relaves del proceso de amalgamación con tecnología limpia. Revista del Instituto de Investigaciones. 2010;13(25):13-19.
  47. Rojas H, Guerrero D, Vásquez O, Valencia J. Aplicación del Modelo de Bohart y Adams en la remoción de mercurio de drenajes de minería por adsorción con carbón activado. Información Tecnológica. 2012;23(3):21-32.
  48. Sinha A, Pant K, Kumar S. Studies on mercury bioremediation by alginate immobilized mercury tolerant Bacillus cereus cells. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. 2012;71:1-8.
  49. Ismaiel A, Aroua M, Yusoff R. Palm shell activated carbon impregnated with task-specific ionic-liquids as a novel adsorbent for the removal of mercury from contaminated water. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2013;225:306-314.
  50. Sinha A, Khare S. Mercury bioremediation by mercury accumulating Enterobacter sp. cells and its alginate immobilized application. Biodegradation. 2012;23(1):25–34.
  51. Xiong Z, He F, Zhao D, Barnett M. Immobilization of mercury in sediment using stabilized iron sulfide nanoparticles. Water Research. 2009;43(20):5171– 5179.
  52. Guimaraes J, Betancourt O, Miranda M, Barriga R, Cueva E, Betancourt S. Long-range effect of cyanide on mercury methylation in a gold mining area in southern Ecuador. Science of the Total Environment.2011;409(23):5026-5033.
  53. Jackson DG, Looney BB, Craig RR, Thompson MC, Kmetz TF. Development of chemical reduction and air stripping processes to remove mercury from wastewater. Journal of Environmental Engineering. 2013; 139: p. 1336-1342.
  54. Arsuaga JM, Aguado J, Arencibia A, López-Gutiérrez MS. Aqueous mercury adsorption in a fixed bed column of thiol functionalized mesoporous silica. Adsorption. 2014;20(2-3):311-319.
  55. Shawky HA, El-Aassar AHM, Abo-Zeid DE. Chitosan/ carbon nanotube composite beads: Preparation, characterization, and cost evaluation for mercury removal from wastewater of some industrial cities in Egypt. Journal of Applied Polymer Science. 2012;125:E93-E101.
  56. Sumesh E, Bootharaju MS, Anshup , Pradeep T. A practical silver nanoparticle-based adsorbent for the removal of Hg2+ from water. Journal of Hazardous Materials. 2011;189(1-2):450-457.
  57. Vasudevan S, Lakshmi J, Sozhan G. Optimization of electrocoagulation process for the simultaneous removal of mercury, lead, and nickel from contaminated water. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2012;19(7):2734-2744.
  58. Metcalf S, Veiga M. Using street theatre to increase awareness of and reduce mercury pollution in the artisanal gold mining sector: a case from Zimbabwe. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2012; 37: 179-184.
  59. Tomicic C, Vernez D, Belem T, Berode M. Human mercury exposure associated with small-scale gold mining in Burkina Faso. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. 2011;84(5):539-546.
  60. Amade P, Mota H. Desenvolvimento sustentável e garimpo o caso do Garimpo do Engenho Podre em Mariana, Minas Gerais. Revista Escola de Minas. 2009;62(2):237-242.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Most read articles by the same author(s)