Mercury from Gold and Silver Mining: A Chemical Time Bomb?

Due to its inherent characteristics, mercury contamination from gold mining is a major environmental problem compared to past mercury contamination from industrial point sources. The worsening of social-economical conditions and increasing gold prices in

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Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH

Luiz D. de Lacerda · Wim Salomons

Mercury from Gold and Silver Mining: AChemical Time Bomb? With 44 Figures and 29 Tables

Springer

Dr. Luiz D. de Lacerda Universidade Federal Fluminense Dept. Geoquimica Centro Niteroi 24020-007 Rio de Janeiro Brazii

Professor Dr. Wim Salomons GKSS Research Center Max-Planck-Strasse 21502 Geesthacht Germany

ISBN 978-3-642-63734-6 ISBN 978-3-642-58793-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-58793-1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lacerda, Luiz Drude de. Mercury from gold and silver mining : a chemical time bomb? 1 Luiz Drude de Lacerda, Wim Salomons. p. cm.- (Environmental science) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Mercury- Environmental aspects. 2. Gold mines and miningEnvironmental aspects. 3· Silver mines and mining-Environmental aspects. 4· Mercury wastes - Environmental aspects- Tropics. I. Salomons, W. (Willem), 1945- . II. Title. III. Series: Environmental science (Berlin, Germany) TD196.M38L34 1998 363.738'4-dc21 97-35099 This work is subject to copyright.All rights are reserved, wheilier ilie whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically ilie rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in oilier way, and storage in data banks. Duplication of iliis publication or parts iliereof is permitted only under ilie provisions of ilie German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution act under German Copyright Law. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1998 Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 1998

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Preface

Mercury contamination is considered one of the worst hazards among the anthropogenic impacts upon the environment. It is one of the few metal pollutants which has already caused human deaths due to ingestion of contaminated food. It is estimated that in the whole world more than 1400 human beings have died and over 20000 have been afflicted due to mercury poisoning, with mortality rates ranging from 7 to 11 % (WHO 1976; D'Itri and D'Itri 1977; Lodenius 1985; D'Itri 1992). Mercury is easily transformed into stable and highly toxic methylmercury by numerous microorganisms. This Hg species typically shows very long residence times in aquatic biota, resulting in severe contamination of fish in many regions. This can lead to serious economic problems for populations depending on fisheries and other aquatic resources. It was in the fishing village of Mina