Detailed analysis from the study reveals distinct trends per region: emissions burgeoned particularly in Latin America and Southeast Asia, where artisanal gold mining surged due to fluctuated gold prices.
read more... https://evrimagaci.org/tpg/global-shift-mercury-emissions-decline-north-rise-south-171572
One of the most devastating consequences of illegal gold mining is the pollution of rivers and water bodies. Mercury and cyanide, commonly used in gold extraction, contaminate water sources, making them unsafe for human consumption and aquatic life.
read more... https://myblogpay.com/read/141052/environmental-and-economic-impact-of-illegal-gold-mining-in-ghana
The issue of mercury pollution in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a global crisis that transcends borders, cultures, and economies. It’s not just an environmental concern; it’s a human health catastrophe that disproportionately affects vulnerable communities around the world. The Minamata Convention, a landmark international treaty signed by 128 countries in 2017, aims to curb mercury pollution and protect human health and the environment. Yet, despite this ambitious framework, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
read more... https://www.forwardpathway.us/mercury-pollution-and-solutions-in-small-scale-gold-mining
The consequences of this shortsighted decision will be catastrophic. Surface gold mining has already ravaged many of Ghana's water bodies, leaving communities without access to clean drinking water. The additional permits will only exacerbate this crisis, threatening the very survival of our nation.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1374817/ghanas-gold-rush-a-reckless-legacy-of-environmen.html
The primary justification for this moratorium is the urgent need to rejuvenate Ghana's polluted rivers. The mercury, cyanide, and other harmful chemicals used in galamsey operations have poisoned waterways, rendering them unfit for human consumption and devastating aquatic ecosystems.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1374594/a-six-month-moratorium-reviving-ghanas-rivers.html
The unchecked practices of "galamsey" – illegal small-scale mining – have ravaged the country's rivers, polluting water sources and causing widespread ecological damage.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1374594/a-six-month-moratorium-reviving-ghanas-rivers.html
In Brazil, the miners are a major factor in the destruction of the Amazon. And globally, the sector is the planet’s single biggest source of global mercury contamination, exceeding even coal-fired power plants, according to a study from the United Nations.
read more... https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gold-price-surge-drives-narcos-160015341.html
Despite its ban, mercury remains accessible to artisanal miners in Uganda. The situation in Kassanda is particularly dire. Our reporter witnessed a girl, no older than three, panning water-laden soils mixed with mercury as her parents stood by, smiling—unaware of the grave danger to which they were exposing their child.
read more... https://www.independent.co.ug/kassanda-gold-pits-a-deadly-brew-of-child-labor-mercury-and-illegal-mining/
"Illegal operators cause enormous damage to the environment, including the destruction of fauna and flora, contamination of watercourses, and contribute to drug, arms, and human trafficking networks, money laundering, and financing terrorism," the government stated.
read more... https://www.ecofinagency.com/mining/2401-46365-mali-to-heighten-fight-against-illegal-gold-mining
They use toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to separate the gold from the ore, and those chemicals flow into rivers that hundreds of communities depend on for drinking and domestic use.
Larger fish species, by contrast, accumulate more mercury as they live longer and consume mercury-contaminated prey. This issue is particularly severe in the Amazon, where poorly regulated gold mining introduces mercury into waterways.
read more... https://www.earth.com/news/small-fish-species-are-the-big-catch-of-the-future/
This includes mandatory environmental impact assessments, strict regulations on water usage and waste disposal, and the prohibition of harmful methods like mercury amalgamation.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1373651/ghanas-golden-opportunity-rescuing-the-economy.html
They use toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to separate the gold from the ore, and those chemicals flow into rivers that hundreds of communities depend on for drinking and domestic use. Some people say they earn about $70 to $100 a day.
read more... https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/1/22/as-gold-prices-surge-ghana-faces-looming-crisis-over-illegal-mining
Worldwide, larger fish species tend to have the highest levels of mercury, because the element accumulates in their tissues as they live longer and eat other mercury-contaminated organisms. The problem is especially acute in the Amazon because of the expansion of poorly regulated gold mining that uses mercury to separate gold from river sediments.
read more... https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/smaller-fish-offer-better-nutrition-for-amazonians-395257
Small-scale, unregulated mining operations often employ dangerous methods, resulting in environmental damage through deforestation, mercury pollution, and water contamination. Furthermore, these operations frequently operate outside the legal framework, exploiting workers and ignoring safety regulations.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1373285/ghanas-gold-gap-a-billion-dollar-secret-and.html
Miners introduce mercury to separate gold from the environment: the combination of these two metals forms a substance called amalgam, which is then burned (to extract pure gold) and the mercury residue is discharged into water and soil.
Using mercury to extract gold is currently the cheapest method available to small miners here, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat said, and banning it would put most of this country’s small miners out of business.
Ghana's natural resources have long been a double-edged sword. On one hand, they offer immense economic opportunities; on the other, they fuel conflict, environmental degradation, and social unrest.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1372754/blood-and-sand-the-deadly-consequences-of-ghanas.html
the galamsey prefer to cut corners with mercury and cyanide, poisoning the country’s water courses in the process.
read more... https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/dirty-gold-hidden-profits-2025-01-17
“Many of the medium-scale approvals that we’re giving now, especially the new medium-scale approvals, we ensure that there is a clause there to say mercury should not be used or mercury is prohibited,” he said, citing the Marudi operations. He said authorities had since inspected operations there and they had been complying
read more... https://demerarawaves.com/2025/01/14/gold-miners-using-less-mercury-new-methods-too-expensive-for-small-scale-miners/
“There are many companies in our game reserve that are doing illegal mining. They use mercury and other chemicals which are dangerous to animals and humans,” said Hassan.
read more... https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/minister-orders-raja-county-gold-mines-shut
Climate Change that seeks to establish an integrated sound management of Mercury for Artisanal and Small-scale Gold mining by reducing/eliminating mercury releases from the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) sector.
read more... https://vihiga.go.ke/field-visits/
Gold mining is a fantastically dirty business. There are about 15 million small-scale miners who use mercury to extract the gold from the ore.
read more... https://www.instagram.com/futurajewelry/p/DE2UwSmT0vM/
the new medium-scale approvals, we ensure that there is a clause there to say mercury should not be used or mercury is prohibited,” he said, citing the Marudi operations. He said authorities had since inspected operations there and they had been complying.
read more... https://demerarawaves.com/2025/01/14/gold-miners-using-less-mercury-new-methods-too-expensive-for-small-scale-miners/
They contended that using and dumping mercury was poisonous to humans, animals, flora and fauna and aquatic life and was also having a negative impact on agricultural lands.
read more... https://www.dawn.com/news/1885008/phc-moved-against-use-of-mercury-in-gold-mining-in-kohat
Speaking to The Herald at the plantation recently, Mrs Nharara said it is imperative to remove the negative tag that is associated with artisanal and small-scale miners with unsustainable mining practices detrimental to the environment and community at large.
read more... https://www.herald.co.zw/artisanal-miners-challenged-to-reclaim-land/
Highlighting the grim toll on miners, authorities uncovered large quantities of painkillers used to counter the harsh effects of toxic chemicals employed in gold extraction. Substances like mercury and cyanide, commonly used in small-scale mining, pose severe risks, with prolonged exposure leading to irreversible health damage.
read more... https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/interpol-cracks-illegal-mining-west-africa-police-make-117655273
The Madeira River is the largest tributary flowing into the Amazon River and is home to many people living on the banks. These residents drink and eat fish from the river, so its water quality directly impacts them, as well as the many people living downstream. Sadly, a recent expedition discovered high levels of mercury in the water, boding ill for future generations, Mongabay reports.
read more... https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/madeira-river-mercury-water-pollution/
The disasters, including the death of 19 hippopotamuses in the Sapi Safari Area and Chirundu, along the Zambezi Valley, are believed to be a result of improper disposal of toxic chemicals, including cyanide and mercury, used in mining processes.
read more... https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200036795/hippo-deaths-spark-environmental-concerns
As a globally recognized non-governmental organization, Pure Earth has been at the forefront of tackling heavy metal pollution such as lead and mercury pollution, and its health impact in middle- and low-income countries.
Preventing Illegal Gold Mining in the Amazon aims to strengthen institutional responses and capacities for preventing illegal mining and mercury trafficking, considering the challenges posed by organized groups. It seeks to promote the rule of law and economic development in the Brazilian Amazon. The project operates under four main pillars:
read more... https://www.unodc.org/cofrb/en/projetos/crimes-ambientais/aurum.html
Over 99 percent of small-scale gold mines release mercury and toxic chemicals into the environment. Our goal is to only source gold from the mines that change to mercury-free mining and reduce mercury emissions.
read more... https://www.instagram.com/futurajewelry/p/DEmxHL3ukqN/
From Colombia to Cote d’Ivoire, small-scale gold mining is associated with unsafe working conditions, child labor and mercury pollution. Pollution, in particular, has drawn the attention of the international community: Small-scale gold mining releases more mercury into the environment than the next two polluting industries combined,
read more... https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/the-filipino-gold-miners-fighting-to-use-explosives/
Men in La Rinconada work in the mines, extracting gold from the rocks with mercury, while the women are usually left looking for scraps or forced to turn to prostitution.
read more... https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-news/youtuber-la-rinconada-peru-most-inhumane-place-on-earth-126825-20250107
Mercury is a contaminant of global concern and potent neurotoxin that affects human and wildlife health predominantly through the consumption of fish with elevated mercury concentrations. Mercury is used in ASGM practices to extract gold using amalgamation. However, this mercury-gold amalgam is heated to remove the mercury, releasing the contaminant into the air where it can deposit into local aquatic and terrestrial environments (e.g., soil, trees, crops) or be transported worldwide. Once deposited, mercury can bioaccumulate rapidly in the food web leading to fish consumption concerns.
Many of the informal mining operations that have sprung up around the mine use mercury as an agent to extract the gold deposits from the ore, as well as explosives to create tunnels or erode mountain faces, and heavy machinery to clear forest for strip-mining.
read more... https://news.mongabay.com/2024/12/an-underground-gold-war-in-colombia-is-a-ticking-ecological-time-bomb/
The United Nations Environment Program estimates 37% of global mercury pollution comes from small-scale and artisanal gold mining, and roughly one-third of artisanal miners are exposed to unsafe levels of metallic mercury vapors.
read more... https://www.ncronline.org/earthbeat/politics/salvadoran-cardinal-urges-resistance-metal-mining-matter-life-and-death
“If we simply stop mining today and let nature regenerate itself naturally, there are estimates that this mercury will remain circulating in the environment for 100 years,” Paulo Basta, who coordinates studies on mercury contamination at Fiocruz, Brazil’s leading federal health research center, told Mongabay.
read more... https://news.mongabay.com/2024/07/report-reveals-widespread-use-of-smuggled-mercury-in-amazon-gold-mining/
cyanide and mercury are being used. The issues lie not only in the volume used, but also in its distribution. It is affecting women and children.
read more... https://www.thereporterethiopia.com/43208/
In addition to lack of economic benefits, officials in Tigray reported that gold mining has exposed some of the region’s residents to dangerous chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which are used for extracting gold.
read more... https://martinplaut.com/2025/01/04/the-gold-mafia-depriving-tigray-of-funds-while-using-deadly-chemicals/
In addition to lack of economic benefits, officials in Tigray reported that gold mining has exposed some of the region’s residents to dangerous chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which are used for extracting gold.
The use of hazardous chemicals such as mercury and cyanide contaminates local water sources, posing severe health risks to nearby communities. Additionally, the destruction of arable land exacerbates food insecurity, disrupting rural economies that rely heavily on farming.
read more... https://prnigeria.com/2025/01/01/stoic-fight-against-illegal/
The new legislation grants the government exclusive control over mining activities and prohibits the use of toxic mercury in gold extraction.
Residents and officials have reported the harmful effects of chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which are used in the gold extraction process. Livestock deformities, degraded farmland, and water contamination have become alarmingly common in mining areas.
In addition to lack of economic benefits, officials in Tigray reported that gold mining has exposed some of the region’s residents to dangerous chemicals like mercury and cyanide, which are used for extracting gold.
read more... https://www.voanews.com/a/tigray-leader-says-region-losing-gold-without-benefit/7920698.html
Mercury pollution is another significant consequence of ASGM, which uses this toxic metal to separate the gold from the ore. Each year, miners release at least 2.5 metric tons of mercury into the Tapajós region, contaminating waterways and soil, according to the study.
The new legislation grants the government exclusive control over mining activities and prohibits the use of toxic mercury in gold extraction.
