Aladdin Separation Technologies : 06/01/2025

Stamp Program Objectives

In order to address the global mercury problem, Aladdin has developed the Strategic Abatement of Mercury and Poverty (STAMP) program. This program is designed to induce artisanal and all mercury mining users to adopt Aladdin's highly efficient mining technologies. The fundamental strategy looks to illustrate the economic advantages of HGP to the miners. Although being able to provide a safe work environment , safety benefits alone are not sufficient to convince indigent miners to abandon mercury processing. Ultimately, the success of the program must rely on its ability to provide the miners with a greater level of income than what they are able to derive when using mercury. The broad objectives of the STAMP Program are as follows:

1. Employ as many artisanal miners as is possible while maintaining the economical integrity of the program.

2. Work to eliminate the use of mercury when extracting gold in the customary artisanal alluvial concentrates and hard rock deposit areas.

3. Increase artisanal miner wages above the national average and provide bonuses based on gold revenues.

4. Create new employment opportunities and provide training for higher paid jobs in the trades, management, administration, accounting, mining, geology, process engineering, and attendant disciplines.

5. Provide a humanitarian fund to benefit the miners and their families.

6. Convert sites to farming land or forestry after gold is depleted from the properties.

7. Attract artisanal miners to proven gold reserves set aside by large scale mining companies and / or the government.

8. Make a profit for all stakeholders

Aladdin's Pledge To Social Responsibility

Aladdin Technologies Inc. is dedicated to bringing environmentally friendly processes to host countries so that mineral wealth can be extracted in a way that does not endanger local ecosystems or the health of native people. This interest - coupled with a commitment to mutual respect and a close involvement with all stakeholders - is behind the company's drive to help the government and citizens of countries achieve maximum benefit from their mineral resources. We also recognize that shareholder interests are best served when - based on our ethical treatment of indigenous people and sensitivity to environmental issues - countries actively seek out business relationships with the company.

Social responsibility is not simply an abstract concept, but rather, a realistic moral command and business strategy. Aladdin will do whatever is reasonable to help the communities of people around the world with which it interacts. Therefore, to disregard the tenants of mutual respect and fair trade would not only be morally corrupt, but it could also damage shareholder value in company mineral endeavors. Aladdin endeavors to be a leader in the way in which it brings obligations of social responsibility to its business enterprises.

Monday, June 30, 2025

Gold miners killed in pit collapse in war-torn Sudan

A report published by the Yale School of the Environment in March claims that gold smuggling and informal mining have increased in Sudan as a result of the ongoing armed conflict. The publication notes that threats of famine triggered by the fighting have pushed many civilians to engage in small-scale gold mining, where they risk their lives using toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide to extract the metal.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

How knack for problem solving earned Nigerian accolades at Ghana varsity

The prototype, developed as part of his final-year thesis, addresses a major environmental issue – mercury contamination of water bodies caused by illegal artisanal mining, a problem that affects both Ghana and Nigeria.

Peru’s Amazon communities accuse the state of failing to stop mercury pollution from illegal mining

Indigenous and rural communities along the Nanay River in Peru’s northern Amazon filed a complaint on Friday accusing the government of failing to stop illegal gold mining that is contaminating their water and food with toxic mercury.

VIDEO Toxic Gold - Mercury and Artisanal Gold Mining

Explore how artisanal gold mining, which uses mercury for extraction, impacts environmental and public health. Mercury pollution from gold mining not only harms local communities but also contaminates the global food…

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Brazil strikes deal with Musk's Starlink to curb criminal use in the Amazon rainforest

Illegal gold mining has contaminated hundreds of miles of Amazon rivers with mercury and disrupted the traditional lives of several Indigenous tribes, including the Yanomami.

Researchers develop sustainable method to extract gold from ore and electronic waste

The aim of the Flinders-led project was to provide alternative methods that are safer than mercury or cyanide in gold extraction and recovery.

Peru's Amazon communities accuse the state of failing to stop mercury pollution from illegal mining

Friday, June 27, 2025

Golden opportunity to reduce toxic waste

Around the world, artisanal and small-scale gold miners use mercury, which binds to gold particles in ores, to create what are known as amalgams. These are then heated to evaporate the mercury, leaving behind gold but releasing toxic vapours. Studies indicate that up to 33% of artisanal miners suffer from moderate metallic mercury vapor intoxication.

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Illegal mining and gold supply chains in Ecuador

Cyanide and mercury pollution from reprocessed tailings in Portovelo and Zaruma are contaminating rivers, killing aquatic life, and contributing to cross-border tensions with Peru. Despite the 2015 ban on mercury use, its clandestine application persists in ASGM.

‘Nigeria must see artisanal mining as catalyst for socio-economic devt’

In many artisanal gold mine sites, mercury exposure is routine. Despite clear signs of mercury poisoning such as cases of Minamata disease in communities where mining has persisted for decades, awareness of these dangers is low.

Peru's Mining Boom Masks Deepening Crisis Of Illegal Gold And Violence

In Madre de Dios, illegal gold mining has fueled a public health crisis, with rising cases of mercury poisoning, tuberculosis, and other diseases. The influx of workers into remote camps strains local communities and spreads infectious diseases.

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Ghana struggles to manage illegal mining operations

They discovered abandoned clothing, freshly dug trenches, and rudimentary equipment amid pools of mercury and cyanide-contaminated water.

Monday, June 23, 2025

Galamsey is same as Small Scale Mining in English, has come to Stay and must be managed, thanks to Chinese Ambassador

So my fellow Ghanaians must note that in the fight against mining in rivers and restricted Forest Reserves, grave yards etc, the enemy is Small Scale Mining in English alias Galamasey in local parlance, it existed before the establishment the African Area now called Ghana and before the establishment of Gold Coast and it was banned in 1906, during the era of the Colonial Administration. The ban was further reinforced with the Mercury Act of 1932.

As gold prices surge, West Africa mine operators launch drones to detect wildcat miners

They discovered abandoned clothing, freshly dug trenches, and rudimentary equipment amid pools of mercury and cyanide-contaminated water. The equipment was left behind by so-called wildcat miners, who operate on the outskirts of many of the continent's official mining ventures - putting at risk their own health, the environment and the official mine operator's profits.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

Mercury poisoning in Peru’s Amazon threatens health disaster

The test results released this month show nearly 80% of the people tested late last year had levels of mercury far above the safe limits in six communities on the banks of the Nanay and Pintuyacu rivers.

The Causes, Effects, and Remedies of Fish Declination in the Volta Lake, Ghana

Illegal Mining (Galamsey) introduces mercury and arsenic into aquatic systems, killing fish and poisoning ecosystems.
read more... https://www.modernghana.com/news/1410577/the-causes-effects-and-remedies-of-fish-declinat.html

Friday, June 20, 2025

The hope that Pope Leo XIV has inspired among the religious

New gold mines run the risk of toxic mercury seeping into the local water system. Not too far away in Kabwe lead pollution because of mining (by well-known US, Australian, European firms) is severe.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Ghana’s Gold Curse: Why the FBI Might Be the Nation’s Last Hope Against Environmental Crime and Corruption

In the deep forest reserves of Ghana’s Western, Ashanti, and Eastern regions, rivers once known for purity — Birim, Ankobra, Pra — now run brown with mercury, cyanide, and the blood of local resistance. Illegal mining, known locally as galamsey, has pushed Ghana’s ecological, economic, and legal institutions to the brink of collapse.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Spain's rivers at risk from rising mercury pollution, study warns

With gold mining still common in parts of South America, Africa and Southeast Asia, many rivers outside Europe are seeing the sharpest rises in mercury. But researchers stress that no country is immune. Spain’s proximity to both the Atlantic and Mediterranean, and its place in global fish markets, make it a key player in the conversation around mercury safety and regulation.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Illegal miner shot and arrested during Operation Vala Umgodi

According to reports, members of the Combat Team in Sabie received a tip-off from a source about a group of Zama Zamas (foreign nationals) who were allegedly refining gold illegally and selling mercury at a specific address in the area.

Authorities sound alarm over illegal gold mining in Kelantan and Pahang

Toxic substances like mercury, commonly used in illicit gold extraction, can contaminate water sources and pose significant health risks to nearby communities.

Venezuela's El Dorado, where gold is currency of the poor

In tall sheds with zinc roofs, mountains of sand are milled in machines that work with modified car engines, then washed in water and toxic mercury to separate the gold from other metals.

Monday, June 16, 2025

Galamsey Gold Rush: Brenu Akyinim students trade classrooms for risky beach mining

He highlighted a hidden health crisis with the illegal mining activities as the contamination of local water sources with mercury and arsenic used in gold extraction would lead to waterborne diseases like typhoid and diarrhoea, and severe health problems including kidney disease, respiratory illnesses, birth defects, and cognitive impairments.

‘When the river swells, it forces them to run backwards’: rising waters push Colombia’s farmers into hunger and despair

Mining also exacerbates food insecurity by contaminating water and land. Tests carried out by the University of Córdoba on people in the Atrato River basin revealed that 90% had unsafe mercury levels.

Sunday, June 15, 2025

5 Cases of Environmental Damage in Indonesia due to Mining Activities

In Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, in the early 2000s, pollution from the gold mine tailings owned by PT Newmont Minahasa Raya caused cases of heavy metal poisoning such as arsenic and mercury.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Global mercury levels in rivers have doubled since Industrial Revolution

The study identified artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) as a particularly significant contributor to mercury pollution in South America, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. In the Amazon region, for instance, mercury levels have soared due to both increased soil erosion from deforestation and mercury releases from mining activities.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Child labor and illegal gold mining in Ghana

Mercury exposure is a grave health hazard. Children inhale mercury fumes when the amalgam is burned and handle mercury with bare hands, risking neurological damage. Many child laborers also suffer from dust inhalation, leading to respiratory issues, injuries from sharp tools or falling rocks, and exhaustion from physically taxing workdays.

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Tawau gold mine fiasco probe: Fears over cyanide contamination of river

Numerous government agencies have mobilised to investigate potential toxic cyanide contamination after a gold mine’s water retention dam burst on May 17, with concerns the spillage may have reached Sungai Kalumpang

National Action Plans for Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) - PAHO

Susan Keane, Senior Direct, Natural Resources Defense Council. Co-lead, Global Mercury Partnership ASGM Area. PAHO Webinar: WHO Guidance Document

Monday, June 9, 2025

UN warns organised crime in Africa’s illicit gold trade threatens global security

"Environmental harm from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), particularly in the context of gold extraction, is often tied to the widespread use of mercury and deforestation," the report notes.

When Gold Becomes Poison, and the Foolish Cut Down the Tree with the Shade

The devastating health consequences of galamsey are not tales from folklore. Mercury and cyanide used in gold extraction have seeped into water sources—the same water used for drinking, cooking, bathing, and farming.

Crayfish smuggling foiled as Malawi acts to protect native species

In Ghana, for example, illegal gold mining involving Chinese nationals has been blamed for deforestation, water pollution, and soil degradation. A study documented habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and contamination of water sources with toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide. Similar observations have been made in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Saturday, June 7, 2025

Curb the Illegal Mining (Galamsey) Menace of Ghana?

These groups now deploy AK-47 rifles, drones for surveillance, excavators, and mercury-laden industrial equipment to plunder Ghana’s gold-rich lands

Friday, June 6, 2025

Unregulated Gold Rush Poses Existential Risk to Ghana’s Mining Future

The environmental consequences of unregulated ASM are evident. In Senegal, similar practices have led to mercury contamination in the Faleme River, prompting a suspension of mining activities along its banks until 2027. In Ghana, the use of mercury and other hazardous chemicals in ASM poses serious risks to both ecosystems and public health.

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Peru promises reform in war on illegal mining, but loopholes still favor bad actors

One of the most damaging impacts of illegal mining is its effect on the environment. Congress members Ruth Luque and Karol Paredes claim that the preliminary draft of the MAPE law fails to include concrete measures for the total elimination of mercury use, lacks filters for miners transitioning from Reinfo to Renapmat, imposes no sanctions on those registered in the new system, would allow mining in currently protected areas and would even grant tax benefits without requiring compliance with environmental standards.

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Local governments must eliminate mercury in gold mining

The Indonesian Ministry of Environment (KLH) has called on regional governments nationwide to develop and implement local action plans to eliminate mercury use in small-scale gold mining activities.

Galamsey Miners Brag About Being Untouchable Despite Police Presence

Deforestation is one of the concerns of illegal gold mining, but one stands out; mercury poisoning. Per the BBC, galamsey often uses harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide to extract gold. Read more:https://yen.com.gh/people/284691-illegal-miner-declares-group-untouchable-shows-police-officers-site/

Tuesday, June 3, 2025

Gold mining toxins threaten villagers in Central Darfur

Cyanide, a highly toxic chemical, is commonly used to extract gold from ore, particularly by small-scale miners in Sudan who also rely on mercury for the same purpose.

Monday, June 2, 2025

‘No permit, no excavator’ – Mahama announces tougher controls to curb galamsey

These reforms, he noted, will also include a ban on toxic substances such as mercury in gold processing, and a requirement for mine sites to be rehabilitated after use.

Sunday, June 1, 2025

Your Golden mean

Hazardous substances like cyanide and mercury were used to prise out more and more, rivers were poisoned, acid released into water and air and forests cut down — today, extracting 1 tonne of gold means creating 1,00,000 tonnes of waste rock, a standard gold ring generating 30 tonnes of environmental waste, 1 kg of gold causing several kgs of carbon dioxide emissions