Technology,managerial, and policy initiatives for improving environmental performance in small-scale gold mining industry

This paper reviews a series of strategies for improving environmental performance in the small-scale gold mining industry. Although conditions vary regionally, few regulations and policies exist specifically for small-scale gold mining activity. Furthermore, because environmental awareness is low in most developing countries, sites typically feature rudimentary technologies and poor management practices. A combination of policy-, managerial- and technology-related initiatives is needed to facilitate environmental improvement in the industry. Following a broad overview of these initiatives, a recommended strategy is put forth for governments keen on improving the environmental conditions of resident small-scale gold mines.     

South African gold mining taxation : An example of a resource rent tax

Theoretically, a resource rent tax is neutral in that it does not influence the allocation of resources. However, the application of such fundamental principles in the tax formula of the South African gold mining industry negates the neutrality principle. A progressive element in the tax rate encourages mining of submarginal ores - leads to misallocation of resources. However, it substantially reduces the financial risks of a mining company engaged in the extraction of a commodity characterized by price volability, such as gold, and permits economies of scale in mining and encourages conservation of a non-renewable resource. As long as prices increase faster than costs, the advantages of this system probably exceed the disadvantages. The choice of the threshold rate in such a tax system is critical. If it is too high it will encourage mining of submarginal ores, and if too low it does not recognize the peculiar risks of gold mining investments.     

黄金采选业污染防治成功案例研究

河南金源公司祁雨沟金矿在新技术改造项目中引进了清洁生产工艺,可节约生产用水资金,提高劳动生产效率;减排生产废水和污染物等,实现经济和环境效益双赢。     

Effect of sub-acute exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles on oxidative stress and histopathological changes in Juvenile Carp （Cyprinus carpio）

Increasing application of nanotechnology highlights the need to clarify and understand nanotoxicity. Mammalian and in vitro studies have raised concerns about the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂-NPs), but there are limited data on ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms. In this work, the sub-acute toxicity of TiO₂-NPs to carp (Cyprinus carpio) was assessed. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels in liver, gill and brain tissues of carps varied with concentration of TiO₂-NPs suspensions and exposure time (up to 8 d). As a result, 100 and 200 mg/L TiO₂-NPs caused statistically significant decrease in SOD, CAT and POD activities and significant increase in LPO levels in tissues (P < 0.05), suggesting that the fish exposed to these two concentrations of TiO₂-NPs suffered from the oxidative stress. The extent of depletion of antioxidant enzymes activities and the elevation of LPO in the liver was the greatest, indicating that the liver might be the most susceptible organ to TiO₂-NPs exposure. In addition, carps had gill pathologies including edema and thickening of gill lamellae as well as gill filaments, and liver pathologies including necrotic and apoptosis hepatocytes after exposed to 100 and 200 mg/L TiO₂-NPs for 20 d. These results indicated a potential risk from TiO₂-NPs released into the aqueous environment.     

全球汞污染回顾与分析

回顾全球所经历的主要汞污染事件,引述国外科研工作者对全球汞污染与汞排放的调查和研究成果,重点介绍金矿开采对环境的污染与危害,揭示造成亚马逊流域汞污染的深层根源。分析今后全球防止汞污染的主要措施：一是主要工业化国家将进一步研究和改善工业领域相关行业的工艺技术水平,趋向无汞产品和无汞工艺,以减少自身的汞污染与排放;其二,发达国家陆续立法禁止汞的自由贸易和出口。发达国家对汞的出口限制将促使发展中国家相关行业（特别是小金矿）采取汞的替代工艺,从而减少全球性汞污染与排放。     

Mill leaching: a viable substitute for mercury amalgamation in the artisanal gold mining sector?

Artisanal small-scale gold miners (ASM) occasionally employ whole ore amalgamation by adding mercury into ball mills to recover gold. In this process, 25–30% of the mercury added is lost to the environment. It is also inefficient less than 30% of gold is recovered. Amalgamation, followed by cyanidation, has been observed at many artisanal mining sites. This combination poses additional environmental and health consequences. Tests with ore samples from Talawaan, North Sulawesi, Indonesia indicate the possibility of replacing mercury by cyanidation in the ball mill, reaching gold extraction of 93% in 6 h of leaching. The gold in the Indonesian ore sample is fine and less than 8% of gold recovery was obtained with gravity concentration of the ore ground 80% below 0.25 mm, which is a reasonably fine grain size for artisanal gold operations. Replacing mercury addition with cyanidation in ball mills was implemented in one artisanal gold mining operation in Portovelo, Ecuador, achieving 95% of gold extraction in 8 h of mill leaching. This technique demonstrated a drastic improvement in gold recovery. It was found to be a simple, inexpensive technique well accepted by local miners. The results from laboratory and field tests are promising; however a thorough investigation into the socio-economic and environmental aspects of this presented alternative must be conducted prior to introduction.     

Biochemical and histopathological ultrastructural changes caused by ZnO nanoparticles in mice

Five week-old mice were divided into a vehicle control group, and groups exposed to ZnO nanoparticles at low (0.5 g/kg), middle (1 g/kg), high (3 g/kg), and exceptionally high-dose (5 g/kg). After the first, second, third, and fourth weeks’ of exposure, blood biochemistry, histopathology, and electron microscopic ultrastructural changes in liver, kidney and spleen were investigated. Increased alkaline phosphatase activities were observed in all treated mice being statistically significant at higher dose. No changes were observed in the serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and lipid levels. During the first and second weeks of the treatment, effects on the cytoarchitecture of liver, kidney, and spleen were not perceived while during the third and fouth weeks of treatment sporadic mild effects were seen. Ultrastructural electron microscopic changes in liver, kidney, and spleen were not observed for the low-dose group on the first, second, third, and fourth weeks, suggesting that exposure to ZnO nanoparticles at low dose is safe. Long-term (i.e., more than 28 days) exposure to the exceptionally high-dose resulted in sporadic changes in nuclear chromatin condensation, irregular nuclear membrane, polymorphic mitochondria, mitochondrial swelling, and vacuolation. ZnO nanoparticles could be well tolerated and no death occurred in any group of treated mice.     

Indium tin oxide nanoparticles-mediated DNA fragmentation and cell death by apoptosis in human lung epithelial cells

Indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles (NP) have extensive applications in industrial fields, and concerns regarding their potential toxicity in humans and environmental impact have increased. Since exposure to ITO NP is mainly via skin and inhalation, this study was conducted utilizing human lung epithelial (A549) cell line. Cells were exposed to different concentrations of the ITO NP for 24 and 48 hr. A severe cytotoxic response of ITO NP was observed as evident by the (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and neutral red uptake assays after 48 hr exposure. ITO NP significantly reduced glutathione levels with a concomitant increase in lipid hydroperoxide levels, superoxide activity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation after exposure. A significant induction in caspase activity and formation of condensed chromosomal bodies was also observed after ITO NP (10 or 25 µg/ml) exposure. Furthermore, a significant induction in DNA damage was observed by the Comet assay in cells exposed to ITO NP. Our data demonstrate that ITO NP display cytotoxic and genotoxic potential. However, increase in ROS levels and oxidative stress leading to oxidative DNA damage and condensed chromosomal bodies formation, suggests involvement of apotosis. Thus, ITO NP-mediated effects on cell viability indicate cytotoxicity, and therefore, exposures need to be carefully monitored in the industrial sector.     

腐殖酸可降低纳米银的水生生物毒性

本文作者主要研究了腐殖酸对聚乙烯吡咯烷酮包覆的纳米银颗粒(polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated AgNPs)毒性的影响,受试生物涵盖了水生系统不同的营养级别,包括藻类(Raphidocelis subcapitata)、水蚤类(Chydorus sphaericus)以及淡水鱼类(Danio rerio)。结果显示,腐殖酸可降低AgNPs对本研究中所有水生生物的毒性,并具有明显的剂量效应关系。原因为：1）腐殖酸使AgNPs表面带有更多负电荷,这阻碍了AgNPs与藻细胞的接触,使毒性降低;2）腐殖酸抑制了AgNPs中Ag⁺的溶出,而本研究显示自由Ag⁺的毒性高于团聚的纳米银颗粒。
精选自Zhuang Wang, Joris T.K. Quik, Lan Song, Evert-Jan Van Den Brandhof, Marja Wouterse and Willie J.G.M. Peijnenburg. Humic substances alleviate the aquatic toxicity of polyvinylpyrrolidone-coated silver nanoparticles to organisms of different trophic levels. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 34, Issue 6, pages 1239–1245, June 2015. DOI: 10.1002/etc.2936
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/etc.2936/full
     

全氟辛烷磺酸钾(PFOS)和纳米氧化锌(Nano-ZnO)单独与联合暴露对斑马鱼胚胎的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡的影响

探讨全氟辛烷磺酸钾(PFOS)和纳米氧化锌(Nano-Zn O)复合暴露对斑马鱼机体氧化损伤和细胞凋亡的影响。将斑马鱼胚胎暴露于PFOS(0、0.4、0.8和1.6 mg·L-1)、Nano-Zn O(0、12.5、25和50 mg·L-1)、PFOS+Nano-Zn O(0、0.4+12.5、0.8+25和1.6+50 mg·L-1)溶液中6天后,检测相关的酶活性变化(超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(Gpx)、脂质过氧化物(MDA)、半胱氨酸蛋白酶(Caspase-3和Caspase-9)和与细胞凋亡相关基因(Bax,p53和Bcl-2)表达情况。结果表明:PFOS和Nano-Zn O单独与复合暴露均可造成斑马鱼胚胎的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡,但复合暴露组的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡程度明显大于单独暴露组。在PFOS和Nano-Zn O单独和复合暴露组中,随着处理浓度的升高,SOD、Gpx、Caspase-3和Caspase-9酶的活性显著升高。而CAT酶活性随着处理浓度的升高抑制作用显著。PFOS与Nano-Zn O复合暴露组与单独暴露组相比,Bax和p53表达显著上调,而Bcl-2表达显著下调。因此,在实验浓度范围内,等毒性配比1:1条件下,推测NanoZn O可以增强PFOS对斑马鱼胚胎的氧化损伤和细胞凋亡毒性。