Mercury levels in human population from a mining district in Western Colombia

A biomonitoring study was carried out to examine the adverse impacts of total mercury in the blood(HgB), urine(Hg U) and human scalp hair(HgH) on the residents of a mining district in Colombia. Representative biological samples(scalp hair, urine and blood) were collected from volunteered participants(n = 63) to estimate the exposure levels of THg using a Direct mercury analyzer. The geometric mean of THg concentrations in the hair,urine and blood of males were 15.98 μg/g, 23.89 μg/L and 11.29 μg/L respectively, whereas the females presented values of 8.55 μg/g, 5.37 μg/L and 8.80 μg/L. Chronic urinary Hg(HgU)levels observed in male workers(32.53 μg/L) are attributed to their long termed exposures to inorganic and metallic mercury from gold panning activities. On an average, the levels of THg are increasing from blood(10.05 μg/L) to hair(12.27 μg/g) to urine(14.63 μg/L).Significant positive correlation was found between hair and blood urinary levels in both male and female individuals. Thus the present biomonitoring investigation to evaluate the Hg levels and associated health issues would positively form a framework for further developmental plans and policies in building an ecofriendly ecosystem.     

上杭紫金山金矿废水废渣的处理及生态环境影响

金矿的开采会产生大量的废渣和废矿石，氰化法提金则产生大量含氰废水，如果未能妥善处理，将严重污染地表水和地下水，以及周边生态环境。该文对上杭紫金山金矿的生产工艺、废水废渣处理情况进行了调研，并提出矿山生态环境保护措施建议。     

Strategies for sustainable development of the small-scale gold and diamond mining industry of Ghana

The small-scale gold and diamonds mining industry is of great importance to Ghana. Since its regularization in 1989 the sector has produced and sold over 1.5 million troy ounces of gold and 8.0 million carats of diamonds. During the same period the sector also provided direct employment to over 100,000 people and improved the socioeconomic life of many individuals and communities. However, these were largely achieved at a cost to the environment in areas where mining is carried out and there is the need to develop the industry in a sustainable manner. This paper looks at the developments in the small-scale gold and diamonds mining industry in Ghana and proposes some strategies on how the concepts of sustainable development could be applied to the industry.     

华南某金矿下游河道砷镉分布特征

对华南某金矿下游河道砷、镉分布特征进行了初步研究,在金矿下游河道沿程布设7个沉积物采样点及两个河道断面,分析了沉积物及断面土壤的砷、镉、铬、铜、镍、铅、锌含量。采用Tessier连续提取法分析沉积物中砷、镉等重金属的形态。砷含量高达10 208⁷0 621 mg/kg,镉含量达2.870 621 mg/kg,镉含量达2.8¹0.2 mg/kg。沉积物中砷、铅元素含量沿水流方向总体呈现减少趋势,铬、铜元素含量沿水流方向呈现增加趋势,镉元素含量沿水流方向先增加后减少。上游断面沉积物砷、镉等重金属浓度由河流中泓线向河岸方向增加,砷含量由16 617 mg/kg增加至53 197 mg/kg;下游断面则反之,砷含量由16 860 mg/kg减少至384mg/kg。沉积物中砷、镉等重金属元素主要以铁锰氧化态、有机结合态和残渣态的形式存在。     

苏州河表层沉积物中总汞测定的研究

采用金汞齐富集-冷原子吸收光谱法直接测定苏州河表层沉积物中的总汞。结果表明:该方法在0.00～200ng范围内呈良好线性关系,检出限为0.005mg/kg(样品以0.2g计)。实际样品测定的RSD为1.24%～4.36%,加标回收率为91.8%～101%。与原子荧光光谱法相比,两种方法测定的结果没有显著差异。     

Environmental assessment of mercury dispersion, transformation and bioavailability in the Lake Victoria Goldfields, Tanzania

Environmental dispersion and transformation of mercury discharged from gold mining operations has been investigated in field and laboratory studies in order to provide better understanding of the degree of mercury (Hg) pollution and bioavailability in the Lake Victoria goldfields (LVGF) ecosystems. This paper reviews results already published elsewhere and presents additional data on Hg dynamics in the LVGF. Studies conducted at the Mugusu and Rwamagaza artisanal mines indicated different degrees of Hg contamination and dispersion in environmental matrices. Mercury concentration in contaminated river sediments near the Mugusu mine varied from 6.0 to 0.5 mg/kg on a dry weight basis. The highest Hg contamination levels (165-232 mg/kg) were associated with mine tailings at the Rwamagaza mine. Mercury concentrations in fish representing different dietary habits on the southwestern shore of Lake Victoria at the Nungwe Bay were very low (2-35 microg/kg) and thought to represent background levels. These and other results suggested that the use of Hg in gold extraction in the LVGF has not caused high Hg levels in lake fish. The study of Hg in lichens showed Parmelia lichen to be an effective bioindicator for atmospheric Hg contamination due to Hg emissions from gold-amalgam firing and purification operations. The Hg levels in the lichens around the Mugusu mine ranged from 3.1 to 0.1 microg/g; the highest levels were recorded in the lichens sampled close to gold-amalgam processing sites. The regional background level in the Parmelia lichen was 0.05-0.10 microg/g, with a mean level of 0.07 microg/g. Studies of Hg transformation in the mine tailings revealed unexpectedly high methylmercury (MeHg) levels in the tailings (629-710 ng/g), which indicated that oxidation and methylation of metallic Hg in the tailings occurred at significant levels under tropical conditions. Re-equilibration of the tailings with freshwater (FW) indicated the MeHg was firmly bound in the tailings and therefore very little MeHg was released to the water column (0.2-1.5 ng/L). The methylation of Hg in tropical loamy clay soil contaminated with HgCl(2) (5 mg Hg/kg) yielded MeHg concentrations of 11 and 14 ng/g when inundated with seawater and FW, respectively, for 4 weeks. Little MeHg was transferred from the soil to the equilibrated water (< or = 0.4 ng/L). Atmospheric exposure of the soil pre-inundated with FW resulted in net degradation of MeHg during the 1st week of exposure, followed by net production and accumulation of MeHg in the soil (up to 15.5 ng/g) during atmospheric desiccation. Mercury uptake by fish from the Hg(0)-contaminated aquatic sediment-tailings system in the aquarium experiment was found to be low, suggesting the low availability of MeHg for bioaccumulation in the system. These and other results provide useful insights into Hg transformation, mobility and bioavailability in tropical aquatic systems affected by Hg pollution from gold mining operations.     

Converging hazard assessment of gold nanoparticles to aquatic organisms

The gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) are being increasingly used because of their huge diversity of applications, and consequently, elevated levels in the environment are expected. However, due to their physico-chemical properties and functionalization a high variety of Au-NPs can be found, and complete toxicological information for each type of Au-NPs still lacks, and even, the toxicological information for the same species is sometimes contradictory. Therefore, hazard assessment should be done case by case. Hence, the objective of this study was to obtain ecotoxicological information of the same Au-NPs in aquatic organisms and to find a rationale for Au-NPs toxicity. For such a purpose, bare and hyaluronic acid capped Au-NPs (12.5 nm) along with Au-NPs bulk material were tested on freshwater algae, Daphnia and zebrafish. Results showed that while gold nanoparticles were found to be harmless to the tested organisms, the soluble gold showed to be toxic to algae and Daphnia, with an LC₅₀ between 1 and 2 mg L⁻¹. Comparing our results with those gathered in the literature, it appears that a common hazard assessment of Au-NPs on the studied organisms can be elucidated.     

西南地区近60年商品材消耗和经济增长关系

首次定义和使用了"GDP黄金当量"作为经济全球化背景下经济增长的新指标。"GDP黄金当量"是指把历年GDP总量按年均汇价和国际黄金市场年均价换算成黄金重量,其可在一定程度上绕开纸币的贬值或升值,反映GDP的贵金属本质,把资源消耗和经济增长的关系分析转变成物物关系分析。研究资源消耗和经济增长的关系有助于提高资源使用效率和调整经济发展方式。通过分析西南地区1949年以来历年商品材产量、人口数量、GDP总量、GDP黄金当量及其单位木材能耗之间的关系,检验了近现代资源环境与经济发展关系中的"资源诅咒"和"库兹涅茨曲线"假设,结果表明:①1952—2008年GDP总量增长了422倍,人口增长了1倍,GDP黄金当量增加了4.5倍,商品材产量增加了12倍;②商品材产量1997—2000年因天然林保护工程下降了80%,然而2008年的946×104m3又恢复到了天然林保护工程前的水平,总体上增长趋势未变;③经济发展出现3个GDP黄金当量"平台",目前处在第3个"平台"上,GDP黄金当量和商品材产量仅前20 a成线性相关(P0.01);④商品材产量和人口数量之间线性相关显著(P0.01),GDP黄金当量和人口数量之间非参数相关显著(P=0.005),人均GDP增长了162倍,人均GDP黄金当量只增长了1.5倍,商品材产量和人均GDP(或人均GDP黄金当量)之间不存在环境库兹涅茨曲线关系,也不存在森林资源诅咒经济增长现象;⑤每万元GDP或每kg GDP黄金当量的商品材消耗量先增加后减少,呈现倒"U"曲线走势,经济发展走过了劳动和森林资源密集型时期。     

Gold and gold working in Late Bronze Age Northern Greece

Numerous objects of gold displaying an impressive variety of types and manufacturing techniques are known from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) contexts of Mycenaean Greece, but very little is known about the origin and processing of gold during the second millennium B.C: . Ancient literature and recent research indicate that northern Greece is probably the richest gold-bearing region in Greece, and yet, very little evidence exists regarding the exploitation of its deposits and the production as well as use of gold in the area during prehistory. The unusual find of a group of small stone crucibles at the prehistoric settlement of Thessaloniki Toumba, one with visible traces of gold melting, proves local production and offers a rare opportunity to examine the process of on-site gold working. Furthermore, the comparison of the chemical composition of prehistoric artefacts from two settlements with those of gold deposits in their immediate areas supports the local extraction of gold and opens up the prospect for some of the Mycenaean gold to have originated in northern Greece. The scarcity of gold items in northern Greek LBA contexts may not represent the actual amount of gold produced and consumed, but could be a result of the local social attitudes towards the circulation and deposition of artefacts from precious metals.