WP8 Assessment and Remediation of Mercury Contaminated Sites
202 Oregon Ballroom
1:20 PM - 4:40 PM, Wednesday
() Protocols for Environmental Assessment and Remediation of Sites Impacted by Mercury Released by Artisanal Gold Mining.
Veiga, M.M.1, 3, Baker, R.F.2, 3, 1 University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada3 United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), Vienna, Austria2 Azimuth Consulting Group Inc., Vancouver, BC, Canada
ABSTRACT- Environmental Assessment (EA) is an effective decision-making tool to support mitigation/remediation actions at contaminated sites. Traditional methodologies used in EA for conventional mining projects involving heavy metals are not ideally suited to assess the effects caused by mercury (Hg) released by artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASM) in developing countries. The goal of the UNIDO program was to develop simple, reproducible protocols for Hg sampling, sample preservation, transportation, and analysis that are understandable by environmental agencies, researchers, and artisanal gold miners in several countries. The objective of the monitoring program was to establish harmonized procedures to identify and quantify the extent of Hg contamination at mining hotspots. These are sites with high concentrations of metallic mercury dumped by artisanal miners, into or near water courses that have the potential to be transformed into environmental hotspots. An environmental hotspot is an area where inorganic Hg is transformed into methylmercury (MeHg) and accumulated into the food web. Before conducting EAs in artisanal gold mining regions, it is essential to understand the methods employed by miners to process gold ores, how mercury is being used and how it enters and becomes transformed in the aquatic environment. The scientific rationale behind the decisions on what must be preferentially sampled and the basic methodologies employed are presented. The ultimate goal of this program is to reduced exposure by miners and their families to Hg and MeHg (via the food web) and ultimately, remediate mining and environmental hotspots.
Key words: Protocols, Mercury, Artisanal Mining, Contamination