Information and awareness leaflet on GOLD MINING and Mercury fall at Kalimantan, Indonesia

1. GOLD MINING AT KALIMANTAN
INDONESIA
CHANDANA R MARIAN COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING ECOLOGY FLYER

2. UNIDO estimates that mercury
amalgamation from this kind of
gold mining results in the release of
an estimated 1,000 tons of mercury
per year, which constitutes about
30% of the world’s anthropogenic
mercury emissions. It is estimated
that between 10 and 15 million
artisanal and small-scale gold
miners worldwide, including 4.5
million women and 600,000
children.
According to UNIDO, as much as
95% of all mercury used in artisanal
gold mining is released into the
environment, creating a danger on
all fronts-economic, environmental
and human health (2005). Covered
by the 2008 World’s Worst Polluted
Places Report, ASM still threatens
today’s world environment and
public health.
Central Kalimantan is a natural
resource abundant region in
Indonesia that consists of dense
tropical forests and rivers. It is also
the third largest province in
Indonesia, with an area of 153,800
km2. The region primarily produces
raw materials including rattan, resin,
and high-value timber. Due to its
mineral deposits, it has experienced
mercury contamination from small-
scale mining activities for the last 20
years. Artisanal gold miners
combine mercury with gold-
carrying silt to form a hardened
amalgam that has picked up most of
the gold metal from the silt.
According to the Global Mercury
Project gold in this region is located
beneath the primary or secondary
forest. Artisanal gold miners
therefore often seek new deposits
following illegal logging in tropical
forests. Metal amalgam deposited
in this region is burned with
mercury to extract the more
valuable gold components.
Mercury is a persistent global
contaminant, and it has dangerous
effect to the human’s vital organs.
Mercury can enter the human body
through various pathways,
including inhalation, ingestion, skin
contact, as well as maternal
mercury transfer. Once mercury is
released into waterways, it
becomes a more toxic form of
methyl- mercury, which bio
accumulates in the food chain (e.g.
high fat-content fish) through
bacterial digestion.

3. Emission of mercury damages
human health, contaminates
water supply, degrades land
quality, and
causes air pollution.
Children that are exposed to
mercury are particularly at risk for
developmental problems.
Exposure to mercury can cause
kidney problems, arthritis,
memory loss,
miscarriages, psychotic reactions,
respiratory failure, neurological
damage and even death.
The drainages flow through the
main gold processing units where
mercury is widely used and
released. About one third of the
coastline of the area is within the
boundary of the Bunaken National
Marine Park. The coastal
environment includes mangrove
areas and coral reefs.
These pollute the rivers and its
habitat, also methyl mercury can
be absorbed by plants, get into the
food chain and affect human
health. Also illegally digging for
gold on a torn up riverbank in
Borneo.
1) MERCURY-FREE GOLD
EXTRACTION METHOD
Using BOREX instead of Mercury
for extracting gold. The mercury-
free gold extraction method uses
borax in the process of gold
smelting. Borax is used in the
smelting process because it lowers
the melting point of gold and other
metals. In this method, the mining
of gold-bearing ore, the grinding of
the mined material and the
concentrating from sluicing are the
same as in the amalgamation
method.
2) WATER BOX CONDENSER
SYSTEM
The vapour form of mercury is
condensed during heating by this
condenser, and is again is
converted to liquid state. Hence it
can be recycled.
3) DRAINAGE
The mercury residue reaching the
waterbodies through drainages
should be prevented.
SOLUTIONS