Moving from mercury

Second Instalment

This series of articles is being published by the Stabroek Business in support of the initiative being undertaken by the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) to enhance public awareness of the mining sector’s thrust to reduce and eventually remove mercury from local gold-mining operations

Many technologies exist that do not involve the use of mercury in the gold recovery process. These include – Gravity Concentration: Sluice Boxes, Shaking Table, Centrifuges; Complexing Techni-ques: Chlorine Processing, Cyanide Processing (Dangerous), Other Halides, Flotation Methods; Agglomeration Processes and Electrolytic Processes. All of these processes have advantages and disadvantages, which would favour the selection of one or the other. Most are friendlier to the environment