Mercury consumption and contamination of environment in gold mining in China

Amalgamation (sluice methods) used in the extraction of golds from ores and concentrates causes mercury contamination of the environment, which is increasingly concerned in China. The mercury specific consumption in the technical procedures has been evaluated based on the investigation of 33 mines. The average consumption of Hg is 14.6 g/ton raw ores, the ratio of Hg to gold is 6.35 g(Hg)/g(Au), total consumption of Hg in 1995 was 80 tons. The mercury amount entering into environment was 20 tons/a. Up to now 13.26% total gold produced in China is still using amalgamation, although prohibition of amalgamation since 1985 was officially proclaimed. At present, the amalgamation usage tendds to go up in some companies becasue of the benefic promotion. The irreversible mercury consumption was dispersed in the air(50%), tailing (23%) and partly(27%) entered into the downward products in the production, such as ore concentrates which was refined in the plants and caused pollution of environment near the smelter.