Use mercury to extract gold

Comments

Mercury poisoning; Mercury extraction is a small-scale method used to purify gold. [ILO Encyclo, Vol 3, p. 82.1-82.56] Artisan gold miners in Burkina Faso had high mercury levels with 69% above the ACGIH BEI of 35 ug/g creatinine and 16% above 350 ug./g-CR. [PMID 21279378]

Job Task Category

Smelting or Casting Metal

Reference Link

Exposed To

Metals

Diseases

Diseases associated with this job task:

• Chronic renal failure
• Mercury, elemental, chronic toxic effect
• Neuropathy, toxic

Jobs

Jobs associated with this job task:

• Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
• Pourers and Casters, Metal

Industries

Industries associated with this job task:

• Primary Smelting and Refining of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum)