Blacksmith Institute - Mercury: The Burning Issue (Part 2)

What is the connection between the gold you wear and the mercury-contaminated seafood on your plate? This video helps to explain it all. It documents Blacksmith Institute's project in Indonesia to reduce mercury poisoning from the gold mining process.

At least a quarter of the world's total gold supply comes from artisanal gold mining. UNIDO (The United Nations Industrial Development Organization) estimates that artisanal gold mining results in the release of an estimated 1,000 tons of toxic mercury per year, which constitutes about 30% of the world's mercury emissions.

Some 15 million gold miners, including 4.5 million women and 600,000 children, are poisoned by direct contact with toxic mercury. In addition, mercury rises and travels, dropping into rivers, oceans and seas, contaminating seafood far and wide.

Blacksmith is working with UNIDO's Global Mercury Project in Senegal, Indonesia, Mozambique, and Cambodia.

This video shows how Indonesian miners use mercury to release small amounts of gold. It also showcases a solution that has been introduced to the miners - a simple retort that can recapture mercury used in the gold mining process. This retort has been successful in reducing the amount of toxic mercury emissions.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Blacksmith Institute
• Mercury The Burning Issue
• Indonesia
• gold
• artisanal gold mining
• pollution
• mercury pollution
• mercury poisoning

[benglenda911]

where can i buy this retort in the philippines or can you send me the design of this retort so i can give this to my friend who are using mercury to refine gold. thank you so for the information and more power.

[x2thebox]

@s4a4v4y Please, I'll speak for Pam. I shot the rarest subspecies of polar bear known to man. The beast was sent to China, where underfed children hand stitched it. To be honest, it's a lovely addition to my constantly growing collection, but I'll probably wear it once. That said, the fur coat goes perfectly well with my Indonesian gold necklace. My only regret is that my massive gold chain lacks more blood (conflict) diamonds on it.

[x2thebox]

@flamedrag18 If you leave the bars in there long enough, you'll crush whatever you want to as small a size as you desire. If you notice, putting the 'covers' on the rotating drums isn't exactly a 'snap.' My guess is, they only use the bars b/c putting the lid on the drum is a hassle and if they let the drum rotate long enough, they'll get what they want.

[flamedrag18]

it's interesting that they only go to metal bars for the grinding process, you'd think they would go progressively smaller medium, like tungsten ball bearings, ect to get the sand to a powder and so on.

[maxinpains]

@b679995

Does anyone knows how to refine with out mercury anyway?

[alizaderic]

Thank you for all your hard work in Kalimantan. I have been shocked at the way mercury is used there, the health and envir. hazards. Progress is being made. Oh, I am a northern california placer miner and mine owner. We don't use mercury. It is just one way. There are better other ways to go. We are a non-chemical mine, sometimes referred to as a "green mine."

[Fifibijoux]

very informative indeed, I have linked it from my blog.

[s4a4v4y]

@Blacksmithinstitue US Government ahs 1,400 tons of mercury in reserve,....do they buy it from people such as these, I wonder........peta condems people for wearing fur, but won't get on the Celeb. bandwagon for this cause...hows that bling working for ya, Pam ?

[redmanti]

where can I buy one of those Indonesian retorts?

list some on ebay!

[b679995]

What about them using a Standard 7 gallon Pressure cooker, like we use to can produce in America, They could add the the pipe in the Lid, and also have a pressure gauge to regulate the pressure, This should eliminate ANY leakage of Mercury Vapors, and speed up the process, and should last for years !