Environmental impacts of the life cycle of alluvial gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest

The Science of the Total Environment
Ramzy KahhatIan Vázquez-Rowe

Abstract

Alluvial gold mining activities in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest are responsible for mercury emissions and deforestation. To understand related environmental impacts, specifically toxicity and climate change, this study uses Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Four predominant extraction systems were selected and modelled and three scenarios that reflect currently available gold recovery systems were modelled: amalgamation, amalgamation with mercury recovery through retort system and gravimetric tables. The USEtox and IPCC life cycle impact assessment methods were used to assess the environmental impacts in term of human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change. Results show that for all systems, human toxicity values are governed by mercury emissions in gold recovery activities (ca. 80%). However, the use of retort significantly lowers these impacts (ca. 90%). Machines and diesel use for ore extraction and freighting activities drive freshwater ecotoxicity. Moreover, deforestation has a major contribution on the environmental impacts related to climate change. However, these impacts are dependent on the type of extraction system. Although human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change are frequently studi...Continue Reading

Citations

Jul 20, 2019·Environmental Health Insights·David Villar, David J Schaeffer
Aug 31, 2020·The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment·Benjamin FritzMario Schmidt
Dec 10, 2020·International Journal of Biological Macromolecules·Bryan M CórdovaA C Valderrama
Mar 3, 2021·International Journal of Biological Macromolecules·Bryan M CórdovaA C Valderrama
Sep 6, 2021·Biological Trace Element Research·José Cavalcante Souza VieiraPedro de Magalhães Padilha
Apr 25, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Diana Ita-NagyMaría Cristina Area

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