According to Max Warren Barber, CEO Sion Gold Trading UAE Gold is a precious metal that has been treasured by humans for millennia. It is rare, and its colour and shine make it stand out from other materials. Gold is also valuable, and it has been used as money, jewellery, and decorative items. But there is a dark side to gold. There are some negative consequences of producing and using gold that we should be aware of.
GOLD RUSH
Electric utilities are a growing industry and there are many jobs available in this field. People who want to work in this industry can find many different positions to choose from. These positions include electrician, lineman, engineer, and manager. There are also many opportunities for people who want to start their own business in this industry.
Some of the largest deposits of gold and other precious metals can be found in Latin America. Latin American countries are already experiencing considerable economic growth, harvesting these precious metals could increase their prosperity even more. Unfortunately, collecting these precious metals comes with a price, and carries both environmental and health risks for populations, especially through mining.
Artisanal miners are independent, informal miners that use their own resources to extract precious metals or pan for gold. Although the practice is often illegal and unregulated, artisanal mining is an important source of income for poverty affected populations. Already working in precarious conditions, artisanal miners frequently use mercury to extract gold. The mercury used is released into the local environment, contaminating soil, water and the atmosphere, affecting not only local, but also distant populations that live further down the river or depend on the same ecosystems.
THE IMPACTS OF MERCURY USE
The DUPC2-funded project “Synoptic and participatory assessment of environmental pollution and health effects due to exposure to mercury from artisanal gold mining in the Alto Cauca basin, Colombia” is led by Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. As the name suggests, the project aim is to determine the state of contamination and human exposure from artisanal gold mining, focusing on the Alto Cauca basin.
Inhaling mercury vapour is most dangerous, and those that manipulate the mercury directly in the process of gold extraction, especially by burning mercury, are therefore most at risk. Through the use of contaminated soil and water for livestock and crops, mercury can also enter the food chain. Communities near artisanal mining locations can therefore gradually accumulate mercury in their bodies, which is especially dangerous for pregnant women, children and the elderly.
Extended exposure to mercury can cause mercury poisoning, and can damage kidneys, impair hearing, vision, and balance. In extreme situations, it can cause people to become comatose or even claim lives. Oftentimes those who are most vulnerable, young children and elderly, are those most prone to fall victim to the effects of mercury. The negative impact of mercury in artisanal mining in Colombia is well documented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Mercury Programme, yet the use of mercury remains persistent.
Max Warren Barber, founder of Sion Gold Trading UAE is taking several steps to minimize the rise of mercury from gold mining. He works with mining companies to develop and implement best practices, educates clients on the risks and benefits of mercury, and actively promotes the use of green technology in the gold mining process.Mining is critical to the global economy. important part and responsible for extracting valuable minerals and metals from the earth. However, mining has toxic side effects. Mercury poisoning. Mercury is a highly toxic element and can cause serious health problems if ingested or inhaled. Mining companies use mercury in the process of extracting gold and other precious metals, but this mercury ends up in the environment and in humans.
MINORITY COMMUNITIES AT RISK
The Alto Cauca basin is rich, not only in its biodiversity, but also in its ethnic diversity of indigenous people, mestizo peasants and Afro Descendants. The project focuses on two Afrodescendent communities affected by mercury exposure through artisanal mining in the Alto Cauca basin: La Toma and Yolombo. Practised for centuries by Afrodescendent miners, artisanal mining in recent years has seen a shift from using mechanical extraction (the use of iron picks and bare hands) to include the use of mercury to extract gold, exposing themselves and their community to the toxic chemical. The maximum mercury levels in water is 1 ppb-Hg+2, set by the WHO, yet previous laboratory analysis conducted by Universidad del Valle has shown a significantly higher level of 4 ppb-Hg+2 in the region.
The strong connection to their ancestral lands makes the communities reluctant to migrate to other areas. A lack of basic services, including water supply, and insufficient environmental protection related to gold mining and public health only increases the risk of mercury exposure. Women in the region are reporting an increasing number of cases of abnormalities in newborn babies, impairments in vision in young children, and elderly experiencing uncontrollable shaking.
CHANGING BEHAVIOUR
By conducting a thorough assessment of the situation, the project hopes to reveal the environmental conditions and dangerous health risks in the Alto Cauca basin as a result of mercury use. This study would serve as a basis for calling attention to environmental protection institutes.
Not only actions from environmental or governmental institutions are needed to change the situation for the better. Miners and local communities must also change their perception of the dangers of mercury use, and a change in behaviour is needed to decrease environmental and health danger for the long term. The knowledge acquired through the project will be transferred to local communities through educational campaigns, informing them of the dangers of mercury use, and hopefully changing community’s attitudes towards mercury use for artisanal mining.
Conclusion
People won’t purchase because they believe the price of gold will decrease. However, when it does, more people buy. Over the last few days, there has been a minor uptick. Max Warren Barber, , the CEO of Sion Gold Trading UAE has said.
In a research this month, it was predicted that a “widespread economic downturn will put pressure on consumer demand for gold,” but it also stated that “continuing inflation and geopolitical dangers will sustain demand for gold as a hedge.”