Mercury use and loss from gold mining in nineteenth-century Victoria

Davies, PE; Lawrence, Susan; Turnbull, Jodi

doi:10.1071/rs15017

Cited by 12 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…1850. The gold rush in Australia [63,64] yielded a peak in the late 1800s of ∼690 Mg yr −1 , similar in structure to that of North America, falling away by 1910-1920. Emissions in Africa/Middle East have been boosted by contributions from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), which has only recently slowed [62].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Five hundred years of anthropogenic mercury: spatial and temporal release profiles*

Streets

Horowitz

Lü

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

108

113

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When released to the biosphere, mercury (Hg) is very mobile and can take millennia to be returned to a secure, long-term repository. Understanding where and when Hg was released as a result of human activities allows better quantification of present-day reemissions and future trajectories of environmental concentrations. In this work, we estimate the time-varying releases of Hg in seven world regions over the 500 year period, 1510-2010. By our estimation, this comprises 95% of all-time anthropogenic releases. Globally, 1.47 Tg of Hg were released in this period, 23% directly to the atmosphere and 77% to land and water bodies. Cumulative releases have been largest in Europe (427 Gg) and North America (413 Gg). In some world regions (Africa/Middle East and Oceania), almost all (>99%) of the Hg is relatively recent (emitted since 1850), whereas in South America it is mostly of older vintage (63% emitted before 1850). Asia was the greatest-emitting region in 2010, while releases in Europe and North America have declined since the 1970s, as recognition of the risks posed by Hg have led to its phase-out in commercial usage. The continued use of Hg in artisanal and small-scale gold mining means that the Africa/Middle East region is now a major contributor. We estimate that 72% of cumulative Hg emissions to air has been in the form of elemental mercury (Hg 0 ), which has a long lifetime in the atmosphere and can therefore be transported long distances. Our results show that 83% of the total Hg has been released to local water bodies, onto land, or quickly deposited from the air in divalent (Hg II ) form. Regionally, this value ranges from 77% in Africa/ Middle East and Oceania to 89% in South America. Results from global biogeochemical modeling indicate improved agreement of the refined emission estimates in this study with archival records of Hg accumulation in estuarine and deep ocean sediment.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 84%

Five hundred years of anthropogenic mercury: spatial and temporal release profiles*

Streets

Horowitz

Lü

et al. 2019

Environ. Res. Lett.

108

113

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“…Information included ore volumes, the total number of stamp heads used in crushing batteries, the quantity of mercury used per stamp head each week for amalgamation, and the quantity of mercury (in ounces) lost per stamp head each week. In a previous paper (Davies et al, 2015) we used these data to calculate the amount of mercury used by miners to amalgamate gold in stamp batteries and rates of mercury lost in the process. This analysis spanned the years 1868-1888, a period for which consistent and comparable data were available, and covered Victoria's seven mining districts of Ararat, Ballarat, Beechworth, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Gippsland and Maryborough.…”

Section: Historical Sources and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The analysis here builds on previous research (Davies et al, 2015) that used documentary sources from the Mines Department to estimate total elemental mercury losses from mechanical ore crushing. Sources included annual summaries of mining activity published as Mineral Statistics of Victoria and quarterly reports published as Reports of the Mining Surveyors and Registrars.…”

Section: Susan Lawrence and Peter Daviesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Glass, porcelain and stoneware ceramic bottles were also used at times as the mercury did not stick to the insides. Victoria imported 675 tonnes of mercury between 1868 and 1888 (MSV, 1868-1889, Davies et al, 2015, the period for which the best figures are available. Annual totals varied but the mean annual quantity imported was 32 tonnes.…”

Section: Origins Of Mercury Used In Victoriamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Historical mercury losses from the gold mines of Victoria, Australia

Lawrence

Davies

2020

Elem Sci Anth

Self Cite

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Health and ecological risks associated with the use of mercury in gold mining are well known, with much recent attention focussed on contemporary small-scale artisanal mining. Legacy tailings from historical gold mining may also present ongoing risks, as the industry used large quantities of mercury with minimal environmental regulation to limit its discharge. This occurred in both alluvial (placer) mining and in processing auriferous ores. Analysis of historical data on mercury use in the mining industry in Victoria, Australia, indicates that at least 131 tonnes of elemental mercury were discharged into the environment as mine tailings between 1868–1888, with the total amount lost over the historic mining period likely to be much higher. The processing of pyritic ores also concentrated mercury losses in a small number of mining centres, including Bendigo, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Clunes, Maldon and Walhalla. This analysis provides a basis for further research needed to support improved management of legacy mine tailings.

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“…The sediments are also expected to contain mercury, used in recovering gold, and arsenic, which was released into the atmosphere when ores were roasted and subsequently washed into waterways (Rae 2001; Davies et al . 2015).…”

Section: Archaeological Signatures Of Anthropogenic Changementioning

confidence: 99%