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Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is a method used to separate gold from soil and sediments without using advanced technology. According to the Minamata Convention, ASGM is defined as "gold mining conducted by individual miners or small enterprises with limited capital investment and production."
In the process of ASGM, miners add liquid elemental mercury to extract gold from soil or sediment. The mercury sticks to the gold, forming a mercury-gold amalgam that allows for increased recovery of gold. This ball of mercury-gold is then burned to produce pellets of gold, releasing mercury into the atmosphere as vapor and mercury into the soil and water as mine tailings.
ASGM is the largest source of mercury contamination globally, responsible for 37% of anthropogenic mercury emissions. It is estimated that ASGM releases 1400 tons/year of mercury. This mercury enters the global pool of mercury and, due to the long lifetime of mercury once in the atmosphere, mercury from ASGM is believed to be transported far from its source of emission.
ASGM occurs in over 70 countries, produces 12-15% of gold worldwide, and involves 10-15 million miners - including over 3 million women and children. In Peru, Madre de Dios (MDD) produces 70% of the country's artisanal gold and is estimated to emit 30-40 tons/year of mercury. According to the UNEP, Peru is the 9th largest global emitter of mercury from ASGM.
Although ASGM is a source of income for many people in Madre de Dios, it results in a number of negative environmental, human health, and socioeconomic impacts.