What Are the Dangers of Cyanide in Gold Mining?

Environmentally Friendly Solutions and In Place Mining to Extract Precious Metals

Gold mining can be pretty dangerous, but it’s most harmful when cyanide is used to extract it from rocks. The good news is that there are innovators in the industry like Group 11 Technologies that are trying to eliminate this horrible practice from the gold mining process. 

But why is the use of cyanide dangerous? Read on and find out:

What Is Cyanide?

Cyanide (a.k.a. potassium cyanide) is a deadly chemical found in many places around the world.

It’s also used in making clothing, pesticides, and plastics, and it’s used in the production of many other useful products.

When used correctly, it is considered a beneficial chemical.

However, when used improperly, it can be very dangerous.

What Is a Cyanide Leach?

Cyanide leaching is a fancy name for the process of extracting gold from rocks.

It is incredibly dangerous for humans and the environment, as cyanide is poisonous to both.

There are many different types of cyanide leaching, particularly sodium cyanide leaching and cyanide heap leaching.

The cyanide leaching that is most commonly used in the gold mining industry is sodium cyanide leaching, which is used to extract gold from the rocks that are mined for it.

Why Is Using Cyanide Wasteful?

It is very wasteful to use cyanide as a means of extracting gold.

Once the gold is extracted, the cyanide is usually sent back down to the mine, where it will be stored in an attempt to neutralize it so that it doesn’t harm anyone or anything.

It’s also been known to leak out of the storage facilities and into nearby waterways, poisoning the fish and other animals that live there.

What Are the Dangers of Using Cyanide?

Cyanide can be very dangerous. It is very poisonous for humans and other living creatures. It can be hazardous for children, who can have much more severe symptoms from exposure to it. As a result, the use of cyanide in gold mining can be very dangerous for the people who work in the mines.

Cyanide can also be very dangerous for the environment, as cyanide can leak into the ground and nearby water sources. It can be hazardous for plants, animals, and humans.

Cyanide leaching has destroyed countless bodies of water, leaving areas that were once filled with life with nothing but death and pollution.

As you can see, the use of cyanide in gold ore mining can be very dangerous. The good news is that there are innovators in the gold mining industry trying to eliminate the use of cyanide in gold ore mining.

How Is Gold Mined without Cyanide?

There are innovators in the gold mining industry who aren’t content to continue using cyanide to mine gold and are instead trying to find a way to mine gold from rocks without using cyanide.

Conclusion

Cyanide may be useful, but the disadvantages of cyanide leaching outweigh its benefits. And when there are other options, why would anyone risk harming the environment and putting people in danger? The latest innovations in mining allow for more responsible mining, and the hope is that these new methods will completely eliminate the use of cyanide in gold mining in the near future.

Group 11 Technologies is a company in Canada that promotes environmentally friendly mineral extraction. Our goal is to make mining safe for the environment and for people who are working in the industry. Contact us to know more about our innovative methods!

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