2015-Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2015 Volume 4: Meech Intl. Symp. / Mining Operations
| Editors: | Kongoli F, Veiga MM, Anderson C |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2015 |
| Pages: | 275 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-987820-27-0 |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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ASGM in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia: How Fast the Use of Mercury Affect the Environment
Baiq Dewi Krisnayanti1; Christopher Anderson2;1AGRICULTURE FACULTY, UNIVERSITY OF MATARAM, Mataram, Indonesia; 2MASSEY UNIVERSITY, Palmerston North, New Zealand;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 515
Topic: 4
Abstract:
The ASGM activity in West Nusa Tenggara (WNT) Province, Indonesia, began in mid-2009 and the use of mercury is avoidable, since it is effective and affordable. Many researchers reported that the use of mercury does affect the environment quality, thus human health as the end of life chain. Regular monitoring of the mercury concentration on amalgamation tailings is very important as an indicator of Hg contamination potential on water and soil when the tailings were discharging to environment. The aim of this research was to determine the potential of Hg use on ASGM that would impact the environment and human health. The research was a field research where sampling of amalgamation tailings had been collected from some ASGM spots in WNT Province for determining the THg on the substances. The results showed that after one year of ASGM activity at Lantung district, the THg on amalgamation tailings were from 62,91 – 950,67 ppm. In Central Lombok district, after 2 years of ASGM activity, the concentration of THg on amalgamation tailings were from 266,06 to 692,35 ppm and from 53,90 to 776,70 ppm at West Sumbawa. Furthermore, after 3 years of mercury use at Sekotong District, the THg were ranging from 741-7874 ppm. The average of mercury used in WNT was 200-500 gram/cylinder. The results indicated that the primary environmental risk associated with ASGM in WNT Province was the waste discharged into the environment which contains variable concentrations of mercury and other metals. When these elements are released into the environment in a soluble form, it can contaminate soil, water and plants. This exposes the human population of the ASGM communities to unacceptable environmental risk. Proper tailings dams were urgently needed, in order to manage the contaminant burden of this waste and to stop the uncontrolled discharge of contaminants into the wider environment.