Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru.
Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Apr 20;662:940-951. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.246. Epub 2019 Jan 23.
Alluvial gold mining activities in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest are responsible for mercury emissions and deforestation. To understand related environmental impacts, specifically toxicity and climate change, this study uses Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Four predominant extraction systems were selected and modelled and three scenarios that reflect currently available gold recovery systems were modelled: amalgamation, amalgamation with mercury recovery through retort system and gravimetric tables. The USEtox and IPCC life cycle impact assessment methods were used to assess the environmental impacts in term of human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change. Results show that for all systems, human toxicity values are governed by mercury emissions in gold recovery activities (ca. 80%). However, the use of retort significantly lowers these impacts (ca. 90%). Machines and diesel use for ore extraction and freighting activities drive freshwater ecotoxicity. Moreover, deforestation has a major contribution on the environmental impacts related to climate change. However, these impacts are dependent on the type of extraction system. Although human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change are frequently studied separately, a direct relationship between them has been identified in this system. Finally, beyond the environmental burdens related to alluvial gold mining, there are impacts affecting the social, cultural, and economic dimensions that will need to be analyzed to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the system.
秘鲁亚马逊雨林的冲积金矿开采活动导致汞排放和森林砍伐。为了了解相关的环境影响，特别是毒性和气候变化，本研究采用生命周期评估方法。选择并模拟了四种主要的提取系统，并模拟了三个反映当前可用金回收系统的情景：汞齐化、汞齐化与通过蒸馏器系统和重力表回收汞。使用 USEtox 和 IPCC 生命周期影响评估方法来评估人类毒性、淡水生态毒性和气候变化方面的环境影响。结果表明，对于所有系统，金回收活动中的汞排放决定了人类毒性值（约 80%）。然而，使用蒸馏器可显著降低这些影响（约 90%）。矿石提取和运输活动中的机器和柴油使用导致了淡水生态毒性。此外，森林砍伐对与气候变化相关的环境影响有重大贡献。然而，这些影响取决于提取系统的类型。尽管人类毒性、淡水生态毒性和气候变化经常单独研究，但在本系统中已确定了它们之间的直接关系。最后，除了与冲积金矿开采相关的环境负担外，还有影响社会、文化和经济方面的影响，需要进行分析，以确保对系统有全面的了解。
