Laboratório de Traçadores, IBCCF, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CEP, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Laboratório de Traçadores, IBCCF, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CEP, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
Chemosphere. 2024 Feb;350:141054. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.141054. Epub 2023 Dec 29.
This review addresses the formation and relevance of mercury cyanide complexes as environmental contaminants. Gold extraction is traditionally carried out through the process of mercury amalgamation (Hg) due to its simplicity and low cost. However, this process is inefficient, capturing only about 30% of the gold present in the processed material. Additionally, mercury is toxic, mobile, and capable of accumulating in aquatic ecosystems, leading to its prohibition in several countries. As an alternative, cyanidation has been widely used in gold extraction. However, the frequent combination of Hg amalgamation with cyanidation can result in the formation of mercury cyanide complexes, which can be released into local water bodies, potentially impacting human health and the environment. This article reviews the existing knowledge of these complexes and highlights the remaining gaps in understanding their environmental behavior. It also emphasizes the need to address concerns related to the formation of these complexes and seek solutions to minimize their negative impacts. Furthermore, the article highlights the lack of updates in the literature regarding the impacts of cyanidation and the limited availability of comprehensive information on the topic. It is essential to conduct updated research in this area to advance knowledge and promote safer and more responsible practices in the mining industry.
本文综述了汞氰化物配合物作为环境污染物的形成和相关性。由于其简单性和低成本，金的提取传统上通过汞齐化（Hg）过程进行。然而，该过程效率低下，仅能捕获处理材料中存在的金的约 30%。此外，汞是有毒的、可移动的，并且能够在水生生态系统中积累，导致其在多个国家被禁止使用。作为替代品，氰化法已广泛用于金的提取。然而，Hg 汞齐化与氰化法的频繁结合可能导致汞氰化物配合物的形成，这些配合物可能会释放到当地水体中，从而对人类健康和环境造成潜在影响。本文综述了这些配合物的现有知识，并强调了对其环境行为的理解仍存在差距。它还强调了需要解决这些配合物形成的问题，并寻求解决方案以最小化其负面影响。此外，本文还强调了文献中关于氰化法影响的更新信息不足，以及关于该主题的综合信息有限。在这一领域进行更新的研究对于推进知识并促进采矿业更安全和更负责任的实践至关重要。
