Evaluation of mercury vapor emissions in artisanal amalgamation processes: Cantón Ponce Enríquez case, Province of Azuay

Small-scale mining as applied at several locations in the Canton Ponce Enriquez, located in the Province of Azuay, Ecuador, use commonly the mercury amalgamation process whereby elemental mercury is mixed with silt or ore dust that contain tiny pieces of gold. The amalgam is heated and his mercury evaporates, leaving pure gold or silver. During the process miners and anyone else in the vicinity are at risk of inhaling mercury. In this study the variation in the concentration of mercury vapor was examined as a function of the distance from the focal point of heating at four different locations. Results reveal that mercury vapor levels released during the amalgam thermal separation largely exceed the international norms and security and health limits within a distance of one meter of the focal point. At further distance a notable decrease in the concentration of mercury vapor is recorded. The observations will be instrumental for the formulation of policies and regulations that mitigate the hazardous effects of the inhaling of mercury.