Newly Discovered Native Gold and Bismuth in the Cihai Iron-Cobalt Deposit, Eastern Tianshan, Northwest China

The Cihai iron-cobalt deposit is located in the southern part of the eastern Tianshan iron- polymetallic metallogenic belt. Anomalous native gold and bismuth have been newly identified in Cinan mining section of the Cihai deposit. Ore formation in the deposit can be divided into three stages based on geological and petrographical observations： （I） skarn, with the main mineral assemblage being garnet-pyroxene-magnetite; （II） retrograde alteration, forming the main iron ores and including massive magnetite, native gold, native bismuth, and cobalt-bearing minerals, with the main mineral assemblage being ilvaite-magnetite-native gold-native bismuth; and （III） quartz-calcite- sulfide assemblage that contains quartz, calcite, pyrrhotite, cobaltite, and safflorite. Native gold mainly coexists with native bismuth, and they are paragenetically related. The temperature of initial skarn formation was higher than 340~C, and then subsequently decreased to -312~C and ~266~C. The temperature of the hydrothermal fluid during the iron ore depositional event was higher than the melting point of native bismuth （271~C）, and native bismuth melt scavenged gold in the hydrothermal fluid, forming a Bi-Au melt. As the temperature decreased, the Bi-Au melt was decomposed into native gold and native bismuth. The native gold and native bismuth identified during this study can provide a scientific basis for prospecting and exploration for both gold- and bismuth-bearing deposits in the Cihai mining area. The gold mineralization in Cihai is a part of the Early Permian Cu-Ni-Au-Fe polymetallic ore-forming event, and its discovery has implications for the resource potential of other iron skarn deposits in the eastern Tianshan.

Utilization of gold-bearing and iron-rich pyrite cinder via a chlorination–volatilization process

The chlorination-volatilization process has been adopted to make full use of gold-bearing and iron-rich pyrite cinder. However, problems of low recovery rate, pulverization of pellets, and ring formation have been encountered during the industrialization of this process. The effects of various parameters on the volatilization rates of valuable metals and on the compressive strength of roasted pellets were investigated in this paper. The parameters include the CaCl_2 dosage, heating temperature, and holding time. The results show that heating temperature is the most important parameter for the recovery of target metals. More CaCl_2 was needed for the recovery of zinc than for the recovery of gold, silver, and lead. CaCl_2 started to react with sulfides/SO_2/SiO_2 at temperatures below the melting point of CaCl_2 to generate Cl_2/HCl. Gaseous CaCl_2 was formed at higher temperatures and could react with any of the components. The compressive strength of roasted CaCl_2-bearing pellets first decreased slowly with increasing temperature at temperatures lower than 873 K, which could result in the pulverization of pellets during heating. Their compressive strength increased dramatically with increasing temperature at temperatures greater than 1273 K. Certain quantities of CaCl_2 and Fe(Ⅱ) could improve the compressive strength of the roasted pellets; however, the addition of excessive CaCl_2 decreased the compressive strength of pellets.

FURTHER STUDIES ON THE MALIGNANT TRANSFORMATION OF SYRIAN GOLDEN HAMSTER EMBRYO CELLS IN VITR0 BY THORIUM DIOXIDE AND RARE EARTH IRON MINERAL DUSTS

Malignant transformation of hamsterembryo cells was induced in vitro by rareearth iron mineral dusts(MP),naturalthorium(Th02) and MP plus Th02.Dusts of MP,MP plus Th02 or Th02 were added into themedium with the final concentration of 17.0,

Characterization of an iron oxy/hydroxide(gossan type) bearing refractory gold and silver ore by diagnostic leaching

A detailed characterization of an iron oxy/hydroxide(gossan type) bearing refractory gold/silver ore was performed with a new diagnostic approach for the development of a pretreatment process prior to cyanide leaching. Gold was observed to be present as native and electrum(6-24 μm in size) and associated with limonite, goethite and lepidocrocite within calcite and quartz matrix. Mineral liberation analysis(MLA) showed that electrum is found as free grains and in association with beudantite, limonite/goethite and quartz. Silver was mainly present as acanthite(Ag2S) and electrum and as inclusions within beudantite phase in the ore. The cyanide leaching tests showed that the extractions of gold and silver from the ore(d80: 50 μm) were limited to 76% and 23%, respectively, over a leaching period of 24 h. Diagnostic leaching tests coupled with the detailed mineralogical analysis of the ore suggest that the refractory gold and silver are mainly associated within iron oxide mineral phases such as limonite/goethite and jarosite-beudantite, which can be decomposed in alkaline solutions. Based on these characterizations, alkaline pretreatment of ore in potassium hydroxide solution was performed prior to cyanidation, which improved significantly the extraction of silver and gold up to 87% Ag and 90% Au. These findings suggest that alkaline leaching can be used as a new diagnostic approach to characterize the refractoriness of iron oxy/hydroxide bearing gold/silver ore and as a pretreatment method to overcome the refractoriness.

Multifunctional stimuli responsive polymer-gated iron and gold-embedded silica nano golf balls:Nanoshuttles for targeted on-demand theranostics

Multi-functional nanoshuttles for remotely targeted and on-demand delivery of therapeutic molecules and imaging to defined tissues and organs hold great potentials in personalized medicine, including precise early diagnosis, efficient prevention and therapy without toxicity. Yet, in spite of 25 years of research, there are still no such shuttles available. To this end, we have designed magnetic and gold nanoparticles （NP）-embedded silica nanoshuttles （MGNSs） with nanopores on their surface. Fluorescently labeled Doxombicin （DOX）, a cancer drug, was loaded in the MGNSs as a payload. DOX loaded MGNSs were encapsulated in heat and pH sensitive polymer P（NIPAM-co- MAA） to enable controlled release of the payload. Magnetically-guided transport of MGNSs was examined in： （a） a glass capillary tube to simulate their delivery via blood vessels; and （b） porous hydrogels to simulate their transport in composite human tissues, including bone, cartilage, tendon, muscles and blood-brain barrier {BBB）. The viscoelastic properties of hydrogels were examined by atomic force microscopy （AFM）. Cellular uptake of DOX- loaded MGNSs and the subsequent pH and temperature-mediated release were demonstrated in differentiated human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells （iPSCs） as well as epithelial HeLa cells. The presence of embedded iron and gold NPs in silica shells and polymer-coating are supported by SEM and TEM. Fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy documented DOX loading in the MGNSs. Time-dependent transport of MGNSs guided by an external magnetic field was observed in both glass capillary tubes and in the porous hydrogel. AFM results affirmed that the stiffness of the hydrogels model the rigidity range from soft tissues to bone. pH and temperature-dependent drug release analysis showed stimuli responsive and gradual drug release. Cells＇ viability MTT assays showed that MGNSs are non-toxic. The cell death from on-demand DOX release was observed in both neurons and epithelial cells even though the drug release efficiency was higher in neurons. Therefore, development of smart nanoshuttles have significant translational potential for controlled delivery of theranostics＇ payloads and precisely guided transport in specified tissues and organs （for example, bone, cartilage, tendon, bone marrow, heart, lung, liver, kidney, and brain） for highly efficient personalized medicine applications.

Role of iron ore in enhancing gasification of iron coke:Structural evolution,influence mechanism and kinetic analysis

The utilization of iron coke provides a green pathway for low-carbon ironmaking.To uncover the influence mechanism of iron ore on the behavior and kinetics of iron coke gasification,the effect of iron ore on the microstructure of iron coke was investigated.Furthermore,a comparative study of the gasification reactions between iron coke and coke was conducted through non-isothermal thermogravimetric method.The findings indicate that compared to coke,iron coke exhibits an augmentation in micropores and specific surface area,and the micropores further extend and interconnect.This provides more adsorption sites for CO_(2) molecules during the gasification process,resulting in a reduction in the initial gasification temperature of iron coke.Accelerating the heating rate in non-isothermal gasification can enhance the reactivity of iron coke.The metallic iron reduced from iron ore is embedded in the carbon matrix,reducing the orderliness of the carbon structure,which is primarily responsible for the heightened reactivity of the carbon atoms.The kinetic study indicates that the random pore model can effectively represent the gasification process of iron coke due to its rich pore structure.Moreover,as the proportion of iron ore increases,the activation energy for the carbon gasification gradually decreases,from 246.2 kJ/mol for coke to 192.5 kJ/mol for iron coke 15wt%.

Gold occurrence of Jiaojia gold mine in Shandong province

The microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy （SEM） were used to study the gold occurrence of Jiaojia gold mine, Shandong province. The results show that the gold-bearing minerals are composed of pyrite, chalcopyrite, gangue, sphalerite and galena. 77.12% of gold minerals are the sulphides and 22.88% are the gangues. The gold occurrence is composed of 60.28% fissure gold, 21.63% inclusion gold and 18.09% crystal fractured gold. The morphology of gold mineral is composed of sphere, triangle, rectangle, strip and erose. The Jiaojia gold mineral owns large grain size range from 3-5 μm to 100 μm. 1.5% of gold grains is more than 0.104 mm, 5.26% is 0.074-0.104 mm, 23.31% is 0.043-0.074 mm, 3.76% is 0.043-0.037 mm and 64.29% is less than 0.037 mm. The occurrence of gold mineral is composed of native gold, electrum, native silver, iron-bearing native silver, goldcuprid and acanthite. Electrum is the most important mineral, accounting for 71.56%. The average quality is 641.26‰ for gold and silver mineral.

Lead Isotope Studies of Massive Surphur-Iron-Gold Deposits in the Tongling Area, Anhui Province

Pb isotope ratios and their variation have been measured and explained on ores of massive S-Fe-Au depos-its hosted in the Middle-Upper Carboniferous, on feldspars from diorite bodies closely related tomineralization and on whole rocks from ore-hosting strata (carbonate rocks) in the Tongling area, Anhui Prov-ince. Through a comparison of Pb isotope features of these geological bodies, it has been suggested that oresubstances of the deposits were derived from ore-hosting strata. In the meanwhile, the measurement of ore Pbisotopes of different mineralization types of the same deposit indicates that different mineralization types havedistinct Pb isotope characteristics, showing the potentiality of the Pb isotopic method used in mineral explora-tion.

Anisotropic gold nanoparticles: Preparation and applications in catalysis

Despite the high amount of scientific work dedicated to the gold nanoparticles in catalysis, most of the research has been performed utilising supported nanoparticles obtained by traditional impreg‐nation of gold salts onto a support, co‐precipitation or deposition‐precipitation methods which do not benefit from the recent advances in nanotechnologies. Only more recently, gold catalyst scien‐tists have been exploiting the potential of preforming the metal nanoparticles in a colloidal suspen‐sion before immobilisation with great results in terms of catalytic activity and the morphology con‐trol of mono‐and bimetallic catalysts. On the other hand, the last decade has seen the emergence of more advanced control in gold metal nanoparticle synthesis, resulting in a variety of anisotropic gold nanoparticles with easily accessible new morphologies that offer control over the coordination of surface atoms and the optical properties of the nanoparticles （tunable plasmon band） with im‐mense relevance for catalysis. Such morphologies include nanorods, nanostars, nanoflowers, den‐dritic nanostructures or polyhedral nanoparticles to mention a few. In addition to highlighting newly developed methods and properties of anisotropic gold nanoparticles, in this review we ex‐amine the emerging literature that clearly indicates the often superior catalytic performance and amazing potential of these nanoparticles to transform the field of heterogeneous catalysis by gold by offering potentially higher catalytic performance, control over exposed active sites, robustness and tunability for thermal‐, electro‐and photocatalysis.

Characteristics of Gold Mineralization at the Baguiomo Gold Panning Site, Koudougou Region, Burkina Faso, West Africa

The Birimian Baguiomo formations are located in the northern part of the Boromo greenstone belt. In this belt, the volcanic rocks (tholeiitic basalt, calcalkaline basalt, andesite) hosting the gold mineralization are located in the Kwademen-Baguiomo shear zone. This mineralization, located only a few kilometers from the Kwademen gold deposit, is uncharacterized and, together with the latter, could constitute a gold potential capable of being economically exploitable. It is in this sense that this work is carried out with a view to characterizing the gold mineralization of the Baguiomo gold panning site. To carry out this work, we have made direct field measurements, combined with microstructures, and combined all this with data from geochemical rock analysis of the basalts that are the main host formations. Geochemical data show that tholeitic basalts formed from a mantle plume that was emplaced in an oceanic plateau context. Calc-alkaline basalts and andesites are comparable to Paleoproterozoic tholeitic basalts (PTH3), which are slightly enriched in light rare earths. Fertility tests show that these basalts concentrate between 3 and 6 ppb of gold at the time of accretion, which is sufficient for remobilization of this primary gold during the Eburnian orogeny to yield a deposit of around 4 - 5 Moz. Gold mineralization is associated with pyrite crystals when the latter are disseminated in the rock mass, whereas it is associated with hematite in quartz veins concordant with S1 shear deformation. It is mainly the pyrite crystals in the pressure shadows that contain the gold grains, whose development would be synchronous with micro-shear zone reactivation during the first phase of D1B deformation. The second phase of D2B deformation, which is a crenulation or fracture schistosity, does not significantly affect the shear deformation that controls mineralization.

Geology and S-Pb isotope geochemistry of the Hatu gold deposit in West Junggar,NW China:Insights into ore genesis and metal source

The Hatu gold deposit is the largest historical gold producer of the West Junggar,western China,with an Au reserve of about 62 t.The orebodies were controlled by NE-,EW-,and NW-trending subsidiary faults associated with the Anqi fault.This deposit exhibits characteristics typical of a fault-controlled lode system,and the orebodies consist of auriferous quartz veins and altered wall rocks within Early Carboniferous volcano-sedimentary rocks.Three stages of mineralization have been identified in the Hatu gold deposit:the early pyrite-albite-quartz stage,the middle polymetallic sulfides-ankerite-quartz stage,and late quartz-calcite stage.The sulfur isotopic values of pyrite and arsenopyrite vary in a narrow range from-0.8‰to1.3‰and an average of 0.4‰,the near-zeroδ~(34)S values implicate the thorough homogenization of the sulfur isotopes during the metamorphic dehydration of the Early Carboniferous volcano-sedimentary rocks.Lead isotopic results of pyrite and arsenopyrite(^(206)Pb/^(204)Pb=17.889-18.447,^(207)Pb/^(204)Pb=15.492-15.571,^(208)Pb/^(204)Pb=37.802-38.113)are clustered between orogenic and mantle/upper crust lines,indicating that the lead was mainly sourced from the hostrocks within the Early Carboniferous Tailegula Formation.The characteristics of S and Pb isotopes suggest that the ore-forming metals of the Hatu orogenic gold deposit are of metamorphogenic origin,associated with the continental collision between the Yili-Kazakhstan and Siberian plates during the Late Carboniferous.

Origin of the Yueguang gold deposit in Xinhua, Hunan Province, South China: insights from fl uid inclusion and hydrogen–oxygen stable isotope analysis

The Yueguang gold deposit is located in Fengjia,Xinhua County,Hunan Province,South China.It represents a recently discovered small-scale gold deposit situated in the southwestern region of the Jiangnan Orogenic Belt,west of the Baimashan granitic batholith.In order to discern the characteristics of the ore-formingfluids,the underlying mineralization processes,and establish a foundation for the origin of the Yueguang gold depositfluid inclusion micro-thermometry,as well as quartz hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis,have been carried out on samples obtained from various stages of mineralization.The hydrothermal miner-alization stages within the Yueguang gold deposit can be categorized into three stages:(i)the barren,pre-ore quartz-pyrite stage(Stage Ⅰ),the quartz-pyrite-gold stage(Stage Ⅱ),and the post-ore quartz-carbonate stage(Stage Ⅲ),with the second stage being the main mineralization stage.Thefluid inclusions identified in samples from the main min-eralization stage can predominantly be described with the NaCl–H_(2)O and CO_(2)–NaCl–H_(2)O systems.These inclusions display homogenization temperatures ranging from 158.8 to 334.9℃,and thefluid salinity ranges from 0.3%to 4.0%(wt.%NaCl equiv.).Laser Raman spectroscopy analysis of individual inclusions further reveals the presence of gas-phases such as CO_(2),CH_(4),and N_(2).Isotopic analysis indicatesδ^(18)Ofluid values ranging from 3.95 to 6.7‰ and δDH_(2)O values ranging from-71.9 to-55.7‰.These results indi-cate that the ore-formingfluid of the Yueguang gold deposit belongs to metamorphic hydrothermalfluids of middle-low temperature and low salinity.In the process of ore formation,gold is transported in the form of Au(HS)2-complexes,with gold deposition being driven byfluid immiscibility.Therefore,the Yueguang gold deposit is categorized as an orogenic gold deposit dominated by metamorphic hydrother-malfluid.It may become a new target for gold exploration in the Baimashan region,central Hunan Province.

Geochemical and Environmental Evaluation of Um Shashoba Gold Mine Area,Southeastern Desert,Egypt

A suite of elements（Ag,Au,Ba,Bi,Cd,Co,Cr,Cu,Ga,Hf,Hg,Mn,Mo,Ni,Pb,Rb,Sb,Se, Sr,Te and Zn）,total organic carbon（TOC）and pH were analyzed in stream sediment and tailing samples from Um Shashoba area,in order to evaluate Au placer and the sediments being impacted by old mining activities.Analytical results were examined using statistical,graphical and mapping methods.In spite of the results revealing that Au and most of the elements in sediments were in general significantly lower than those in tailing,Au was concentrated in the NE and SW parts forming Au placer.It is remarkably a close association of Au with Hg and Sb;both are useful as pathfinder elements for Au placers.Values of pH could not control a fate of analyzed elements,whereas TOC and Mn oxides and hydroxides could uptake some elements Au,Ba,Co,Cr,Hg,Ni,and Sr.The results also indicated that the sediments were contaminated by anthropogenic factors causing moderate,strong to very strong pollution with respect to Bi,Se and Te,respectively.Additionally,geogenic factors could also contribute elemental enrichment to the drainage system and cause significant toxicity level.

Diagnostics of Environmental Risks and Mapping of Surface Water Sensitivity Due to Metal Contamination from Artisanal Gold Mining in Côte d’Ivoire: Case of Angovia, Kokumbo, Hire and Agbaou

The present study performed on the Angovia, Kokumbo, Hire and Agbaou sites consisted of mapping the environmental risks linked to artisanal gold mining activities in C?te d’Ivoire. An inventory was done by observing the different phases of gold extraction and identifying the risks associated with these phases. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), the representation of the spatial distribution of the pollution risks has been realized from indicator descriptives of the environmental sensitivity (i.e. slope, proximity to the watercourse, soil cover) and the transfer indicator (i.e. rainfall). The analysis of this map showed low sensitivity of mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) measured in the waters of the Hire and Agbaou localities, while moderate sensitivity in Kokumbo surface waters and high sensitivity for those of Angovia locality were observed. Moreover, analysis of Hg, As, Cu and Zn content spatial distribution maps in surface waters revealed that Hg and As come mainly from the artisanal mining activities for most localities. Among these metallic trace elements observed, only the Hg content was above the WHO Limit Values, 1994 (>0.001 mg·L-1). The continuous spread of metallic trace elements in surface water can pose serious health problems for people living around artisanal gold mining sites, hence the need to put in place a protection plan against contamination.

The conjunction of factors that lead to formation of giant gold provinces and deposits in non-arc settings

It is quite evident that it is not anomalous metal transport,nor unique depositional conditions,nor any single factor at the deposit scale,that dictates whether a mineral deposit becomes a giant or not.A hierarchical approach thus is required to progressively examine controlling parameters at successively decreasing scales in the total mineral system to understand the location of giant gold deposits in non-arc environments.For giant orogenic,intrusion-related gold systems（IRGS） and Carlin-type gold deposits and iron oxide-copper-gold（IOCG） deposits,there are common factors among all of these at the lithospheric to crustal scale.All are sited in giant gold provinces controlled by complex fundamental fault or shear zones that follow craton margins or,in the case of most Phanerozoic orogenic giants,define the primary suture zones between tectonic terranes.Giant provinces of IRGS,IOCG,and Carlin-type deposits require melting of metasomatized lithosphere beneath craton margins with ascent of hybrid lamprophyric to granitic magmas and associated heat flux to generate the giant province.The IRGS and IOCG deposits require direct exsolution of volatile-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluids,whereas the association of such melts with Carlin-type ores is more indirect and enigmatic.Giant orogenic gold provinces show no direct relationship to such magmatism.forming from metamorphic fluids,but show an indirect relationship to lamprophyres that reflect the mantle connectivity of controlling first-order structures.In contrast to their province scale similarities,the different giant gold deposit styles show contrasting critical controls at the district to deposit scale.For orogenic gold deposits,the giants appear to have formed by conjunction of a greater number of parameters to those that control smaller deposits,with resultant geometrical and lithostratigraphic complexity as a guide to their location.There are few giant IRGS due to their inferior fluid-flux systems relative to orogenic gold deposits,and those few giants are essentially preservational exceptions.Many Carlin-type deposits are giants due to the exceptional conjunction of both structural and lithological parameters that caused reactive and permeable rocks,enriched in syngenetic gold,to be located below an impermeable cap along antiformal ＂trends＂.Hydrocarbons probably played an important role in concentrating metal.The supergiant Post-Betze deposit has additional ore zones in strain heterogeneities surrounding the pre-gold Goldstrike stock.All unequivocal IOCG deposits are giant or near-giant deposits in terms of gold-equivalent resources,partly due to economic factors for this relatively poorly understood,low Cu-Au grade deposit type.The supergiant Olympic Dam deposit,the most shallowly formed deposit among the larger IOCGs,probably owes its origin to eruption of volatile-rich hybrid magma at surface,with formation of a large maar and intense and widespread brecciation,alteration and Cu-Au-U deposition in a huge rock volume.

World-class Xincheng gold deposit： An example from the giant Jiaodong gold province

The Jiaodong gold deposits are currently the most important gold resources（with Au reserves of〉4000 t） in China,and the leading gold-producing country globally（with Au production of ～428 t in2013）.Jiaodong is also considered as perhaps the only world-class to giant gold accumulation on the planet where relatively young gold ores（ca.130-120 Ma） were deposited in rocks that are 2 Ga older.The Xincheng world-class high-grade gold deposit,with a proven reserve of 〉200 t gold,is one of the largest deposits in the giant gold province of the Jiaodong Peninsula.It is located in the northwestern part of the jiaobei Uplift,and hosted by ca.132-123 Ma Xincheng quartz monzonites and monzogranites.Ore zones are structurally controlled by the NE-trending and NW-dipping Jiaojia Fault and subsidiary faults,and are mainly restricted to the footwall of the fault.The dominant disseminated- and stockworkstyle ores are associated with strong sericitization,silicification,sulfidation and K-feldspathization,and minor carbonate wallrock alteration halos.The four mineralization stages are pyrite-quartz-sericite（stage 1）,quartz-pyrite（stage 2）,quartz-polysulfide（stage 3） and quartz-carbonate（stage 4）.Gold occurs dominantly as electrum,with lesser amounts of sulfide-hosted native gold and rare native silver and argentite,normally associated with pyrite,chalcopyrite,galena and sphalerite：the latter with proven resources of about 105 t Ag,713 t Cu,and 5100 t S.There are three types of ore-related fluid inclusions：type 1 aqueous-carbonate（H2O-CO2）,type 2aqueous（liquid H2O＋vapor H2O）,and type 3 CO2（liquid CO2 and vapor CO2） inclusions.Homogenization temperatures range from 221 to 304℃ for type 1 inclusions,with salinities of 2.4-13.3 wt.%NaCl eq.,and bulk densities of 0.858-1.022 g/cm～3.The δ～（34）S（CDT） values of hydrothermal sulfides are 4.3-10.6‰and δ～（18）O values of hydrothermal quartz have a median value of 13.0‰.δD values of fluid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz have a median value of-75‰.Calculated δ～（18）Owater has a median value of 5.2‰.The timing of gold mineralization at the Xincheng gold deposit is younger than 123±1 Ma,and likely between 120.9 and 119.9 Ma.A minerals system genetic model for the probable epizonal orogenic Xincheng deposit suggests an initial medium temperature,CO2-rich,and low salinity H2O-CO2 deeply sourced metamorphic ore fluid associated with dehydration and decarbonization of subducting Paleo-Pacific lithosphere.The Jiaojia Fault constrained the migration of ore-forming fluids and metals at the brittle-ductile transition.Fluid immiscibility,caused by episodic pressure drops,led to significant high-grade gold deposition in the giant Xincheng gold deposit.

Migration and speciation transformation mechanisms of mercury in undercurrent zones of the Tongguan gold mining area, Shaanxi Loess Plateau and impact on the environment

In order to study the migration and transformation mechanism of Hg content and occurrence form in subsurface flow zone of gold mining area in Loess Plateau and its influence on water environment,the field in-situ infiltration test and laboratory test were carried out in three typical sections of river-side loess,alluvial and proluvial strata in Tongguan gold mining area of Shaanxi Province,and the following results were obtained:(1)The source of Hg in subsurface flow zone is mainly caused by mineral processing activities;(2)the subsurface flow zone in the study area is in alkaline environment,and the residual state,iron and manganese oxidation state,strong organic state and humic acid state of mercury in loess are equally divided in dry and oxidizing environment;mercury in river alluvial or diluvial strata is mainly concentrated in silt,tailings and clayey silt soil layer,and mercury has certain stability,and the form of mercury in loess is easier to transform than the other two media;(3)under the flooding condition,most of mercury is trapped in the silt layer in the undercurrent zone where the sand and silt layers alternate with each other and the river water and groundwater are disjointed,and the migration capacity of mercury is far less than that of loess layer and alluvial layer with close hydraulic connection;(4)infiltration at the flood level accelerates the migration of pollutants to the ground;(5)the soil in the undercurrent zone is overloaded and has seriously exceeded the standard.Although the groundwater monitoring results are safe this time,relevant enterprises or departments should continue to pay attention to improving the gold extraction process,especially vigorously rectify the small workshops for illegal gold extraction and the substandard discharge of the three wastes,and intensify efforts to solve the geological environmental problems of mines left over from history.At present,the occurrence form of mercury in the undercurrent zone is relatively stable,but the water and soil layers have been polluted.The risk of disjointed groundwater pollution can not be ignored while giving priority to the treatment of loess and river alluvial landform areas with close hydraulic links.The research results will provide a scientific basis for water conservancy departments to groundwater prevention and control in water-deficient areas of the Loess Plateau.

The giant Kalgoorlie Gold Field revisited

The Neoarchaean Kaigoorlie Gold Field contains the giant Golden Mile and world-class Mt Charlotte deposits,which have been the subject of much research for over 100 years.The Golden Mile deposit is a complex array of ductile to brittle vein and breccia lodes that are predominantly hosted in the highlyfractionated Golden Mile Dolerite sill.The Fimiston lodes comprise an array of narrow lodes that evolved broadly syn- to late-formation of the regional D2 NW-trending foliation.The lodes are characterized by pyrite veinlets and disseminations,quartz veinlets and breccias,and banded quartz-carbonate veins with sericite,carbonate,and pyrite-dominated alteration.Bonanza Green-Leader,or Oroya-style,lodes,with grades in excess of 1000 g/t Au,are similar to the Fimiston-style lodes,but are characterized by abundant visible gold,native tellurium and more abundant telluride minerals within roscoelitebearing alteration zones.The arguably structurally younger Mt Charlotte-style lodes are characterized by a pipe-shaped,coarse-grained quartz,carbonate and scheelite vein-stockwork with distinct verticallyzoned,carbonate-sericite-albite-pyrite ± pyrrhotite dominant alteration assemblages around veins within Unit 8 of the Golden Mile dolerite and porphyry dykes.The network of steep- and gently-dipping extension and shear fracture-fill veins are associated with NE-trending fault se ts that cross cut the regional NW-trend.The deposit area is intruded by swarms of porphyry dykes,including syn-volcanic mafic dykes,early and volumetrically most significant c.2.67 Ga feldspar-phyric porphyry dykes,as well as later c.2.66-2.65 Ga calc-alkaline hornblende-phyric dykes associated with younger c.2.65-2.64 Ga lamprophyre dykes.All post-volcanic dykes have similar orientations to the Fimiston lodes.The feldspar dykes are clearly overprinted by all styles of mineralization,although the relationship between hornblende-phyric and lamprophyre dykes and gold mineralization is more ambiguous.Most agree that gold mineralization was post-peak regional metamorphism of host rocks,although its relative structural timing is controversial.Direct timing constraints on gold mineralization indicate that Fimiston- and Mt Charlotte-style mineralization formed within a relative short period of time around 2.64 Ga,and,as such,support a model of progressive deformation of a Theologically heterogeneous rock package late in the structural history.Fluid characteristics,combined with the structural,metamorphic and absolute timing,support description of gold mineralization at the Golden Mile as orogenic and mesozonal,and this allows direct correlation with orogenic gold deposits worldwide,which classically formed during accretion along convergent margins throughout Earth history.

Mercury consumption and contamination of environment in gold mining in China

Amalgamation (sluice methods) used in the extraction of golds from ores and concentrates causes mercury contamination of the environment, which is increasingly concerned in China. The mercury specific consumption in the technical procedures has been evaluated based on the investigation of 33 mines. The average consumption of Hg is 14.6 g/ton raw ores, the ratio of Hg to gold is 6.35 g(Hg)/g(Au), total consumption of Hg in 1995 was 80 tons. The mercury amount entering into environment was 20 tons/a. Up to now 13.26% total gold produced in China is still using amalgamation, although prohibition of amalgamation since 1985 was officially proclaimed. At present, the amalgamation usage tendds to go up in some companies becasue of the benefic promotion. The irreversible mercury consumption was dispersed in the air(50%), tailing (23%) and partly(27%) entered into the downward products in the production, such as ore concentrates which was refined in the plants and caused pollution of environment near the smelter.

Gold mining in Siberia and the Far East as a source of mercury contamination of the environment

The results of scientific and applied investigations on mercury contamination in the areas impacted by gold mining in Siberia and the Far East were considered. Gold mining has an impact on the contamination not only in industrial but in residential territories too. The mutual Russian Chinese investigation on mercury contamination of the Amur (Heilongjiang) River was proposed. The program of solving of the problems of mercury contamination in Russian gold mining areas is discussed.