Arsenic in refractory gold ore processing

Abstract

With "easy" ores becoming diminished, extractive industries are now shifting towards difficult deposits. In the future, gold-arsenic-bearing refractory ores will represent a prime example of the type of ores that may become more typical sourse for global gold recovery operations. Mining and beneficiation of As-bearing ores inevitably produce As-bearing wastes, which exacerbate any natural As mobilization. The mobility of As is governed by the interplay of redox reactions, adsorption/desorption, ion exchange, precipitation/dissolution, and biotransformation. The dominant processes depend on local biogeochemical conditions of the media, such as pH, Eh, chemical composition, as well as the presence and intensity of biological activity. This article provides an overview of current research on arsenic contamination of the environment caused by mineralization, mining and extraction of gold on the example of specific gold deposits.