• Title/Summary/Keyword: Gold mining

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Public Exposure to Natural Radiation and the Associated Increased Risk of Lung Cancer in the Betare-Oya Gold Mining Areas, Eastern Cameroon

  • Joseph Emmanuel Ndjana Nkoulou II;Louis Ngoa Engola;Guy Blanchard Dallou;Saidou;Daniel Bongue;Masahiro Hosoda;Moise Godefroy Kwato Njock;Shinji Tokonami
    • Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.59-67
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    • 2023
  • Background: This study aims to reevaluate natural radiation exposure, following up on our previous study conducted in 2019, and to assess the associated risk of lung cancer to the public residing in the gold mining areas of Betare-Oya, east Cameroon, and its vicinity. Materials and Methods: Gamma-ray spectra collected using a 7.62 cm×7.62 cm in NaI(Tl) scintillation spectrometer during a car-borne survey, in situ measurements and laboratory measurements performed in previous studies were used to determine the outdoor absorbed dose rate in air to evaluate the annual external dose inhaled by the public. For determining internal exposure, radon gas concentrations were measured and used to estimate the inhalation dose while considering the inhalation of radon and its decay products. Results and Discussion: The mean value of the laboratory-measured outdoor gamma dose rate was 47 nGy/hr, which agrees with our previous results (44 nGy/hr) recorded through direct measurements (in situ and car-borne survey). The resulting annual external dose (0.29±0.09 mSv/yr) obtained is similar to that of the previous study (0.33±0.03 mSv/yr). The total inhalation dose resulting from radon isotopes and their decay products ranged between 1.96 and 9.63 mSv/yr with an arithmetic mean of 3.95±1.65 mSv/yr. The resulting excess lung cancer risk was estimated; it ranged from 62 to 216 excess deaths per million persons per year (MPY), 81 to 243 excess deaths per MPY, or 135 excess deaths per MPY, based on whether risk factors reported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations Scientific Committee on the effects of Atomic Radiation, or International Commission on Radiological Protection were used, respectively. These values are more than double the world average values reported by the same agencies. Conclusion: There is an elevated level of risk of lung cancer from indoor radon in locations close to the Betare-Oya gold mining region in east Cameroon. Therefore, educating the public on the harmful effects of radon exposure and considering some remedial actions for protection against radon and its progenies is necessary.

Mode of Occurrence and Compositional Variation of Electrum from the Dunjeon and Baegjeon Gold Deposits (둔전(屯田) 및 백전광상(栢田鑛床)에서 산출(産出)되는 에렉트럼의 산출상태(産出狀態)와 조성변화(組成變化))

  • Lee, Chan Hee;Park, Hee-In
    • Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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    • v.6 no.2
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    • pp.94-104
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    • 1993
  • The compositional variation of electrums from gold-silver and antimony deposits in the Dunjeon Baegjeon mining area, range from 22.6 to 69.5 atom% of Ag. Ag contents in electrums vary with paragenetic sequences and associated minerals. Ag contents increase from core to margin in a single grain. Compositional range of electrums from the North ore deposits of the Dunjeon gold mine are from 22.6 to 29.5 atom% of Ag. Electrums contain Cu(0.40 to 0.55 atom%) and Bi(0.35 to 0.67 atom%). Composition of electrums from the South ore deposits of the Dunjeon gold mine vasies from 33.6 to 69.5 atom% of Ag. Cu and As contents in electrums range from 0.20 to 1.92 and from 0.70 to 1.90 atom%, respectively. As the content of Ag in electrums increase, the contents of Bi and As in electrums increase but that of Cu decrease. Electrums of the Baegjeon gold deposits contain 35.6 to 63.5 atom% of Ag, suggesting that Au contents in electrums associated with base metal sulfied be higher than those associate with Ag-minerals. Ag/Au rations in electrums increase with decreasing temperature, salinity and $fs_2$ of the mineralizing solution.

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Efficient Recycling of Printed Circuit Boards from Disassembly/Separation Process of waste LCD TVs: Composition Analysis and Value-wise Classification (LCD TV 해체 시 발생하는 PCB의 효율적 재활용을 위한 구조 분석 및 등급별 분류)

  • Hong, Myung Hwan;Park, Kyung-Soo;Swain, Basudev;Kang, Lee-Seung;Suk, Han Gil;Hong, Hyun Seon
    • Resources Recycling
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    • v.24 no.1
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    • pp.66-72
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    • 2015
  • Various waste PCBs arose during disassembly of LCD TVs and monitors in which they originally functioned for transmission of imaging signal, power supply, and imaging control. In those functional PCBs, gold and copper are contained at far more acceptable level, exceeding mining grade ores. Those valuable metals and their contents widely vary with functionality and end use of PCBs. Therefore, compositional analysis of individual waste PCBs from disassembled LCD TVs and monitors were performed in the present study to classify them into three categories: high gold yield and low gold yield PCBs and those without gold contents. Besides, additional chemical analysis was made to reveal gold and copper contents in the waste PCBs arising from actual disassembly/separation of end-of-life LCD TVs and monitors.

A Geochemical Study of Gold Skarn Deposits at the Sangdong Mine, Korea (상동광산 금스카른광상의 지구화학적 연구)

  • Lee, Bu Kyung;John, Yong Won
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.31 no.4
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    • pp.277-290
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    • 1998
  • The purpose of this research is to investigate the dispersion pattern of gold during skarnization and genesis of gold mineralization in the Sangdong skarn deposits. The Sangdong scheelite orebodies are embedded in the Cambrian Pungchon Limestone and limestone interbedded in the Myobong Slate of the Cambrian age. The tungsten deposits are classified as the Hangingwall Orebody, the Main Orebody and the Footwall Orebody as their stratigraphic locations. Recently, the Sangdong granite of the Cretaceous age (85 Ma) were found by underground exploratory drillings below the orebodies. In geochemisty, the W, Mo, Bi and F concentrations in the granite are significantly higher than those in the Cretaceous granitoids in southern Korea. Highest gold contents are associated with quartz-hornblende skarn in the Main Orebody and pyroxene-hornblende skarn in the Hangingwall Orebody. Also Au contents are closely related to Bi contents. This could be inferred that Au skarns formed from solutions under reduced environment at a temperature of $270^{\circ}C$. According to the multiple regression analysis, the variation of Au contents in the Main Orebody can be explained (87.5%) by Ag, As, Bi, Sb, Pb, Cu. Judging from the mineralogical, chemical and isotope studies, the genetic model of the deposits can be suggested as follows. The primitive Sangdong magma was enriched in W, Mo, Au, Bi and volatiles (metal-carriers such as $H_2O$, $CO_2$ and F). During the upward movement of hydrothermal ore solution, the temperature was decreased, and W deposits were formed at limestone (in the Myobong Slate and Pungchon Limestone). In addition, meteoric water influx gave rise to the retrogressive alterations and maximum solubility of gold, and consequently higher grade of Au mineralization was deposited.

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Stabilization and solidification of tailings from a traditional gold mine using Portland cement

  • Rachman, Ranno Marlany;Bahri, Ayi Syaeful;Trihadiningrum, Yulinah
    • Environmental Engineering Research
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    • v.23 no.2
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    • pp.189-194
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    • 2018
  • The traditional gold mining in Kulon Progo district, Special Region of Yogyakarta Province produced tailings containing mercury (Hg) from the gold amalgamation process. Mercury accumulated in tailings has 164.19 mg/kg - 383.21 mg/kg in total concentration. Stabilization/solidification (S/S) is one of the remediation technologies to reduce waste pollution. Portland cement is one of the additive materials in S/S that effective encapsulates heavy metal waste. The aim of this research is to know the optimum composition of tailings mixture with Portland cement in S/S process. This research used variation of tailings composition. Variation of Portland cement composition with tailing are 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80 and 10:90. The result of this study found that the optimum composition of Portland cement: tailings was 10:90, with compression test of $257ton/m^2$ and TCLP test was 0.0069 mg/L. The compression test results were in accordance to US EPA Standard quality of $35ton/m^2$. TCLP test results meet the standard of Indonesian Government Regulation No. 101 Year 2014 of 0.05 mg/L.

Morphology, Mineralogy and Genetic Implication of Placer Gold from the Huongkhe Area, Vietnam (베트남 홍케 지역 사금의 산상과 생성연구)

  • Choi, Sang-Hoon;Choi, Seon-Gyu;Han, Jin-Kyun
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.29 no.3
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    • pp.235-246
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    • 1996
  • Placer gold in collected heavy minerals from several localities in Huongkhe area, is consistently very finegrained (${\leq}100$ to $400{\mu}m$). The size and size distribution show somewhat differences at Dongdo and Hoahai : at Dongdo, predominant relatively larger and wide distribution; at Hoahai, characteristic relatively finer and narrow distribution range. The morphology of gold grains is divided into the four groups assumed by the dimension ratio : spherical, subprismoidal, prismoidal, and irregular. The gold grains at Dongdo show wide morphological distribution, whereas, at Hoahai, spherical form is predominant (${\approx}75%$). Three main types of gold are classified based on their chemical composition and mode of occurrence: type I (electrum; fineness=568~931), type II (amalgam; fineness=671~927), and type III (native gold; fineness=923~999). Type I gold contains, relatively high and variable silver contents (${\approx}11$ to 58 atomic % Ag), and has been classified into two subtypes based on their silver contents (type IA, ${\approx}11{\sim}39$ atomic % Ag; type IB, ${\approx}40{\sim}58$ atomic % Ag). However, type I gold would have been generally original compositions of electrum which originated at the provenance deposits. Mercury reacts with gold and silver to form amalgam (type II gold) which has variable Hg contents (1.2~30.5 atomic % Hg). The mercury contents in gold grains at Hoahai (10.9~30.5 atomic % Hg) are higher than those at Dongdo (5.8~21.1 atomic % Hg). The gold grains from the area generally exhibit a high-purity gold (type III) rim. The individual rims on the various grains range from <1 to $80{\mu}m$ in thickness and have silver contents of <10 atomic percent Ag, even though the core compositions range from ${\approx}11$ to 58 atomic percent Ag. The rim of gold most likely is responsible for the commonly cited cases of gold from placer deposits assaying at higher values of fineness than the gold in the corresponding source lode. The gold-rich rim in the Huongkhe area apparently forms by a combination of self-electrorefining and preferential dissolution of silver under oxidizing nature during the weathering and transport process. All data of gold grains in the Huongkhe area suggest that the transport distances and/or time of placer gold at Hoahai are generally farther than those at Dongdo. The mercurian gold bearing provenance deposits at Dongdo and Hoahai would be suggest nearest epithermal gold-silver vein-type.

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A Study on the Electrochemical Behavior of Au and Pd in Hydrochloric Acidic Solution (염산 수용액 중에서 Au와 Pd의 전기화학적 거동에 관한 연구)

  • Yu, Yeon-Tae;Kim, Chi-Kwon
    • Korean Journal of Materials Research
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.76-81
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    • 2001
  • In order to recover Au and Pd from the leaching solution of various electronic wastes by electrowinning, the electrochemical behavior of Au and Pd in hydorchloric acidic solution was investigated by means of voltammetry. The reduction potential of Au ion was 800mV and the limiting current appeared at 470mV in electrolytic solution of gold. The reduction potential of Pd ion was 500mv and the limiting current appeared at 150mV in electrolytic solution of Palladium. However, in Au-Pd electrolytic solution, the Potentials for reduction and the limiting current of Au decreased as the content of Pd in electrolyte increased, and the potentials for the limiting current of Au and Pd closed nearest together when percentage of Pd electrolytic solution was 37v71% in Au-Pd electrolyte.

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Resource Estimation of Actosity Gold Mineralized Belt, Uzbekistan (우즈베키스탄 악토시티 금광화대 자원량 평가)

  • Chi, Se-Jung;Park, Sung-Won;Kim, In-Joon;Heo, Chul-Ho
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.47 no.2
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    • pp.169-180
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    • 2014
  • Surface geological and trench surveys and drilling exploration (total length, 1,100 m; 9 drill holes) were carried out to secure new Au ore bodies in the area($0.96km^2$) of Actosity gold field, where is located at the western Kuldjuktau mineralized district in the middle territory of Uzbekistan. Several Au ore bodies occurring as tabular or lens shapes with thickness of 0.5~35 m were newly discovered on the outcrops and extended to $N40{\sim}70^{\circ}\;W$ direction with dipping of $70{\sim}90^{\circ}$ SW or NE. Indicated ore resource of gold with Au grade of 0.25~3.52 mg/kg was newly estimated by 2,382 t(gold resource of 2.5 t) as a result of 9 drilling exploration in 2010~2012 from the Actosity gold field. Judging from the ore resources and Au grade of the Actosity gold field, economic potentiality of mining development seems to be low. Because of high possibility to secure new ore resources through more detailed exploration works from the Actosity area, the growth of econonic value will be expected by a mine of middle scale.

Detecting gold-farmers' group in MMORPG by analyzing connection pattern (연결패턴 정보 분석을 통한 온라인 게임 내 불량사용자 그룹 탐지에 관한 연구)

  • Seo, Dong-Nam;Woo, Ji-Young;Woo, Kyung-Moon;Kim, Chong-Kwon;Kim, Huy-Kang
    • Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.585-600
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    • 2012
  • Security issues in online games are increasing as the online game industry grows. Real money trading (RMT) by online game users has become a security issue in several countries including Korea because RMT is related to criminal activities such as money laundering or tax evasion. RMT-related activities are done by professional work forces, namely gold-farmers, and many of them employ the automated program, bot, to gain cyber asset in a quick and efficient way. Online game companies try to prevent the activities of gold-farmers using game bots detection algorithm and block their accounts or IP addresses. However, game bot detection algorithm can detect a part of gold-farmer's network and IP address blocking also can be detoured easily by using the virtual private server or IP spoofing. In this paper, we propose a method to detect gold-farmer groups by analyzing their connection patterns to the online game servers, particularly information on their routing and source locations. We verified that the proposed method can reveal gold-farmers' group effectively by analyzing real data from the famous MMORPG.

Geochemical Exploration for a Potential Estimation on the Carlin-type Gold Mineralization in Northern Mt. Taebaek Mining District, Korea (태백산 광화대 북부에서 칼린형 금광화작용 부존 잠재력 평가를 위한 지구화학 탐사)

  • Sung, Kyu-Youl;Park, Maeng-Eon;Yun, Seong-Taek;Moon, Young-Hwan;Yoo, In-Kol;Kim, Ryang-Hee;Shin, Jong-Ki;Kim, Eui-Jun
    • Economic and Environmental Geology
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    • v.40 no.5
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    • pp.537-549
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    • 2007
  • The characteristics of the mineralization and geology in the northern Mt. Taebaek mining district are found to be similar with those reported from Nevada district where the Carlin-type gold deposit occurs characteristically as repeated metallic ore deposits in space and time. Though two spots of hs and several spots of Sb anomalies were recognized in the Yeongweol area, they have no relationship with any metalliferous mineralization. On the other hand, two spots of As anomaly in the Jeongseon area have shown to be related with metalliferous ore deposits (mainly Ag-Au), and they are closely associated with Sb anomaly. Some elements of altered limestones in the study such as Au, Ag, As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mo area are closely associated together, and are more enriched in the Jeongseon area than in the Yeongweol area. In particular, Sb and As which may reflect the occurrence of the Carlin-type gold deposit are highly enriched. However, the base metals such af Zn and Pb are highly variable according to samples. The patterns of the enrichment factor for Sb and As, as well as those for Ag and Au, are very similar with those reported from the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada. These similarities in elemental distribution may imply that hydrothermal ore mineralization in the study areas was possibly originated from a fluid with the characteristics of the Carlin-type gold mineralization found in Nevada, China, and Indonesia. However, the pattern of base metals and Mo are different. This may result from different chemistry and/or mineralogy of host rock in the study areas.