One of the main mining problem is the pollution. As for gold extraction , the main environmental problem is the excessive use of water, especially river water , dumping of cyanide and mercury in rivers making the water of these undrinkable. People who depend of these water sources are forced to consume that type of contaminated water that causes serious health problems such as:
- Cancer.
- damage to the nervous system.
- Loss of memory.
- kidney damage
- thyroid damage.
- food contamination.
- contamination and mutation of aquatic life in rivers.
- among others.
Despite all these problems caused by gold mining, it can be done responsibly; in fact some eco-friendly methods are being developed to treat gold after being extracted, and one of these is the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by a bacteria: Rhodopseudomonas Capsulata.
