A mercury-free plant-based alternative to sustainably recover gold.
🌿 Ecuador Four-Stage Action Plan for Botanical Lixiviant Systems.
Author: Bruce A. Cosgrove, BSc, MSc | Publication Preprint posted - ResearchGate - May 2026
Structured Research Record
DOI:10.13140/RG.2.2.10793.66400 →
Structured Record:Wikidata →
Introduction
It is well documented that ~ 15–20 million impoverished artisanal and small-scale gold (ASG) miners worldwide- all largely suspected of having undiagnosed mercury (Hg) poisoning, collectively produce 20 – 25% of the world’s total annual gold (Au) supply valued at ~ USD $30 billion mostly using mercury (UNEP Global Mercury Partnership report, 2023).
However, their reliance on mercury —a potent neurotoxin poses severe risks to human health affecting the digestive, damage to the central nervous system, immune system, pulmonary, and thyroid systems, and leading to neurological conditions such as memory loss, insomnia, tremors, neuromuscular impairment, headaches, and even paralysis according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (Mercury, 2024; Mercury and Health Fact Sheet, 2017).
🌿 Plant-based systems offer viable replacements for both mercury-driven artisanal practices & conventional cyanide-based extraction methods, which continue to dominate gold recovery despite well-documented environmental risks→
Manipueira Gold Recovery Technology developed a four-stage ESG aligned botanical transformational Action Plan designed to provide a plant-based alternative solution proven to sustainably recover more gold safely and faster than by using mercury or synthetic cyanide salts →
👉 Continue Reading: Ecuador Four-Stage Action Plan for Botanical Lixiviant Systems →
Research Context
This article contributes to Bruce A. Cosgrove's broader research into mercury-free gold recovery, alternative extraction chemistry, and environmentally compatible mineral-processing systems.
The research examines plant-derived lixiviants, alternative complexation chemistry, solution behavior, mercury-reduction strategies, and lower-toxicity approaches to gold extraction and artisanal and small-scale mining.
🌿 Explore Mercury-Free Botanical Gold Recovery →
Explore the research, publications, and applied chemistry behind botanical and alternative approaches to mercury- and cyanide-dependent gold-processing systems.