Plant-Based Gold Leaching: Botanical Alternatives to Mercury and Cyanide
Botanical Alternatives: Toward Safer, Evidence-Based Gold Recovery
Bruce A. Cosgrove, BSc, MSc | Preprint Published - Research Gate - February 2026, DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.19442.77769
This article examines botanical alternatives to mercury-based gold recovery in artisanal mining systems.
Mercury remains widely used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining due to its simplicity, low cost, and accessibility, despite its classification as a potent neurotoxin and persistent environmental contaminant.
👉 Plant-derived lixiviants represent a transition toward non-toxic hydrometallurgical systems →
Full references and supporting research are provided in the complete article accessed here:👉 Botanical Alternatives: Toward Safer, Evidence-Based Gold Recovery →
### Scientific Context
This article is grounded in applied botanical systems research and connects to the following peer-reviewed and technical publications:
👉 Botanical Alternatives: Toward Safer, Evidence-Based Gold Recovery →
👉 Ecuador Four-Stage Action Plan for Botanical Lixiviant Systems →